The Terminator: (1984)
Director: James Cameron
Producer: Gale Hurd
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton etc.
Introduction: The first of the Terminator series this movie came way back in 1984. At those times although the ?fashion? of so-called Special Effects was not really on a high but this is one movie where we got to see special effects in many scenes of the movie. This is one movie whose dialogues are remembered still just as we remember dialogues from Sholay.
The movie stars one of the two most famous action heroes of Hollywood Arnold Schwarzenegger who had a dream run after this movie. Directed by James Cameron this movie deals with the machines taking over the humans-their creators in future. The movie was released one year after I was born and even if I would have learnt writing in 1 year (which I didn?t) I wouldn?t have been able to write a rvu on it because I would be able to spell Arnold?s surname?.
The Story:
The story is not so tough to digest. The movie starts showing the fate of Los Angeles in 2029 A.D where the machines have taken over (Artificial Intelligence-U see) and are destroying their masters-The Humans. Now the only person of saving humanity and in other words not allowing the machines not to take over is John O?Connor son of Sarah O?Connor (Linda Hamilton) who is yet to be born.
So before the son is born its better to kill the mother is thinking that the machines have and hence they send The Terminator (Arnold) back into the past in order to kill her. We are then taken back to 1983 A.D. Now the Terminator is a machine with a face of human. He has blood and tissues but inside its just an evil robot who is there to kill Sarah.
In order to protect her future mom John sends a good guy named Kyle (Micheal Beihn) who is the father of John (which will be shown in the second half). Both the good and the bad come naked from the future and both are on the spree of finding Sarah who is a waitress.(Ofcourse they wear clothes as soon as they land in past).
The terminator has only one thing ?programmed? - to kill Sarah. And Major Kyle has only one thing in mind to save Sarah. At first the terminator kills 2 ladies by the name of Sarah in confusion (he goes by the names in the telephone directory-Sounds, which like Hera Pheri?)
In the meantime Kyle finds Sarah in the same manner but at the same time Terminator also finds the real Sarah. Will Kyle be able to convince Sarah that the terminator is here to terminate her?
Will Sarah believe Kyle with such futuristic motive? Will the terminator be able to terminate Sarah? Will Sarah be saved by Kyle? Will Sarah and Kyle be able to destroy the Terminator? Will future be alive with machines not taking over humans? This questions are answered by the second half of the movie.
Performances:
Arnold: Well the movie is placed on his shoulders and he doesn?t disappoint. In the role of Villian he excels and we love to hate him. His way of speaking enacting machines is just awesome. Looks like a true killer and he is the heart of the movie. He has a beat music whenever he comes in front of the camera which makes him real scary.
There are certain scenes in the movie where you will feel no-one except Arnold would have done better. Check out the scene where he goes into the Police Station to find Sarah and says to the officer :I?ll be Back and blasts his way in driving a car. He just kills everyone or every human he finds coming in his way. In one word he is: BRILLIANT.
Micheal Beihn: He is overshadowed by Arnold not only by the latter?s Physique but also by his role. Even then Micheal makes a mark in his acting. Looks weaker than Arnold but performs well as a saviour. Looks cool though. Check out the scene where he is confronted by Arnold and he tells Sarah: Come with me if u want to live. That?s why I said the dialogues are still remembered. Good acting.
Linda Hamilton: Well she doesn?t have much of a role except screaming being scared and crying because she is the scape-goat and two guys are after him one to kill her and other to save her. Even she manages to do well. The scenes where she is scared and the way in which she shows fear on her face are good to watch. She has gone good work too.
The rest of the star-cast has also done well specially the Police Officer (don?t remember the name). Coming to the special effects as I said earlier the movie is way too old and I can?t compare the special effects to T-3. no even T-2. Even then they are good to watch. Although the execution of the scenes where the robot is after Sarah seems artificial (just as a 3-D computer game) but still is fine. The Theme-Terminator is also awesome just hear it at the start or at the end of the movie.
Overall it?s a one hell of an action movie. If u haven?t seen it get a VCD or DVD or wait until it is shown on Star Movies.
I?lL Be BacK