“A human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn son is the key to humanity’s future salvation.” – IMDB
On paper, nothing about this movie is up my alley. Action movies: rarely. Sci Fi: occasionally. Arnold Schwarzenegger: almost never (with Twins and Kindergarten Cop being notable exceptions). But boy was I wrong. Let me clarify….
Maybe it’s my deep love of the time period, the reignition of that love through Stranger Things, or the BADASS soundtrack: but I was shocked at how much I enjoyed The Terminator, and I am thankful that it is one of those classics that actually lives up to all the hype.
I assumed that the storyline would basically consists solely of shootouts and car chases. And don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of those, but the focal point of a mother trying to ensure the survival of her son in a soon-to-be post-apocalyptic world is much more touching that I thought it would be. And I have to give James Cameron credit for some of the badass female characters he’s helped bring to life in his career (Aliens anyone?). Linda Hamilton makes Sarah Conner immediately believable, as she struggles to cope with information and situations that are utterly unbelievable. And I’m excited to see where her journey leads because, as my husband kept reminding me every five minutes “the second one is even better!”
And can I just say once again, for the record, how BADASS the soundtrack was. I could rock out to those moody 80s synths all day. Honestly, I would have left the movie satisfied by the soundtrack alone, but I’m grateful that there was such a fun and wild ride along the way.
Rating: WORTH THE WATCH
If you like this movie, you should also see: Predator, Die Hard, Blade Runner
Streaming: Available for purchase or to rent on Apple TV
With: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn
Directed By: James Cameron
Let Me Clarify 