The Terminator is a 1984 science fiction/action film directed and co-written by James Cameron. It features Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator, Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor and Michael Biehn as Protagonist Kyle Reese. The film was followed by two sequels with a third sequel due out in 2009. The franchise includes a television series and video games.
The film takes place in 1984, introducing the concept of a "terminator", specifically the titular character (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a seemingly unstoppable cyborg assassin who has been sent back from the year 2029 by a race of artificially intelligent computer-controlled machines bent on the extermination of the human race. The Terminator's mission is to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) whose future son leads a resistance against the machines. A human, Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), is also sent back from the future to protect her.
In 2008, The Terminator was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[1]
Plot
The film opens in the ruins of Los Angeles in 2029, showing that the world has been devastated by nuclear war. Intelligent machines control the post-apocalyptic Earth, and are determined to exterminate the human race. The action then shifts from the future to May 12, 1984.[2] Two men appear in Los Angeles in separate locations, manifesting in sudden, blinding flash-storms of electricity. One is heavily muscular, and appears unscathed by his journey; the other man, slim and wiry, seems to have been weakened by his journey, though he regains his strength fairly quickly. Both men are naked. The mysterious muscular man (Arnold Schwarzenegger) obtains clothes and weapons and begins hunting down all women named "Sarah Connor", using a phone book to track his targets. He successfully kills the first two of the three listed women. When he attempts to kill the last Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), he is stopped by the other man, Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), who has also been gathering weapons and equipment. It transpires that Reese has been sent back in time to protect her.
While hiding from their assailant in a parking garage, Reese explains that the man hunting Sarah is actually a cyborg assassin called a "Terminator", built by Skynet, an artificial intelligence network created by Cyberdyne Systems. In the near future, Reese explains, Skynet gained self-awareness, intitiated a global takeover of military hardware, and launched a nuclear war against humanity. Skynet ordered that a scant number of humans were to be kept alive in order to be used as slave labor. John Connor, Sarah's son, rallied the few remaining humans and led a resistance movement against the machines. After a grinding campaign, the human resistance was on the verge of victory; in a last-ditch effort, Skynet sent the Terminator back in time to kill Sarah before John was born, preventing the resistance from ever being founded and (presumably) allowing the machines to win by default. Reese volunteered to follow the Terminator back in time to protect Sarah; after his use of the time transportation equipment, it was to be destroyed by the resistance in order to prevent further Terminators from going back in time.
The Terminator feels no pain, has no emotions, and will stop at nothing to accomplish its mission. The time travel process developed by the machines can only send living tissue or an object covered with such living tissue, preventing Reese and the Terminator from bringing any advanced weaponry. Reese is skeptical of the stopping power provided by 20th century small arms; the Terminator is protected by an alloyed metal endoskeleton, although the living tissue covering the endoskeleton (referred to as a "combat chassis" by Reese) makes the Terminator indistinguishable from a human being, unlike previous models.
After Kyle finishes his story, he and Sarah are attacked by the Terminator again, resulting in a chase that leads to the police stopping and capturing Reese; the Terminator crashes its vehicle, but disappears from the wreckage. At the West Highland Police Station, Sarah is told by Lieutenant Ed Traxler (Paul Winfield) and Detective Hal Vukovich (Lance Henriksen) that Reese is crazy. Reese is questioned by psychologist Dr. Silberman (Earl Boen). Reese explains his mission to Silberman, who concludes that the story is a paranoid delusion, constructed in such a way that it requires no evidence, thus preventing anyone from refuting it. The Terminator arrives at the police station and asks to see Sarah, but the desk sergeant denies access. After examining the police station and uttering the infamous catch phrase "I'll be back", the Terminator leaves, but returns seconds later by plowing a car through the front of the building. The Terminator then goes on a rampage through the building, killing 16 police officers (the second film stated the number to be 17[3]). Reese manages to escape and rescue Sarah. They hide in a motel, where Reese teaches Sarah to make pipe bombs from household supplies. Sarah asks Reese whether he is disappointed in her, and whether he has ever been in love. After replying "no" to both questions, he confesses that he is in love with her which leads them into having sex.
Later that night, the Terminator tracks them down and, during the chase that follows, wounds Reese. Sarah knocks the Terminator off its motorcycle. A tanker truck then runs over the Terminator. The damaged cyborg commandeers the tanker truck and drives it at them. Reese uses one of their last bombs to blow up the truck, causing the Terminator to collapse in a burnt heap. Reese and Sarah celebrate, thinking that the Terminator has been destroyed; but the metal endoskeleton is still functional and pursues them into a factory. In the ensuing chase, Reese jams a pipe bomb into the Terminator's abdomen, shattering it and killing himself. The Terminator, still partially functional, drags itself by its remaining hand to pursue Sarah, until she finally crushes it in a hydraulic press, destroying it.
The end of the film shows a pregnant Sarah traveling in Mexico on November 10, 1984. She records audio tapes which she intends to play for her son, John, at some point in his life. She reveals to the tape that John is Reese's son, conceived during their night at the motel six months earlier (see Predestination paradox), although she expresses doubt as to whether or not she will reveal to John the identity of his father.[4] While Sarah's car is being refueled, a young Mexican boy takes a picture of her, which John will give to Reese decades in the future.The boy shouts a warning about the approaching weather in Spanish, which the gas station's owner translates as "a storm is coming". Sarah wistfully responds, "I know", pulls out of the gas station, and drives into the distance where storm clouds are approaching over mountains. The end credits start to roll as her Jeep disappears.
Cast
Production
Cameron originally envisioned the Terminator as a small, unremarkable man, giving it the ability to blend in more easily. As a result, his first choice for the part was Lance Henriksen. O. J. Simpson was on the shortlist but Cameron did not think that "such a nice guy could be a ruthless killer".[5] According to him and co-writer William Wisher, Schwarzenegger was offered the role of the human soldier Reese. However, they realized that he would be better suited as the Terminator, which as a result became large and muscular. Michael Biehn was also on the shortlist for the Terminator, and not the hero Kyle Reese. The idea of Schwarzenegger as the hero would be revisited for the sequel.
Production was originally scheduled for Spring 1983 in Toronto, but after Dino De Laurentiis chose to option Schwarzenegger to film Conan the Destroyer, filming was delayed until March 1984 in Los Angeles.
Several scenes cut from the film are available on some DVD releases (though not incorporated into the film). The secondary police characters Vukovich and Traxler had several of their scenes cut, and in the cut scenes we can see Traxler realizing that Reese is right, and when dying gives him his weapon. One particular scene involving the destruction of Cyberdyne inspired a very similar plot point in the sequel. In this scene, Sarah suggests to Reese that they find Cyberdyne Systems and destroy it before they can invent Skynet, preventing the war. At the end of the film, when Sarah is being taken away by the ambulance, two factory workers find the remains of the Terminator and decide to turn it over to Research and Development, with the camera zooming out to reveal the name of the factory: Cyberdyne Systems. These two scenes set up major plot points in Terminator 2, where the CPU and arm from the Terminator in this film are reverse engineered and used to create Skynet, and where Sarah, John, and the Terminator blow up Cyberdyne to prevent the war.
James Cameron once said that what inspired him to make The Terminator were two episodes from the 1960s television science fiction series The Outer Limits [6] - "Soldier" and "Demon with the Glass Hand", both written by science-fiction author Harlan Ellison. When the author threatened a lawsuit, Terminator production company Hemdale and distributor Orion Pictures gave him an "acknowledgement to the works of" credit on video and cable releases of The Terminator as well as a cash settlement.[7]
Reception
The Terminator was a low-budget movie, at roughly $6.5 million, which turned out to be a box-office hit, earning $38,371,200 domestically. The film went on to gross more than $78 million worldwide.[8] The film has received mostly positive reviews. On At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, Ebert gave the film "thumbs up" and described it as very violent, sometimes sadistic, yet solid action picture. Siskel gave the film "thumbs down." Currently, The Terminator has ratings of 100% and 84% positive reviews on popular review aggregator websites Rotten Tomatoes[9] and Metacritic,[10] respectively. The film was placed in Time Magazine's Top 10 Films of 1984.
In 2001, The Terminator was ranked 42nd on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills.
In 2005, Total Film named The Terminator the 72nd best film ever made.[11]
In 2008, The Terminator was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.[12]
Soundtrack
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Powerful acting and writing drove the show.
The general plot lines and themes that Josh Friedman wanted to stress
draconisz from United States - 23 June 2009were powerful. I think the series got sidetracked a little with with
the Sarah-centric episodes. But that isn't much of a criticism. Thomas
Dekker, with Summer Glau, and Lena Headey really drove the series. The
plot lines about what do we define as self-awareness, life, etc. were
really powerful. I wish the series could have continue to explore these
avenues.I would have wanted a bit more action too. But the drama was excellent.
I also wish they could have done more with the Ellison character. I
think he would figure more essentially in the growth and evolution of
John Henry. Shirley Manson was perfect as Catherine Weaver. And James Gillahunt
worked perfectly as Cromartie and John Henry. It was an awesome cast.
Don't overlook this! top quality stuff
OK so i seemed to have skipped over this on its first outing on TV, i
ollie-105 from United Kingdom - 20 June 2009watched it while channel flicking and laughed it of after a few moments
after seeing a small pretty terminator … and thinking it was
ridiculous BUT after watching a few episodes on Virgin medias catch up
TV on demand (there playing series 1 & 2 on there now) i became totally
hooked, and changed my opinion to the female terminator Cameron (summer
glau) plays the best terminator performance I've yet seen.im not a terminator fan boy, I've seen the films, but didn't fall in
love with them like i did the TSCC.Great story, interesting characters that have great chemistry together.
great production and effects.Im just sad to learn that this TV series hasn't been given a 3rd
season…definitely a overlooked TV show, im glad i gave it a second chance go
see t now!!!
It's about the way you watch it.
First sorry about my amateurish English writing.I think TSCC was actually one of the good TV Series I've ever seen. and
hirad-nicol from United States - 11 June 2009I loved that as the same as "24", "Prison Break" And even "Lost"!Actually they're not the same but I loved them equally!I'll tell you why.I think people should not watch that the way they watched Terminator
1,2,3. This is not actually a very action movie. It's more like telling
the way of living that John Conner experienced in those days before the
judgment day. It's about how a 12-year-old kid starts to live with
danger.I know there are a lot of mistakes in the story but if you don't watch
it as an action movie and try to feel the emotion behind the curtain,
you feel it the way I felt.The Special effects specially for the future time wasn't good at all.
but for this kind of stories I love the story more than the special
effects.I really can't wait to see the season 3.I hope they decide to make the third season.
Don't underrate tscc and don't miss the 2nd season
I am wondering how many bad reviews about this serial are here. I admit
pontram from Austria - 11 June 2009that the first season is not very good, mainly lacking from weak
scripts and directing, but everyone who found something likable in the
story, the main characters or the actors or the music, should not miss
the 2nd season. Before I was watching the first season, which includes only nine
episodes, I didn't expect something special following the T1 and T2
movies except the skeleton of the situation and the two main
characters. Nobody can seriously expect these two movies perpetuated
into, say, 5 seasons with more than 100 episodes, without changes. That
wouldn't do the job. The main characters make sense mainly in T2 for
120 minutes, so you have to evolve them. You have to build conflicts
and drama and serial stuff around them to make the boat swim down the
river. I liked the developer's try to build something like a normal life
around John Connor, after what happened in T2. There, he was a
youngster with no clue about what is weighing on his shoulders. Here,
he gets the clue. He is changing, he is growing up. There is a conflict
with his mother, who also changed, and that's very good. The time
between fighting has to be lived, and how long would the T2 Sarah
Connor survive in our world, permanently swinging large machine guns ?
She has primarily to be a mother, caring for her son, not to work out
her muscles for fighting. After the T2 threat deceased, the tscc status
is very logical for me. After watching season 1 (in German), being a little or more
disappointed from the scripts and directing, I gave the first two
episodes of season 2 a chance (English with subtitles). Especially the
first Episode convinced me - and there the scene where John resurrects
Cameron after her damage-based attack. It is obvious that Friedman
(writer) and Nutter (director) have learned from their previous
mistakes, where season 1's Pilot was nearly awful in some ways. So I watched the complete season 2, and found it - with some exceptions
- very enjoyable. The acting is very good, the music is extremely
supporting tense and atmosphere, and the story is (ok, not always, but
mostly) evolving in the right direction. The Characters: Lena Headey is a very good Sarah Connor, despite
Terminator fans wish her harder an tougher. Thomas Dekker as John gives
the anxious boy who looses his childhood convincing. Summer Glau is the
real star here and she's simply perfect. Richard T. Jones plays his
traumatized Ellison wonderful smooth and gentle. B.A. Green as Derek is
a good soldier. Shirley Manson as C. Weaver is ideal (and a very good
singer, too), and Garret Dillahunt as Cromartie/John Henry is a Gem.
Stephanie Jacobsen as Jesse is remarkable. There are magical moments esp. in episodes 1,6,10,14 and 22. It is a
real pity that the serial is over. Even after the twisty end there are
enough possibilities to bring the story back online.
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