He'll be back - and he was (The Terminator (DVD))

Member Name: thehud

Product:	The Terminator (DVD)
Date:	09/01/05 (75 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Arnie, action, FX

Disadvantages: Lack of humour

IMDB (The Internet Movie Database – http://www.imdb.com) is always bloody good for info on films, even more so than the rather garish, but nevertheless very helpful, Rotten Tomatoes website, so I usually consult those guys when I’m trying to find out about a movie. If nothing else, they carry a nice line in movie taglines. There’s no change here, either, so get this … “In the Year of Darkness, 2029, the rulers of this planet devised the ultimate plan. They would reshape the Future by changing the Past. The plan required something that felt no pity. No pain. No fear. Something unstoppable. They created 'THE TERMINATOR' … The thing that won't die, in the nightmare that won't end … Your future is in his hands.”

Chilling stuff, to be sure, and Arnie’s phenomenal success with The Terminator when it exploded like a … well, explosion, I suppose, was very easy to understand.

The Terminator contained all the key ingredients for a smash blockbuster when it came to us in 1984 (errrk, 21 years ago, you old fogies, difficult to believe, I know) … a massive star (Schwarzenegger), a doomsday scenario (a future fight to the finish between Mankind and Machines), an intriguing premise (both sides in the future conflict send their champion back through time to protect/destroy the saviour of the human race with all the paradoxical “What happens if we change history?” academic mysteries), pretty snazzy special effects (Herr S’s gradual physical degradation and his splendidly scorched barnet being but two of the better moments) and some pretty expert staging all make for a truly wonderful piece of work … totally engrossing and gripping and eminently watchable time and time and time again… The Terminator is a film to end all films, a real masterpiece.

Schwarzenegger and the effects dominate literally everything with those special effects, although Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor and Michael Biehn as Kyle Reese (only known otherwise for his appearance as virtually the same character in Aliens) give some pretty strong support, even though they’re far too intense for their own good.

The movie has aged pretty well, even though it’s a little shaky in one or two parts and looks a trifle odd. It’s a breathtaking action fest right from the off, with Arnie bleakly revelling in a role to really get his teeth into – “I’ll be back” and all that – the lack of emotion demanded by his character obviously plays to his strengths, but The Terminator has lots of moments of bleak humour, especially early doors as he seeks out the emperor’s new clothes when he first returns to the past.

The two sequels lived up to the memory of the original, but it was The Terminator with its bleak (that word again, eh? Getting a bit predictable, matey) future vision and cynical denunciation of man and all his doings which is the best of them all. T2: Judgement Day was a wonderful follow up and the special FX were even better, but The Terminator had the shock value of all originals.

I’ve never been too fond of film synopses as I’ve found either people already know the details, or offering them spoils the surprises if the viewer hasn’t already seen the movie, and shock value is always something to be thankful for. That said, I’ll usually try and offer just the slightest snippet to give you a flavour, so here goes …

Sarah Connor is a waitress in the USA in 1984. She is apparently to be the mother of the leader of human forces in a battle against cyborgs in 2029. The machine empire sends back through time a fearsome and indestructible killing machine to seek out Connor and prevent her giving birth to the chap. The forces of mankind send back their own warrior to protect Sarah and fight off the bad guy. An exciting race follows as the main protagonists fall helplessly towards the ultimate battle, and some pretty memorable scenes.

It’s a decent enough story, but really The Terminator is all about the action, the adventure and the gimmicks … and they’re very good, indeed …

The Terminator is a classic adventure movie … it’s a classic sci fi movie … it’s an eerie love story (at a push) … IT’S WONDERFUL ENTERTAINMENT ALL ROUND….



Full credits – just to scare you all and show how terribly boring these things can actually be …

Cast (in credits order) verified as complete
Arnold Schwarzenegger .... The Terminator
Michael Biehn .... Kyle Reese
Linda Hamilton .... Sarah Connor
Paul Winfield .... Lieutenant Ed Traxler
Lance Henriksen .... Detective Vukovich
Bess Motta .... Ginger Ventura
Earl Boen .... Dr. Peter Silberman
Rick Rossovich .... Matt Buchanan
Dick Miller .... Pawnshop Clerk
Shawn Schepps .... Nancy
Bruce M. Kerner .... Desk Sergeant
Franco Columbu .... Future Terminator
Bill Paxton .... Punk Leader
Brad Rearden .... Punk
Brian Thompson .... Punk
William Wisher Jr. .... Policeman
Ken Fritz .... Policeman
Tom Oberhaus .... Policeman
Ed Dogans .... Cop in Alley
Joe Farago .... TV Anchorman
Hettie Lynne Hurtes .... TV Anchorwoman
Tony Mirelez .... Gas Station Attendant
Philip Gordon .... Mexican Boy (long shots)
Anthony Trujillo .... Mexican Boy (close-ups) (as Anthony T. Trujillo)
Stan Yale .... Derelict in Alley
Al Kahn .... Customer
Leslie Morris .... Customer
Hugh Farrington .... Customer
Harriet Medin .... Customer
Loree Frazier .... Customer
James Ralston .... Customer
Norman Friedman .... Cleaning Man at Flophouse
Barbara Powers .... Ticket Taker at Club Technoir
Wayne Stone .... Tanker Driver
David Pierce .... Tanker Partner (as David Pierce)
John E. Bristol .... Biker at Phone Booth
Webster Williams .... Reporter
Patrick Pinney .... Bar Customer
Bill W. Richmond .... Bartender
Chino 'Fats' Williams .... Truck Driver
Gregory Robbins .... Tiki Motel Customer
Marianne Muellerleile .... Wrong Sarah
John Durban .... Sentry


Directed by
James Cameron

Writing credits
Harlan Ellison (screenplays Soldier, Demon with a Glass Hand) originally uncredited


James Cameron &
Gale Anne Hurd


William Wisher Jr. (additional dialogue) (as William Wisher)

Summary: