The Terminator (1984) review
Feb. 27th, 2019 09:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fardell24Another review from 2016
58 The Terminator
Rewatch. The first Terminator movie. As a standalone film (as Cameron didn't plan for any sequels to begin with), this is rather good. There are elements that I don't like (and don't appear in the sequels). Mainly use of coarse language, but also the gratuitous Kyle/Sarah action. It didn't need to be shown quite so much. Other than that, it was enjoyable. The shock of the Terminator targeting Sarah is shown rather well, with the consequences that the Terminator not knowing which Sarah is
the one Skynet is sending him after also shown very well.
Kyle's reaction to the pre-Judgement Day society is also done in a believable way. Even with the knowledge John gives him, it's difficult to find Sarah. Indeed, he almost fails, he finds her in the nick of time. At first, Sarah is unable to believe him, but faced with the inhumanity of the T-800's pursuit, she soon believes him. Thus begins a run for her life. She has to trust Kyle in order to avoid the T-800. This takes some time, but she has little choice. Even so, they manage to get on with each other well enough.
As for the Terminator the way it was depicted definitely puts across the idea of this inhuman force relentlessly pursuing its goal very well. It definitely was going to take a lot of effort for Kyle to help Sarah through such an experience. The chase through Los Angles as they flee from it was also well done. Cameron did very well here, the chase leads into the climax at the factory very efficiently, without dropping the horror of what the Terminator is. Thus the final confrontation is effectively set up.
That final confrontation is one of the best portayed sequences in this film. It must have taken a lot effort to pull of in the way it was pulled off. The Terminator is ultimately defeated, but not without Kyle loosing his life. This is a very effective. Overall, it is a great film, setting the stage for Cameron's future career. Despite the above caveats it is recommended viewing. (Really, the amount of coarse language wasn't needed.) It also set the stage for the future films. 9/10.
58 The Terminator
Rewatch. The first Terminator movie. As a standalone film (as Cameron didn't plan for any sequels to begin with), this is rather good. There are elements that I don't like (and don't appear in the sequels). Mainly use of coarse language, but also the gratuitous Kyle/Sarah action. It didn't need to be shown quite so much. Other than that, it was enjoyable. The shock of the Terminator targeting Sarah is shown rather well, with the consequences that the Terminator not knowing which Sarah is
the one Skynet is sending him after also shown very well.
Kyle's reaction to the pre-Judgement Day society is also done in a believable way. Even with the knowledge John gives him, it's difficult to find Sarah. Indeed, he almost fails, he finds her in the nick of time. At first, Sarah is unable to believe him, but faced with the inhumanity of the T-800's pursuit, she soon believes him. Thus begins a run for her life. She has to trust Kyle in order to avoid the T-800. This takes some time, but she has little choice. Even so, they manage to get on with each other well enough.
As for the Terminator the way it was depicted definitely puts across the idea of this inhuman force relentlessly pursuing its goal very well. It definitely was going to take a lot of effort for Kyle to help Sarah through such an experience. The chase through Los Angles as they flee from it was also well done. Cameron did very well here, the chase leads into the climax at the factory very efficiently, without dropping the horror of what the Terminator is. Thus the final confrontation is effectively set up.
That final confrontation is one of the best portayed sequences in this film. It must have taken a lot effort to pull of in the way it was pulled off. The Terminator is ultimately defeated, but not without Kyle loosing his life. This is a very effective. Overall, it is a great film, setting the stage for Cameron's future career. Despite the above caveats it is recommended viewing. (Really, the amount of coarse language wasn't needed.) It also set the stage for the future films. 9/10.
