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It's hard to say something about a film that everyone has seen and most love. The Terminator is a sci/fi classic that catapulted James Cameron's career. Spitting out numerous sequels, Cameron started a franchise and made one of the biggest movie action stars of all-time with Schwarzenegger.
In 1984, a cyborg from 2029, known as The Terminator arrives with one purpose and one purpose only; KILL SARAH CONNOR. The resistance from 2029 sends back their best soldier to stop the machine and save her life. Why? She is the mother of John Connor, who will one day rise up and lead the resistance against the machines who have taken over the world.
One of the bigger questions to ask is; "does this film still hold-up by today's standards"? With the exception of a few effects shots, the answer is absolutely yes. The Terminator is basically one giant chase film and Cameron stages every set pieces beautifully. The best example of his talents are when the Terminator and Kyle Reese first meet Sarah Connor in Tech Noir, the dance club. Breaking down that scene showcases the amount of creative talent Cameron has, every shot has a purpose, every action is justified and the repetitive machine like music heightens the tension beautifully. I love the shot of Sarah bending over to pick something up just as the Terminator walks by in the crowd. Everything in that scene builds towards chaos, which then explodes onto the screen.
Michael Biehn plays Kyle Reese, the soldier sent back to protect Sarah Connor, played by Linda Hamilton. I was wondering if I was going to believe them sleeping together this time around and you know what, I did. While the sex scene itself is pure 80's cheese, everything else that led up to it felt genuine to me. It helps that Biehn gives an unhinged, yet compelling performance of a soldier suffering from PTSD. He literally just went through time for crying out loud. When we first meet him, he looks like he barely survived the trip, which is a drastic change from the calm and collected Terminator who came before. These two scene show the uphill battle that Reese faces. Hamilton at first is the damsel, but gradually over time we see her slowly becoming the woman she is the in the sequel.
Cameron gives us a few flashbacks/flashforwards (however you want to perceive time) to the war. The first sets up the war itself, showing us our inevitable future. The second gives us a glimpse of how well trained and skillful Reese is as a soldier, giving us hope that he might be able to take on this machine. Finally the last one involves Reese and the photo of Sarah Connor, which cements the love he has for her and thus creating the paradox timeline of who's my daddy.
Those effects shots I mentioned, involves the Terminator, self operating on himself in a mirror. It's jarring to see shots where we know it is Arnold and others where we know it is a prop. It kind of works in a weird way because we know he isn't real, but the effect takes you out of the film no matter what. Overall though, this film is thrilling and showcases Cameron's talents as an entertaining filmmaker.
The Terminator
(James Cameron)
(James Cameron)
It's hard to say something about a film that everyone has seen and most love. The Terminator is a sci/fi classic that catapulted James Cameron's career. Spitting out numerous sequels, Cameron started a franchise and made one of the biggest movie action stars of all-time with Schwarzenegger.
In 1984, a cyborg from 2029, known as The Terminator arrives with one purpose and one purpose only; KILL SARAH CONNOR. The resistance from 2029 sends back their best soldier to stop the machine and save her life. Why? She is the mother of John Connor, who will one day rise up and lead the resistance against the machines who have taken over the world.
One of the bigger questions to ask is; "does this film still hold-up by today's standards"? With the exception of a few effects shots, the answer is absolutely yes. The Terminator is basically one giant chase film and Cameron stages every set pieces beautifully. The best example of his talents are when the Terminator and Kyle Reese first meet Sarah Connor in Tech Noir, the dance club. Breaking down that scene showcases the amount of creative talent Cameron has, every shot has a purpose, every action is justified and the repetitive machine like music heightens the tension beautifully. I love the shot of Sarah bending over to pick something up just as the Terminator walks by in the crowd. Everything in that scene builds towards chaos, which then explodes onto the screen.
Michael Biehn plays Kyle Reese, the soldier sent back to protect Sarah Connor, played by Linda Hamilton. I was wondering if I was going to believe them sleeping together this time around and you know what, I did. While the sex scene itself is pure 80's cheese, everything else that led up to it felt genuine to me. It helps that Biehn gives an unhinged, yet compelling performance of a soldier suffering from PTSD. He literally just went through time for crying out loud. When we first meet him, he looks like he barely survived the trip, which is a drastic change from the calm and collected Terminator who came before. These two scene show the uphill battle that Reese faces. Hamilton at first is the damsel, but gradually over time we see her slowly becoming the woman she is the in the sequel.
Cameron gives us a few flashbacks/flashforwards (however you want to perceive time) to the war. The first sets up the war itself, showing us our inevitable future. The second gives us a glimpse of how well trained and skillful Reese is as a soldier, giving us hope that he might be able to take on this machine. Finally the last one involves Reese and the photo of Sarah Connor, which cements the love he has for her and thus creating the paradox timeline of who's my daddy.
Those effects shots I mentioned, involves the Terminator, self operating on himself in a mirror. It's jarring to see shots where we know it is Arnold and others where we know it is a prop. It kind of works in a weird way because we know he isn't real, but the effect takes you out of the film no matter what. Overall though, this film is thrilling and showcases Cameron's talents as an entertaining filmmaker.