The Terminator (1984)

It is a dark future: humanity has been incinerated in a nuclear fallout, perpetrated by the very machines they created to serve and protect. Skynet, the enemy AI behind this apocalypse, sends back a lone cyborg, human on the outside and machine on the inside, to eliminate the leader of the human resistance before his birth, by killing his mother. The human resistance fights back by sending back their own soldier to thwart the assassination attempt in order to preserve history. The fight between two soldiers to change or preserve the future unravels in the year 1984.

A sci-fi fantasy of its decade, The Terminator cemented Arnold Schwarzenegger's position as one of the most influential and memorable action movie stars of all time. The bulky beefcake of an actor takes his stance as a machine with no emotion whatsoever. So it is little wonder that his wooden acting and almost muted dialogue suits him as a terminator. His expressionless face and rigid posture defines the attributes of a machine sent to kill, a machine that never breaches protocols when sent back in time to kill the one who could offset the outcome of the war in the future.

The visual effects and set design must have an impact on one's memory. An apocalypse is characterized by skulls and machines, flying and tank-like. They shoot lasers at human targets, thanks to the technology that has stepped up at the time to look convincing and appealing to sci-fi fans. C.G.I. was not available and even if it was, it was not a reliable option for this movie; hence prop designs and models were the option to work with. Stop motion is the effect that gives the authenticity to the exoskeleton in the climax, even if it is not so perfect. I also must give ample credit for the sound effects and visuals for the time travel that occurs. By today's standard it's dated; back then it was eye-catching. However, many scenes of the future contain flashing images; anyone prone to epilepsy should skip these scenes.

What I can gather is that the cyborg has no complete knowledge of the prime target, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), due to the loss of records during the war. The internet was invented in the 1980's but was not available to the public until the 1990's; so how Skynet lost the records is beyond me. As a result, the Terminator resorts to using a phone book to track down its target. What would be surprising is that the intended Sarah has no middle name while every other Sarah has one. However, once "Sarah Louise Connor" and "Sarah Ginger Connor" are mentioned, it does beg the question how they ended up the unintended targets when she clearly was not listed in the same phone book. Either way, the assassin is dubbed the "phone book killer" and it becomes too dangerous for a lone woman to be out at this time of night.

The movie builds up to the point where the final Sarah is open for target but is saved by a hair's breadth by Kyle Reece (Michael Biehn). The only reason it successfully located her is because of her student ID card lying in Ginger's apartment. No records were available for it to identify the target hence his pointless spree. Her location was also revealed due to her timely phone call from a nightclub called "Tech Noir" via answering machine. Coincidence is rife in this movie but it was there for a reason: if the terminator complete its mission, what else does it have in mind? In the modern era, coincidence is typical of weak writing and lack of ideas; however, considering this scenario, it is not.

Speaking of the build-up, this scene is accompanied by slow motion, ominous music, and a gradual rise in heartbeat. The music changes from the techno beat to the movie soundtrack in which all is lost and the machine is all but successful. Then the action and mayhem erupts! Gunshots flare and several escaping revelers are caught in the crossfire.

Every time I watch the interrogation scene at the police station, I just cringe at the very sight of Reece going ballistic. After answering the question relating to the recent debacle, he flips and I mean flip like a psychopath. I am sure Linda herself was shocked at his sudden outburst as I was. It is highly valid that this is a typical case of a shell-shocked soldier: a mercenary from a dark future suddenly splits after exposure to the war against the machines. This would make him intimidating in emotion compared to the machine on the hunt.

The only downside is the sex scene. If it ever takes place I would more than quickly turn away and mute just waiting for it to end. It seems out of place and could have happened in the dark instead of sufficient lighting. Thankfully it's short and contracted.

If you love car chases, machines crushing their human adversaries, time travel, computerized first-person views, gun play and war, never forget the classic that still rages on in the modern day. This is one action movie one actor is remembered for even if he ages. This is also a must-see for anyone with a nostalgia for the 1980's. Anyone who wants to ask themselves what a machine is destined for once its mission objective has been met, can see why it is more than necessary to destroy the machine assigned to terminate.