The Terminator (1984)

In 1984, a human soldier is tasked to stop an indestructible cyborg killing machine, both sent from 2029, from executing a young woman, whose unborn son is the key to humanity's future salvation.

Director:

James Cameron

Writers:

James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd

Stars:

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn

Top Rated Movies #240 | 7 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Arnold Schwarzenegger	...	Terminator
Michael Biehn	...	Kyle Reese
Linda Hamilton	...	Sarah Connor
Paul Winfield	...	Lieutenant Ed Traxler
Lance Henriksen	...	Detective Hal Vukovich
Rick Rossovich	...	Matt Buchanan
Bess Motta	...	Ginger Ventura
Earl Boen	...	Dr. Peter Silberman
Dick Miller	...	Pawn Shop Clerk
Shawn Schepps	...	Nancy
Bruce M. Kerner	...	Desk Sergeant
Franco Columbu	...	Future Terminator
Bill Paxton	...	Punk Leader
Brad Rearden	...	Punk
Brian Thompson	...	Punk

Storyline

Sent back from a dystopian 2029--where the cold machines have conquered the entire world--to 1984 Los Angeles, the indestructible cyborg-assassin known as the "Terminator" commences his deadly mission to kill humankind's most important woman: the unsuspecting, Sarah Connor. However, from the same war-torn post-apocalyptic future comes a battle-scarred defender--Kyle Reese, a brave soldier of the human Resistance Army--bent on stopping the cybernetic killer from eliminating the world's last hope. But, the Terminator has no feelings, he doesn't sleep, and above all, he won't stop until he carries out his grim task. Does our future lie in our past?

---

Plot Keywords:

robotics | cyborg | time travel | future war | nudity | 

---

Taglines:

In the Year of Darkness, 2029, the rulers of this planet devised the ultimate plan. They would reshape the Future by changing the Past. The plan required something that felt no pity. No pain. No fear. Something unstoppable. They created 'THE TERMINATOR'

---

Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

26 October 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Terminator

Filming Locations:

Tunnel at Lower Grand & West Gen Thad Kosciuszko Way, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,400,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,020,663, 28 October 1984

Gross USA:

$38,371,200

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$78,475,971

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinema '84, Euro Film Funding, Hemdale

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (original release) Dolby (DVD Re-Release) DTS (DTS HD Master Audio)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

(at around 51 mins) The only time in the "Terminator" franchise when The Terminator changes his hairstyle in the film. When The Terminator breaks into an apartment in the self-repair sequences, his hairstyle is different to the one he had earlier on in the film. This is because he runs through a fire caused by a car explosion where his hair is burned. He also loses his eyebrows, and spends the rest of the movie without them.

---

Goofs

(at around 1h 24 mins) When the Terminator gets on the motorcycle to chase after Sarah in the pick-up, he turns on the ignition key and jumps up on his right leg to kick start the bike, but you hear a electric starter motor instead before he rides off.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
[the garbage truck's engine stops]
Truck Driver: What the hell? Goddamn son of a bitch...

---

Crazy Credits

The opening credits run while large outlines of the two halves of THE TERMINATOR cross each other. After the last directorial credit is shown, the title THE TERMINATOR zooms backward, is filled by metallic blue, and reveals itself.

---

Alternate Versions

On the TV versions shown in the USA, the sex scene between Sarah and Kyle shows just their hands moving to the theme song that plays.

---

Connections

Referenced in Supernatural: Party On, Garth (2012)

---

Soundtracks

Intimacy
Performed by Linn Van Hek
Written by Linn Van Hek, Joe Dolce
Published by Dolceamore Music

User Reviews

Schwarzenegger's my personal favorite best action classic masterpiece of all time

The Terminator (1984) is a masterpiece, the best sci-fi action classics horror movie that started all the Terminator movies. This is Schwarzenegger's best movie and my personal favorite action film. I love this film to death it is my childhood film I grew up with it. Arnold Schwarzenegger was The Terminator T-800 Model 101 indestructible killing machine cyborg. This movie is brilliant, it has brilliant story, brilliant plot, excellent additional cast, brilliant director and writers, good special effects, it is mixed with sci-fi, action and horror. This movie deals with the war that was set in the future but the battle will be fought in the present. It deals with paradox travel trough time.

"It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop... ever, until you are dead! "

This is the perfect action film of all time and still even today over 30 years it is a cult classic. The plot and the script provides excellent dialogues. Why it is brilliant? Imagine someone did something in the future and didn't know about it and becomes a primal target for extermination from a killer cyborg from the future now in the present. That is brilliant and excellent idea and story.

Two naked men appear in different locations in los Angeles trough flash blue light and electricity they were both set in time from the year 2029 to the present year 1984. One is a human the other is an indestructible cyborg reprogramed to find and kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) the woman whose unborn son will become humanity's only hope in the future war against the machines. The other men is a human being a soldier from the future who has to find Sarah Connor and protect her at all cost. That's the basically plot for this film.

James Cameron writes and directs this film with his than wife Gale Anne Hurd who also produced this film and they both does that brilliantly. The script with the story provides a perfect action entertainment trough whole film.

Brad Fiedel does a wonderful music theme for The Terminator character and action sequences, car chases and does a drama in which Sarah and Kyle have sex together in the motel room. That's how John was later in the sequel born. Great music score for the film. I love the soundtracks from this film: Photoplay and Burnin' in the Third Degree by Tryanglz.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was at the top of his career. This movie bring his career at top of the action stars. Arnold is excellent and he performs excellent and acts brilliant as The Terminator. At one time his agent pursued Schwarzenegger to play the action hero, but Schwarzenegger wasn't interested to be an action hero he was interested to be The Terminator and he played brilliantly well and believable enough.

Before Sarah Connor was a tough bad-ass gun guerilla squad in the sequels, here she was a scared victim. A beautiful young woman who was a waitress at the diner and was just a human being leaving a teenage normal life in Los Angeles. Linda Hamilton is the only Sarah Connor no else can replace her. She is beautiful and smart and it is my favorite Linda Hamilton movie. She acts very realistic, brilliant and perfectly as the scared victim. Linda Hamilton is the best of the film.

Michael Biehn is the only Sgt. Kyle Reese no one else is or can replace him. He is excellent and brilliant I still prefer Corporal Dwayne Hicks but Kyle Reese is my favorite character from Michael Biehn he is a perfect action hero. I love Kyle Reese because he doesn't kill any human being.

Lance Henriksen from Aliens and Hard Target is in here and he plays Detective Hal Vukovich and he is very good and realistic as the detective.

Paul Winfield is Lieutenant Ed Traxler first he doesn't believe Kyle Reese story but later he witness it him self. I wish there wouldn't be deleted scene in which Kyle and Sarah finds Traxler dying and he gives Kyle a gun.

This movie has ton's of action: You see a lot of automatic weapons, shotguns and handguns used in this film and they are used well. You have a car chase between The Terminator and Kyle Reese with Sarah and both men are shooting at each other. Terminator has a stolen Police car and Kyle fires his shotgun and hits twice the Terminator once in the eye. The Terminator than crashes with the car in the wall. In the next scene you see Terminator's eye bloody. You have a great car chase by the end of the film Terminator with truck tries to kill Sarah but Kyle put's a pipe bomb in the truck and you see a huge explosion the truck explodes great special effect. Terminator shoot's with an IMI Uzi in Tech Noir night club. Killing bunch of people in which Kyle stops him with a shotgun. Terminator crash with the car in the police station and kills almost 19 cops.

When we see The Terminator been all burned out without flesh with only been endoskeleton covered with steel with his red eyes glowing that is scary when he chases Sarah is scary when I was 6 years old I screamed when I saw that skeleton cyborg attacking Kyle and Sarah.

The Terminator is a 1984 American science-fiction action film directed by James Cameron.

10/10 Bad-Ass Seal Of Approval The Terminator is a masterpiece a science fiction action horror film, a film I love to death and it is my personal favorite Schwarzenegger film. This is Schwarzenegger's best film with Predator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day I highly recommend those three films.