The Terminator (1984) Dir: James Cameron
Instagram post:
I've been meaning to revisit James Cameron's iconic second feature film for a while, after all, it's one of the most popular sci-fi films of the 80's. I've seen the first film in this franchise a few times, but never the sequels, but I figured I should still start at the beginning - at the very least it would serve as a refresher, and besides, I know this one is good.
The physical effects are very dated by now, but they retain the nostalgic charm of 80's cinema, which makes them more amusing than troubling. There's also some janky stop motion, which, similarly to Robocop, makes it hard to take some of the scenes it's used in very seriously. That said, as long as you don't take it too seriously, it's fine.
The pacing is a little dodgy, but it really isn't that much of an issue, to be honest. The film could probably be a little shorter, but not by much. The writing is simple but effective, and tells its time travelling sci-fi action plot in an easy to understand and entertaining manner. The film could've been very convoluted, but thankfully it toes the line quite nicely.
I love the straightforward plot of the film; the hunter and the prey. It makes for suspenseful and thrilling viewing. The film has some great action sequences and chase scenes, all of which raise tension and intrigue. The aforementioned pacing problems do slow things down, which makes the middle a bit of a hard watch, but not to a terminal degree.
Linda Hamilton provides the film with a likable and believable protagonist. She feels like a normal lady who really has been pulled into a seemingly unbelievable and terrifying mess, of which she is somehow at the centre of.
Arnold Schwarzenegger does an excellent job of portraying the iconic killing machine, he nailed the robotic, lifeless movements and expressions, and his steely dialogue delivery worked perfectly. It's hard to imagine anyone else being cast in this role, Arnold just does it so well.
Michael Biehn is fairly solid in his key role, but he lacks the screen presence of Schwarzenegger and the likability of Hamilton. He has his moments, but I can't say I felt all that enamored with him. He was fine, not great. I wish he'd shown a little more personality.
In terms of the supporting cast, there weren't really that many noteworthy performances, partly because of the focus on the main characters. However, those who did warrant mentions were Lance Henrikson, Paul Winfield and Bess Motta.
Overall, this is a pretty fun watch, and while it definitely could've done with better pacing, it still has many good qualities, and is a classic 80's action film. Interestingly, I noticed more positives and negatives this time around, but either way, I'm glad I rewatched it.
Comments