Review of The Terminator (1984) by Kyle20Ellis — 26 Jul 2015

Have not always been a big fan of action films, after seeing my fair share poorly made, dull and predictable, sloppily written and badly acted ones that delivers just as little on the action (the worst of Steven Seagal being prime examples. The Terminator however is like Die Hard, a thrilling well-made film that succeeds as an action film and a film in general, and treats its audience and genre with respect. It is also one of director James Cameron's best films along with Terminator 2 and Aliens.

The Terminator looks great still, sure the special effects have not held up as well as the rest of the film but they are not that bad. The film is beautifully and slickly photographed and the sets and lighting are so imaginative and wonderfully nightmarish that one really does get sucked and immersed into its world., and filled with sharp details. Cameron's direction is superb, some of the best of his whole career. The music score is hauntingly eerie and its synthesised sound doesn't date the film at all, instead adding hugely to the atmosphere. The script (including the famous 'I'll be back') is snappy and smart with plenty of wittily written lines, the story is incredibly engrossing and exciting to the maximum with plenty of suspense and fun.

Action fans are guaranteed too to be thrilled by the action here, being both dynamic and thrilling, the climax really does jangle the nerves. Michael Biehn and especially Linda Hamilton shine in their roles, and Arnold Schwarzenegger has never been more perfectly cast as his most iconic character to date. All in all, a brilliant film and one of the greats of the action genre.