The Terminator (1984) Review – Watch on CocoFlix

A Relentless Race Against the Future

When The Terminator came out in 1984, it quickly became evident that it wasn’t your average sci-fi film. It’s powerful and gritty, and laid the groundwork for an entirely new way to make action films. Directed by James Cameron, it opens with a chilling and violent scene, and rarely stops to catch its breath. The plot is simple. At that time, a cyborg assassin, The Terminator, played with excellent charisma by the great Arnold Schwarzenegger, was sent from a post-apocalyptic future to present day 1984 Los Angeles. He is tasked to kill Sarah Connor, a waitress who, not unlike other people, has an important job to do and one day will be known as the leader of the resistance for humanity against a tyrannical and active AI. There is of course, Kyle Reese, played by the amazing Michael Biehn, a lone soldier who is from the future and is charged with protecting Sarah from The Terminator. This is a film that has a simple plot, but has a wonderful narrative with an exceptional level of tension. This is a great film if you want a quick watch with a high entertainment value.

The Unstoppable Force and the Unlikely Heroine

Masterful character work, and a runtime of just under 1 hour and 50 minutes, makes The Terminator, a true masterpiece. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the cyborg assassin is second to none. He moves with a singular terrifying purpose. He’s a relentless killing machine, and truly unstoppable. The movie plays to Arnold's strengths and uses his big, imposing, built-like-a-house body and his stoic demeanor (when he flat out says "I'll be back," it’s like instant goosebumps) to create a villain that is more nature than man. Variety said, “Perfectly cast in a machine-like portrayal that requires only a . . . few lines.” The Terminator is a so much more frightening presence because of the decision to cast with him this way. Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor is the other side of that coin. Initially we see a woman from a vulnerable place who is caught up in a horrible situation, and we see her grow in her courage and determination. We see her emotional journey and her transformation. We also see Michael Biehn's Kyle Reese's emotional journey, and to see him grow in the different emotions and then culminating in his sacrifice is really powerful. The predator and prey dynamic between the three characters is the soul of the whole movie.

Gritty 'Tech-Noir' and Lasting Influence

The 1984 cult classic sci-fi film The Terminator is often described as 'tech-noir.' The combination of grimy neo-realism and postmodern sense of futuristic anxiety combines to create a unique aesthetic armature in The Terminator that Richard Corliss of Time rightly noted as having "plenty of tech-noir savvy." The special effects, especially the practical effects on the Terminator's Endoskeleton, were groundbreaking for their time and hold up remarkably well. The effects not only pay homage to a younger age of special effects, but also lend a menacing presence to the film's cusp cyborg. Though some audience reviews say the "effects work is a little creaky now," they also praise the effects as being "awesome in 1984" and do not take away from the story. The film's extremely low budget forced immense cretivity. Often times these solutions feel more intense than blockbuster films built on CGI. James Cameron directs with a pace that propels the film with one intense action sequence after the other. There is an inherent sense of peril that critics have praised as efficient. Some, like Janet Maslin for The New York Times draw a distinction and say "the obligatory mayhem becomes dull. There is far too much of the latter, in the form of car chases, messy shootouts." While there is an abundance of carnage( especially by today's standards), it is necessary for the idea of an unfettered threat.

With a well-deserved, minor criticism or two, The Terminator has earned a solid place in sci-fi pop culture. Its iconic, influential story is a classic example of Ripley’s law. It is now available for streaming on CocoFlix.

Ripley’s law says, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” A sci-fi sub-genre has grown out of Ripley’s law. “Terminator” is the textbook example.

A Legacy of Suspense and Impact

The Terminator shows mastery of tone and format. This extends beyond a typical action film. It is sci-fi horror commercial film. It harnesses fears people have about the future. It shows a killer who is advanced technology and without empathy. Films after it, especially in the horrifying action genre, owe a lot to it. This film has an impressive lead actress (strong women were rare in action sci-fi at the time). The effects haven't aged well, and there is some violence that will disturb some audience members, but the rest of the film is timeless. It still has high praise for "high energy action, rip-snorting characterisations and tech-noir atmospherics." It is a film that uses its format and creative design to tell an awesome horror sci-fi story that people will remember, even with a limited budget.