The year is 1984 and two strangers from 2029 arrive in Los Angeles, having travelled through time. They arrive separately, but both have the same mission: To locate Sarah Connor.
One time-traveller is Kyle Reese, a soldier sent to protect Sarah at all costs. The other is an android programmed to terminate Sarah.
As for Sarah herself, she’s a seemingly ordinary woman, going about her day-to-day life. But little does Sarah know, she is very important to the future of the human race.
Directed and co-written by James Cameron, The Terminator stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, and Linda Hamilton. The movie is a sci-fi action film, and a ruddy classic one too, which this year celebrates its 40th anniversary.
That’s 40 years of apocalyptic foreshadowing, 40 years of explosive action, and 40 years of Arnie promising he’ll be back. It’s also 40 years of one of the best films of the 1980s, which not only launched an entire franchise, but put Schwarzenegger’s career on the map.
The Terminator was a game changer for the Austrian oak, as well as for director Cameron, and it’s not difficult to see why. This was an iconic and influential picture back in ‘84, and decades on it remains at the top of its game.
From its nightmarish themes and genre-blurring approach (part techno-thriller, part action flick, part slasher), to its iconic score by Brad Fiedel, and its endlessly quotable dialogue, The Terminator looks good and sounds good too. The film is thoroughly entertaining, with interesting and unnerving predictions about the future, and of course, the aforementioned Schwarzenegger is the ace up the film’s sleeve.
Famously given very little dialogue to work with, Arnie’s imposing shape does a great deal of the leg work and he takes up considerable space on screen. However, he throws himself into the part of the terminator with gusto, barrels his way through the picture, and is creepy, brutal, and likeable to boot!
Like Freddy, Jason, or Michael Myers, Arnie’s terminator is very much the bad guy, and therefore must get his comeuppance, but there’s something just so damn compelling and cool about his character. In fact, this is arguably the reason why (spoiler) he came back so many times in the sequels and also became a good guy from T2 onward.
Outside of Arnie, highlights of The Terminator include the mysterious arrival of Reese; the shoot-out at a police station; and the various glimpses at the war-torn future which are interspersed throughout the narrative. The movie’s horrifying showdown is also a delight, as well as a thing of nightmares, as the android sheds its skin to chase Sarah through a factory during the climax.
All of this, plus smart direction, and a killer script from Cameron and co-writer Gale Anne Hurd, makes for one endlessly re-watchable picture. A picture you probably should revisit if you haven’t done so for some time.
Should you wish to watch The Terminator, to celebrate 40 years of brilliance, the movie is currently available on DVD and Blu-ray. It can also be bought and downloaded through digital platforms.
And if that’s not enough, The Terminator is now available on 4K. The 4K release hit UK entertainment stores today.
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