Flashback/Film Friday: "The Terminator," Still Impresses 40 Years Later

The, "Terminator," movies have had so many come out that the timeline is an utter mess with some flicks relatively well-regarded and others dismissed as barely worth a mention. That said, the original, "The Terminator," still is a damn good movie and--I'd argue--even better than the beloved sequel due to how outright intense it is on a small-scale. "T2," goes bigger with some wild setpieces, but the first movie is taut and scary thriller. A lot of credit goes to the casting of Arnold Schwarzenegger as the robotic killing machine both frightening us while also almost seeming like he's equally as liable to crack a smile and wink as if he's in on the gag. Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn make perfect foils as well, however, and this, "Small," movie managed to build quite the franchise whilst showcasing how James Cameron knew how to make a damn good movie--and still does (the, "Avatar," flicks are admittedly good fun to watch, regardless of popular criticisms).

"The Terminator," is 40 years old now, and while some special effects aren't quite as impressive these days, it still stands up quite well in the light of our modern-day computer effects and general tech-wizardry. It's a movie that barely clocks in at an hour and three quarters--with credits--but it crams so much excitement into that lean running time you have nary a chance to catch your breath with all the action and suspense outside of maybe one relatively quiet and sweet lovemaking scene between Hamilton's Sarah Connor and Bieh's Kyle Reese. A scene that actually explains how her son, John Connor, will be born in the future and fight against the robots who want to use time travel to eliminate him from the equation--so we get to see Hamilton and Biehn naked and it serves a plot purpose!

Biehn and Hamilton

Cameron famously claimed that "The Terminator" came to him in a fever dream while he was sick in Rome filming his first flick, "Pirhanna 2." While I would never want Mr. Cameron to be so sick he dreams up an apocalyptic hellscape of a robot-run future, I am glad something amazing came out of his illness. Some of the, "Terminator," movies are a mixed bag, but that first one nailed it and made quite the foundation all the other movies built off of. It just became available on Amazon Prime to stream at no extra cost too, so go watch it!