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My favorite James Cameron film, The Terminator is a d*mn good film. What they were able to accomplish with such a small relative budget on this film is unbelievable. A sci-fi horror film that was truly original for it's time, it tells the tale of a killer robot going back in time to kill the mother of the man who will lead humanity in a war against the machine overlords of the future, meanwhile, a soldier is sent back in time to protect her. Horrifying and action packed, building to an epic conclusion, it's vintage Cameron at his best. The script is also incredible tight and the story is perfectly paced, never dull for even a moment.
Most people will say that Terminator 2 is an improvement on this film but I would disagree. T2 is a significantly more important film in the scope of cinema history with how it revolutionized visual effects (liquid metal), and while the effects are better and the action is bigger, I feel like the first Terminator film is better, in that it's narrative is much tighter and more concise, and the horror feel works better to me than the bigger action feel of T2. T2 also lags a bit in the middle in my opinion.
The entire look and feel of the film is great, from the atmosphere at night to the death and destruction evident in the post apocalyptic future, to the great techno score that fits perfectly with the film's visual tone. The performances, while not the centerpiece of the film, are more than adequate, especially Michael Beihn's Kyle Reese, who was my favorite part of the film.
It's a very intellligently made simple high concept classic in the sci-fi genre, and perhaps James Cameron's best work, and a must watch.
36. The Terminator
My favorite James Cameron film, The Terminator is a d*mn good film. What they were able to accomplish with such a small relative budget on this film is unbelievable. A sci-fi horror film that was truly original for it's time, it tells the tale of a killer robot going back in time to kill the mother of the man who will lead humanity in a war against the machine overlords of the future, meanwhile, a soldier is sent back in time to protect her. Horrifying and action packed, building to an epic conclusion, it's vintage Cameron at his best. The script is also incredible tight and the story is perfectly paced, never dull for even a moment.
Most people will say that Terminator 2 is an improvement on this film but I would disagree. T2 is a significantly more important film in the scope of cinema history with how it revolutionized visual effects (liquid metal), and while the effects are better and the action is bigger, I feel like the first Terminator film is better, in that it's narrative is much tighter and more concise, and the horror feel works better to me than the bigger action feel of T2. T2 also lags a bit in the middle in my opinion.
The entire look and feel of the film is great, from the atmosphere at night to the death and destruction evident in the post apocalyptic future, to the great techno score that fits perfectly with the film's visual tone. The performances, while not the centerpiece of the film, are more than adequate, especially Michael Beihn's Kyle Reese, who was my favorite part of the film.
It's a very intellligently made simple high concept classic in the sci-fi genre, and perhaps James Cameron's best work, and a must watch.