Retro Review: The Terminator

In 1984, James Cameron brought us the beginning of one of the most endearing cinema franchises of all time. Not many people know how low budget this movie was. It wasn't supposed to be a hit, but it was huge. Still one of the most infamous characters of all time, and still influencing Sci-Fi movies to this day. But... was it really that good? Is it really worth being declared one of the greatest Sci-Fi movies of all time? Maybe. Read on to see my opinion.

This movie was written and directed by James Cameron. He's one of the greatest writers of all time, and certainly one of the best directors. He comes up with some great stories, and this movie is no exception. The Terminator is one of the most creative movie stories ever. No question.

Our story starts off in the future. In the year 2017, a nuclear arose. technology became self aware, and when humans tried to pull the plug, the machines struck back. Humans are resilient, though. And when some survived, a war broke out between men, and machines. Man, versus Terminator. Machines that look like ordinary men, but feel no pain.  They are extremely hard to kill, and more powerful than any man. The resistance fighting the machines, is led by John Connor. He's winning. The humans are winning. So, the machines have an ace of up their sleeve. They send one of the Terminators (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back in time, to kill John's mother, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). But the humans have sent a protector, Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), to her aide.

Great story, and great direction for sure. But the actors make this movie even better. Michael Biehn is great in everything, but this is his best role for sure. He's one of my favorite action movie stars, and he's perfect for this role. I really enjoyed his character.

Sarah Connor was also a cool character. She was pulled into a world she didn't understand, and I think she handled it in a believable way. Not that this movie is down to earth, but it's believable. You completely understand why things happen in a certain way, and you can completely relate to it. I really liked that aspect of the movie, and it helps make something out of this world, something you can believe.

Of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger is in this movie. He was awesome. The Terminator was fun to watch, but cold and lifeless. A great villain that endures to this day. This movie is dark. Very dark. It's almost hard to watch at points because the movie is so violent, and bloody. There's no remorse, no humility, just senseless violence. The Terminator has one task. And it won't stop, it won't rest, it won't sleep until that job is done. Brutal executions are brutal, and they make this movie extremely dark. I'm not the biggest fan of dark movies, but I think it worked pretty well for this movie. I don't think it could have worked in any other way.

There's a love story in this movie. To avoid spoilers, I won't tell you who it's with, but the love story is probably the weakest part of the film. Any one can relate to the man involved, and I liked that, but it seemed a little cheesy. It worked well enough, but it wasn't perfect. I'm usually really particular about love stories, and while this movie is no exception, I can tell you that it wasn't horrible.


The action is exhilarating. There's a great explosion, and the chase scenes are simply amazing. No question about that. The part with the Terminator stripped down to his skeleton is a bit cheesy, but some creative and clever direction make it work well enough. Even then, there's no substitute for this movie's amazing gun fights.

This movie was truly a classic. It has nearly all of it, and makes a great movie to watch any time. It has a
couple of flaws, but I'm honestly willing to look past them. The movie doesn't exactly sing, but it's basically perfect, and has earned a wonderful place in my collection. A great movie, with great actors, and wonderful action. Not to mention some marvelous writing and direction from James Cameron.

Final Score: 4.5/5 or 90 %

What do you think of dark movies? I like them when they work well in the story, but usually, I'm not a fan. It just depends. But what about you? Do you prefer dark movies to lighthearted ones? Let me know in the comments, and I'll see ya next time!