The Terminator

The Terminator



After reading the great article about the Terminator franchise in Empire magazine, I had to go back and watch the classics again. With Terminator Salvation due in cinemas this summer (5th June), I thought I'd gear you up for it by reviewing the first three movies.

Back in 1984, the self proclaimed 'King of the World' James Cameron had been freshly fired as director of Piranha 2 and wasn't the king of anything. After a fever dream inspired by watching Harlan Ellison episodes of the Outer Limits, he developed the idea that would eventually become a cult sensation.

A terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is sent back through time to kill Sarah Connor. A machine endoskeleton surrounded by living flesh, 20th century weaponry can only slow it down.
A protector is also sent back through time in the form of a soldier called Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn). He must stop the Terminator killing Sarah (Linda Hamilton) so the human race can survive.
You see, although Sarah is completely unaware of it, she is destined to be the mother of a great military leader, John Connor. In the future it is his leadership that will bring mankind back from the brink of extinction to overthrow the dominant machines.

The film is played out as a cat and mouse chase. A reluctant Sarah comes to terms with her destiny while trying to stay alive. The movie never falls fowl of cliché as the characters are fully developed realistic people with identifiable issues. Reese is a man who has to switch off his humanity in order to get the job done. Sarah is going through life without direction until she's told the world's fate rests on her shoulders.
This is in stark contrast to the Terminator who has no such concerns. He simply kills.

Using the grandfather paradox theory, it seems that Sarah's protector is also the father of her child. Reese is sent through time by his own son to save his life. In later films the same idea is applied to the Terminator's origins. It shows how deeply thought out the movie is. It's no simple Hunt and Kill action/horror fest; throughout the film you're aware of how important Sarah Connor's survival really is.

With his monosyllabic voice and his larger than life body frame, it's no wonder Schwarzenegger was the perfect terminator. This film launched him as a star and the sequel established him as a superstar. His short terse dialogue is simplistic and menacing. When he utters his now overused line “I'll be back”, the audience know the action's about to explode.

It's lucky that this film got the green light at all. Every production company passed on it until Orion took a risk on the fledgling director. They gave him a measly $6.4 million to make it, most of which he gave to Stan Winston to create the amazing effects.

Now with it's fourth instalment on its way and a successful TV series, the franchise is still going strong. Let's hope that number four can live up to the fans expectations (this one included).

Verdict 10/10
A great start to a great franchise.