Review of The Terminator (1984) by Adam F — 17 Jan 2013

With a great cast, unforgettable characters, a lot of action and a pretty intelligent script "The Terminator" works as a horror film and as a science fiction action flick. Arnold Schwarzenegger is perfect as the "Terminator", an expressionless, merciless killer (not unlike the villain in many slasher films) that you just can't keep down while Linda Hamilton plays a woman that is totally overwhelmed but keeps her cool and Michael Biehn plays a soldier that has a lot of heart.

The film has a lot of smart, subtle references, like the answering machine message stating that "Machines need love too", the revelation that in the future machines have betrayed man but dogs (man's best friend) plays a new role in man's survival, the strong differences between "Kyle Reese" and "The Terminator" both of which have a man's body, but only one of which is truly a man and more.

The one-liners are great and very quotable, the visions of a post-apocalyptic earth are disturbing and there is a lot of good tension during the numerous chases and shootouts. At some points the low budget of the film shows and because the film is so well known it'll come as a shock to many people that everything isn't seamlessly blended but it never detracts from the story.

It's a great film that you shouldn't miss even if you're not a fan of science fiction or horror. (Dvd, January 17, 2013).