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If I were more cynical, I might suggest that Arnold Schwarzenegger picked a great time to stir up some controversy: right around the time that the special edition Blu-ray book edition of his mega-hit, The Terminator, is hitting shelves. Coincidence? Well…probably. But the latest scandal might inspire you to look back fondly on the actor’s glory days—before The Terminator became The Governator.
In 1984, the up-and-coming bodybuilder-turned-actor teamed with no-name director James Cameron (whose first official feature, Piranha II: The Spawning, wasn’t exactly a break-out hit) for a ground-breaking sci-fi adventure. But, although he plays the title character, the movie isn’t really about Arnold. Instead, it’s about a flustered young waitress who becomes the target of a robotic assassin from the future.
The Terminator (Schwarzenegger) has been sent to Los Angeles to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). Working his way through the phone book, he kills two other Sarah Connors before setting his sights on his intended target—but before he gets to her, she’s rescued by Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn).
Reese claims that he and the Terminator are both from the future—from a post-apocalyptic world where machines have taken control. Sarah is a target because her unborn son will become the leader of the human resistance against the machines—and Reese has been sent to protect her.
The relentless action of The Terminator makes it a classic sci-fi adrenaline rush of a film. The action begins in the first scene—well before the audience has any idea of what’s going on—and it never lets up as Schwarzenegger’s ruthless cyborg assassin seeks to complete his mission.
The film is mostly comprised of shoot-outs and car chases—followed by more shoot-outs and car chases—but the story somehow manages to come through along the way, too. Though the plot isn’t necessarily detailed or fully-developed, it just works. The pacing is perfect—and as Sarah and Reese try to outrun the killer, there’s a sense of urgency because, after Reese explains the situation, you know what’s at stake.
Meanwhile, it’s easy to see why The Terminator helped to skyrocket Schwarzenegger to superstardom. His role isn’t a huge one—and his infamous catch phrase became famous not for the sheer weight of the line but for the laughable delivery. But Schwarzenegger is an undeniably imposing figure. It doesn’t matter, for some reason, this robot speaks in a thick Austrian accent—or that Schwarzenegger’s performance is totally stiff (in a way that’s actually completely appropriate). When he’s on screen, you can’t help but stop and take notice. And if I saw him coming, I’d run for my life, too.
The Terminator is violent and sometimes gruesome, with blatant special effects that look absolutely cheesy now, nearly three decades later (especially when you put the movie next to, say, Avatar). But its chilling story and non-stop action—not to mention a star who was clearly destined for greatness (as well as great scandal)—make it an entertaining action/sci-fi classic. If you haven’t seen it in a while, it’s worth traveling back in time to revisit this ‘80s favorite.
Blu-ray Review:
The limited edition Blu-ray book release of The Terminator includes seven intriguing deleted scenes and a couple of classic extras.
Creating The Terminator: Visual Effects and Music is a 12-minute feature from 2001 that goes into great detail about things like creating the post-apocalyptic world in miniature and scoring the film on a budget. Though most of the interview subjects aren’t exactly vibrant, the movie-making details are still fascinating.
Terminator: A Retrospective (produced in 1992) takes a look back at the film and the filmmaking process—mostly through a one-on-one conversation between Schwarzenegger and Cameron (who—no surprise—is all too eager to talk about how awesome his movie is). The anecdotes that the director and star recall make it 20 minutes well spent.
This special edition release may not come with any new special features, but if you haven’t seen the included extras before, they’re definitely worth a look.
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