A

Probably one of the best, if not THE BEST low-budget action movie ever.

Excellent Sci-Fi thriller.

A

i didnt liked it to much, but great movie anyways!

B-

Agree totally 8). My favorite of the whole series.

Definitely underrated in the series and film history. It was much more than the rise of Arnold's career, a few unforgettable catch-phrases and action sequences. The film has heart. One of the best storylines in any genre.

B

An above average outing.

Probably the worst of the series, but that's not really saying much. Still a kickass action flick, and the start of one of the best trilogies ever.

My Grade: B+

Terminator - A+

One of the great 80's movies. A brilliant role for Arnold, executed remarkably!!!

A-

One of the ten best sci-fi movie ever made. It's amazing what Cameron could manage with the low budget he had. The low budget helped the movie's gritty and raw look. Arnold is good in the role of his life and the action is very well-executed.

Great sci-fi-action which never shows its low budget. It made Arnold a star, but the credits for this extraordinary film should all go to Cameron. (A-)

Nice night for a walk., 15 July 1999




Is there a better person to play a cyborg than Arnold? For this movie he was a massively built oak tree of a man. His strange accent makes for a perfect callous robotic sounding killing machine. It's almost like his voice is a computer read out ( which I guess it is in one sense ). Terminator is one of those films that started something huge. People didn't realize it at the time, but the careers of Arnold, Cameron and perhaps even guys like Micahel Biehn, Lance Henriksen and even Bill Paxton were substantially started because of this film. And Cameron must have liked working with them so much that he gave all of them substantial roles in his next film ( Aliens ).

As we all know what the story is, I'll just tell you a bit about what is so fascinating about it. First I have to mention Michael Biehn. He has the real starring role. He is the character that has to explain everything to the audience. He has to explain this complicated story so that we know what is happening and why. It is not an easy job to do something like that and still come off looking all right. But Biehn is simply awesome in this film. A microcosm of his performance can be seen when Sara bites him. Biehn ( Kyle Reese ) replies " Terminator's don't feel pain. I do. Don't do that again. " That is such a great line delivered with the perfect expression, the perfect tone and the perfect timing. Biehn is perfect for the role.

This is also the first film that I saw as a youngster that ever warned me of the dangers of nuclear war and of the rapid advancements of machinery. Perhaps I was too young and naive to fully understand all that James Cameron was trying to say, but now that I am older, I can honestly say that the two Terminators are perfect anti nuke films. And they are so passionate with what they have to say. I like it when a film has something to say. I enjoy being entertained in the process but if you can manage both then you have a masterpiece. This is a masterpiece.

Finally. there are two other reasons to enjoy this film. One, this is the first film where "I'll be back" was spoken. Now it is part of Arnolds vernacular. Secondly, Bill Paxton is in it. And he adds spark to any film that he's in. Especially here, as the idiot punk leader that really gets the hell beat out of him, he has some great lines.

A great film.

Funny thing is is that Michael was supposed to play Terminator, but Arnold realized he was perfect for the part. And he was. Excellent movie and far superior to its sequels. A +

My favorite of the series, its more gritty and dark then the other two Terminator films the musical score was fantastic I thought.

Grade: A

My least favorite of the series, but still very entertaining.

B

Wa Ha, James Cameron is a freakin genius, this is one of the best Sci-Fi movies I've ever seen.

A

A-

A kick ass ride. I've waited a long... long... long... time to see this movie, and I can't say I was disappointed in the slightest. I was surprised at how much pure fun it was, the chase and action scenes are just breathtaking, it's so goddam entertaining. Arnie is perfect in the film, his classic lines just made me grin, they're so good. Of course to go with the fun, the storyline is also adept as well, the telling of a future war and the mission to save Sarah Conners is an amazing one, it is scary and exciting and eye-opening all at once.

My biggest issue with the film is the ending with Reese being the father, other than the fact that it's the most predictable plot twist everrrrr, it also creates a huge unneccesary mindfuck. Reese being sent back created John Conners, but for John to send him back he needed to be alive in the first place, in present day he could not have been born because originally there was no Reese, for Reese to be sent back John needed to be alive, but there's no way that John was born in the first place because he was never alive in the first place to send Reese back. Indeed, yes that made no sense to me as well.

Anyways, still one of the best sci-fi films ever.

How can it be great if you didn't liked it much?

I think it makes sense.

Reese dies at an adult age. That doesn't mean a "child" Reese won't be born. He will be born and then will be sent back by John as an adult and he will die. Reese died, yet he will be born, grow up and be sent back. It is twisted, but not illogical.

Actually OJ Simpson was suppose to play the Terminator, when it was more of a regular guy and not really big. Arnold was suppose to play the hero, Arnold and Cameron both were eating dinner together and they both thought to themselves that the villian was a much more interesting character. Arnold spoke up first, so he gets the credit.

Better than the sequels. Among other things, what helps this movie work is that it is set in a more loose, easy going period, and so the contrast with the hyper efficient robot from the future is bigger and more dramatic. The Sarah Conner character was charmingly realistic, unlike in T2. And then there's poor Michael Biehn who was a big part of several great sci fi movies and rarely gets the credit he deserves.

Maybe today, but 22 years ago that twist was very original. Everything about this movie is excellently executed, whether its fishout of water, action, sci fi. Violence, its a perfect mix, and is a great movie. A lot of people love 2, and they rightfully should, but they are literally in two different leagues. One cost 6 million, the other 100 million. Its the best R rated Trilogy of all time in my book, all three are solid great films.

You think the third one is in the same league as the first two?

As the token woman here, I'll put in a plug for the romantic scenes. Biehn did this one very well. "I came across time for you, Sarah."

No no, I think you missed my point. For Reese to be sent back, John needed to be born, but John should never have been born because originally there was no Reese in the present day, because John was never originally born. Thinking about it now, it's not so much of a mindfuck as a plothole, though I can easily ignore it. If it was real events, originally Sarah would live her life, never encountering Reese or any other strange occurences, she would just grow up and then die. John would never be born as Reese would never be sent back, because John was never born. She would never encounter Reese because for that to happen would require her son being born, but that cannot have happened, as originally there is noone there to impregnate her! Lol, yeah.

Its called a time paradox Shack. Human minds are to small to understand

I remember reading a theoretical science paper once which said that time travel my be possible but it would be impssible to change anything even though you occupy the same space-time, in a certain dimension level you don't


As for the movie, Its one of Arnies best. And the coda at the end is haunting to watch, I'd imagine its impact was even greater in the nuclear standoff days of the 1980s

A+