Review of The Terminator (1984) by Matt M — 02 Jan 2014

One of the most iconic, tightest and darkest science fiction thrillers, and seemingly freely inspired from tales of the Bible, comes the story of a man and a machine, one sent to save the other sent to kill the mother of the man who will save the humans from the uprising of the machines.

Made with a low budget, this film's visuals look remarkable, and the tension is kept high throughout, although some of the aspects of the film seem to come together all too suddenly, most notably, the understated romance between Sarah Connor and her guardian angel, and other aspects that leave us feeling cold.

But the most impressive element and really what in the long run makes the movie is the perfect casting of Schwarzenegger as the monotone and indestructible killing machine, a role which not only fits him incredibly well but also lets us get a glimpse of the action superstar lending himself to a rare role as a meanie and comfortably letting loose a chilling side of himself often restrained for the sake of playing the hero.