The Terminator: Films (1984-2003)

The Terminator (1984)

Dir. James Cameron

Cameron's sci-fi actioner sits comfortably as the archetype for movies about murderous humanoid machines from the future that travel back in time to kill someone important, thus changing their own present in a favourable way. Linda Hamilton is the target. Schwarzenegger is the instrument.

Playing to the big man's strengths (i.e. he hardly speaks), the role is largely responsible for his career taking off as much as it did. It's clear to see why. He's perfect. His natural ability to be indelibly domineering helped the character seem totally inhuman. His physicality was translated successfully into a show of almost unstoppable force - his unwavering attitude arguably even more memorable than his iconic coat and glasses.

It's not a flawless movie, but by 1984 standards it was certainly a damn good one and is still mostly deserving of the accolades it continues to receive.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Dir. James Cameron

I wasn't a big fan of T2 at release and revisiting it now after not seeing it for about fifteen years hasn't changed that. The kid, the awkward action-mom role, the softening of Arnie's Terminator and the lack of any real kind of menace from the pursuing T1000 are even more apparent to me now than they were back in the day.

Most of the additional scenes in the 'Ultimate Edition,' thankfully documented in the accompanying booklet, aren't very interesting.

In its favour, Arnie's shotgun reloading technique is excellent and the percussion heavy music is as effective as it always was.

It was surprising to see the surrogate father figure aspect not overplayed, because, as many of us will know, Cameron isn't known for his restraint.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

Dir. Jonathan Mostow

There's a very real possibility that the third film in the series got green lit simply to enable the producers to create a sexy female Terminator that they called the Terminatrix. I fear someone got paid a sizeable bag of money to come up with that.

As a film, it fails. Using Arnie as the butt of some immature visual gags was the least of its problems. The acting was bad. The story was flat-out boring, except for the final twist. It out-shits even Alien: Resurrection (1997) for being unnecessary and unwarranted. They even screwed up the sexy. The Terminatrix (sorry to use it twice) lacks any kind of allure, even while jaywalking with her ass out.

I know that more films were made after T3, but I've no love for the series and have no plans to watch them. The TV Series The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-09), however, I did watch.