The Terminator: Review By Harry Cooke

"The machines rose from the ashes of the nuclear fire. Their war to exterminate mankind had raged for decades, but the final battle would not be fought in the future. It would be fought here, in our present. Tonight... "

Now, millions of high school students are reading George Orwell's anti-utopian classic "1984", a groundbreaking novel predicting the anatomy of the future beyond his time. The year 1984, however, offered the cinematic answer to Orwell's masterpiece: The Terminator.

The film begins with two naked men, appearing in separate locations after an outburst of electricity. One is The Terminator (Arnie, in his classic role); the other Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn). They have both been sent from the future; one destined to "terminate" Sarah Connor, mother of the last hope of mankind, and the other destined to protect her. The Terminator pursues Sarah (Hamilton) and Reese through the city with spectacular chases and wild shootouts ensuing.

Before Cameron was king of the box-office (twice, mind you) he was an unknown; the only film on his resume being Piranha II: The Spawning. With a vision, however, Cameron was able to construct a screenplay solid enough for his first big shot. Working with a then-unknown star as the title character, Cameron was given a microscopic budget to bring his vision to life. It's quite impressive what Cameron can do with such little money.

The acting is mostly satisfactory throughout. Schwarzeneggar, is, well, Schwarzeneggar. He creeps across the screen with low angles, revealing menace in his robotic character and his robotic accent. Biehn and Hamilton are solid, but far from extraordinary. Another one of the cases where the characters are superior to those who play them.

This is a very violent film. Of course, it did acquire an 'R' rating, but many scenes (especially one with the Terminator and a scalpel) will ensure you close your eyes and gasp.

The twists and turns of the story, with or without action, steal the show. I admire the several settings each character must endure to reach their goal; the frequent discussions of the future also bring up interesting points. The script is incredibly well-crafted.

I can see why there was uncertainty of The Terminator's success. Every sequence is far ahead of its time, a time where Beverly Hills Cop is the highest grossing film of the year. Yet I am very glad this film was successful, for it introduced audiences to a new, gritty science fiction thriller, launching the careers of each star and spawning a mega-blockbuster sequel (also to my liking).

Ambiguous and well-made, The Terminator is an instant classic and one of my favorite films of all time. I reccommend analyzing the film with every viewing, for it really is more than meets the eye.

5/5