Written by: James Cameron & Gale Anne Hurd
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton, Paul Winfield
Rating: [4.5/5]
As life has taught us, we cannot go back and undo our mistakes but can only move forward and try to do better. Evidently, that does not hold water when having the ability to go back in time and literally change the past and therefore the future as displayed in The Terminator. A film about the overall survival of humanity distilled in the journey of one woman as she tries to escape the horrors of the future right before her.
In 1984, two individuals transport to Los Angeles from the future both in search of Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). One of them, Kyle Reese, (Michael Beihn) reaches Sarah and tells her he’s from the future and the other individual is actually a cybernetic android called a Terminator (Arnold Schartzaneggar) that has been sent to kill her as her son will help lead the resistance against these robots in the future.
Writing a review for this feature in the year 2023 really does come with the sadness in the way it depicts the faults of artificial intelligence and the impact it could have on humanity and yet we continue down that road. Of all of the science-fiction films that display this prescient danger, other than 2001: A Space Odyssey, none do it as well as this feature. Mixing horror with a bit of action allows this film to provide quite a thrilling experience on top of crafting a larger narrative about how the past and future have malleability.
The plot of this feature proves quite simple in that Sarah and Kyle need to outrun and stay away from this Terminator dead set on finding and killing the former of the two but the way the film goes about setting it up works masterfully. Initially demonstrating this android appearing in this timeline with casting none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger in the role displays this hulking presence with the potential to terrify anyone it comes up against. In fact, the film opens with the Terminator getting a new pair of clothes at the hands of his first victims to show this thing will not mess about when trying to complete its mission. Going back in time, it knows it must kill someone named Sarah Connor so the individuals that share the name of the woman in question get hunted down as well. Having the real Sarah Connor piece this together makes for quite a terrifying situation for someone who lives a seemingly normal life. She works as a waiter and does not think her life would amount to what Kyle suggests when they meet and the confirmation of this android trying to kill her further does.
These horror elements to the feature demonstrate the terror of this android, but it certainly gets mixed in with the action demonstrating some epic moments between these characters. From the moment in the nightclub and the police station, it displays the sheer violence and havoc this android can inflict on others and the feat it will take for Kyle and Sarah to survive this whole ordeal. Plenty of gunfights transpire which also demonstrates why Kyle had the opportunity to go back into the past to protect Sarah. However, with all of the action on display in this feature, it allows for a larger observation of one of the great women action icons, Sarah Connor, and her humble beginnings.
Where Sarah Connor begins and ends this film is nothing short of remarkable in the way she initiates this journey and where she ends. It coincides with her learning not only this machine wants to kill her but that the child she eventually conceives will essentially exist as the savior of humanity. Simple time travel rules would indicate her knowledge of this could, in itself, impact the very future that occurs in the feature but then again the film displays this cycle exists on its own in a manner that could make anyone’s head spin. If the parallels to the Virgin Mary and Jesus are not evident, then let this be what points out those connections. As a result, this feature serves as an ode to Mary, the mother of the bringer of salvation as this journey presents something wholly life-changing for her and we ride along with her as she tries to wrap her head around everything transpiring here.
Bringing this all to life was Linda Hamilton who gives an awesome performance as the heroine of the tale as we take this all in with her. Hamilton needs to depict the fear of this situation while also having the bravery to comprehend what makes her the bringer of John Connor. However, much props should be given to Arnold Schwarzenegger for what he manages to evoke with just his physical presence. Never the best actor, but someone who knew how to utilize his body to his advantage, the few words he does speak get etched into history like the famous “I’ll be back.” He completely sells exactly what Sarah and Kyle should be afraid of when it comes to these androids, as well as the audience.
Remaining a stunning film nearly 40 years later, The Terminator serves as an exquisite blend of science-fiction, horror, and action to create such a thrilling viewing experience. It builds its tension to demonstrate this build-up to the confrontation between Sarah and the Terminator only for it to continue to ratchet up the ante and truly kick things up a notch with the action. Undoubtedly one of James Cameron’s finest works and one of the many brilliant films displaying the healthy fear we should have of artificial intelligence as we could eventually end up with one of these hunting us down.
Films with Josh 
