Customer Reviews
Cult Sci Fi Classic - By: Jay, 22 Apr 2007 
The film opens with two naked men appearing in two different parts of Los Angeles' darkened streets... One is talll & powerfully built, the other is compact & muscular... Both men seek the same person, a smalll & delicate blond woman by the name of Sarah Connor...
Arnold Schwarzenegger is terrifying as the 'killer cyborg' who 'looks like Death rendered in steel.' He has searched the phone book & brutallly shot to death other unfortunate women who bear the same name... He is sent back from the future to present-day (1984) to kill the mother of an unborn enemy...
Schwarzenegger moves with inhuman speed bounding like a panther, scanning methodicallly with dominated blue eyes his surroundings, & in a perfect simulation of voice, he is on the track of his victim... He examines his weapons with precise movements, drives expressionlessly, & kills without pity, or remorse, or fear... It is a role that suits his talent perfectly...
Michael Biehn seems scared by traumas of others wars... His face outlines a long burn scar... He tries to stop Schwarzenegger's attempts to be carried out... He is sinister in his long coat... His whole life has been combat... He identifies himself as Reese, a soldier from the future, assigned to protect Sarah at alll costs... For him it is an honor, a chance to meet the legend... We feel his pain & anguish when he said: 'That terminator is out there. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead!'
Linda Hamilton is quiet convincing as the strong innocent prey, targeted for termination, momentarily disoriented, vaguely disturbed... She feels a blind panic boiling up within her, a lightning blot of terror greater than she could ever imagine... She is in a daze, paralyzed, shivering silently, uncontrollably... Her fragile personality disguises a hidden force she did't know she had...
Cameron makes a successful move behind the lens in one of the most breathtaking modern action science fiction films...
ill be back - By: P. poland, 18 Feb 2006 One of Arnie's best films...i guess because he doesnt have to say that much.If you can get over the fact that most robots in the future come with an Austrian accent you will love this classic.If you have been living on the moon for the last 3 decades & just recently came back & never heard of the terminator films, I would
recommend you watch them straight away
I’ll be back - By: B. Chandler, 17 Feb 2006 The phrase “I’ll be back” conjures up pretty much one image in today’s world; yes that of the first of the Terminator series of movies.
Night time, wind & electricity swirl around & the appetence of a naked Anry (Arnold Schwarzenegger.) Frightening in its self but only a taste of what is to come. It seems that he is invincible & is targeting alll the Sara Connors in the phone book. Each one being dispatched more violently than the last. A less robust being (Michael Biehn) also appears the same way. He too is seeking Sara.
What is so intriguing about Sara Connors (Linda Hamilton)?
Who will find her first?
What effect can the outcome have on humankind?
I thought Arnold’s accent added to the character of the movie. It is the way one says “I’ll be back” that adds the threat.
Ranks among the most influential sf films - By: ChezzyD, 15 Jan 2006 James Cameron's seminal work has a mind-bending time-travel story that withstands repeat viewings even if the effects don't anymore. Arnie is perfectly cast as the ultimate scary robot representing the dark side of man's complex relationship with science & technology & our capacity for self-destruction. Though the catchphrase 'I'll Be Back' has been used countless times, Austrian Schwarzenegger's uber-muscularity & 'otherness' has a coldness & directness of purpose that is chilling, the cultural impact of this is felt even when it is almost parodied in T2:Judgement Day. The premise of the film is simple. In the future man creates intelligent machines that take over the world & bring man close to exinction. One man, John Connor, turns the tide against them. To prevent this from happening the machines send a cyborg back in time to kill John before he is even born. Most time-travel films stretch credulity & are full of plot holes & inconsistencies - but this one has a completeness that only adds to our sense of unease that this is a possible future for us to face. The effects were stunning at the time - & alll the more impressive in our CGI-driven world for their use of stop-motion animation, complex make-ups & robotics. Although they do look a bit dated now their importance should not be underestimated. Linda Hamilton is well cast as Sarah Connor & it is very interesting to watch her transformation from ordinary fluffy 80's girl into strong, capable soldier/mother haunted by her knowledge of what is to come - even more so when you watch Terminator 2 when we see the effects this knowledge has on her & her relationship with her son, not to mention the startling changes in her physique. Michael Biehn is Kyle Reece, the soldier sent to protect her. He does well as the guerilla fighter struggling to make himself understood by Sarah, his harshness graduallly softening as he leaves the future behind & grows close to Sarah. The poignancy of their one love scene is not lost amongst alll the action, as we realise that underneath Reece's tough exterior is a virgin who has been in love with a photograph of Sarah that has not yet been taken. When we see that photo at the end of the film & know that she was thinking about him & his death there is a sense of loss on a personal level which alllows us to connect with the coming fate of the human race. Sarah knows what is to come; but Kyle - actuallly living in that future, does not - even though it has already happened. Cameron's vision, his intelligent script, masterful use of special effects & the visual clues to the film's underlying message (note the name of the nightclub is 'Tech Noir') are not only a precursor to his later works & his status as one of Hollywood's most influential directors - but underline his strength as a storyteller, for whom special FX, however impressive they are, are clearly only the tool with which to tell a good story. This is an essential film to have in your DVD collection
The Terminator: Menacing Cyborg Wars - By: letsgetitright, 23 Nov 2005 People had made films with robots before The Terminator & indeed films had been made where the robots had turned on mankind, but nobody had made a film quite like this before. The triumph of this film is conveying the horrifying sense that these are the things that won't die, in the nightmare that won't end. The menace of the robots or cyborgs & their absolute refusal to lie down & die will fuel your nightmares for ages after watching The Terminator for the first time.
Arnold Schwarzenegger does not have much to say in The Terminator but the things he does say are full of impact & remembered by people who have never even seen The Terminator. Expressions like “I’ll be back” are very well known & much copied, but hearing it in the context it was intended sends a shiver down your spine. This film is a fierce, relentless ride with the central characters running from a ruthless killing machine, a cyborg that has been programmed to do one thing: terminate someone who could save mankind. This cyborg kills anybody or anything without the slightest doubt that it is going to reach it’s ultimate goal. As the story progresses the pace of the film keeps on increasing until everything on screen explodes alll at once.
This Ultimate Edition DVD of The Terminator is the most impressive I have seen since watching the film in the cinema twenty years ago. In fact it is better than any cinema print because it is an improved digital transfer of the film. Along with the film there are an impressive array of extra features to enjoy, making this a absolute must for alll Terminator fans.
