The original and best film from the franchise -- iconic, heady, dark and exciting.
Comment
06/17/08
The Terminator (1984)
100 %
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 34
Fresh: 34
Rotten:0
Average Rating: 8.5/10
Consensus: With its impressive action sequences, taut economic direction, and relentlessly fast pace, it's clear why The Terminator continues to be an influence on sci-fi and action flicks.
Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Synopsis: James Cameron's THE TERMINATOR is one of the tightest, tensest sci-fi films ever made and a landmark in the genre. In the year 2029, battles rage between the superintelligent machines that rule the world and the last vestiges of humanity.... [More]
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton, Lance Henriksen
Director: James Cameron
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Reviews for The Terminator
Top Critic It's a work of pulp art to see the future guv of California rip out someone's heart.
03/27/08
Gritty, clever, breathlessly paced, and dynamic despite the dark shadow of doom cast over the story, this sci-fi thriller remains one of the defining American films of the 1980s.
12/29/07
As a souvenir of a kind of B-grade action cinema that has all but vanished, The Terminator should find a small place in the heart of every movie addict.
03/01/07
Top Critic A sci-fi actioner as relentless as its cyborg title character. The megabudget sequels are very good, but the low-budget original is still the best.
03/05/06
More than enough violence to make it a profoundly moral film; and Arnold's a whizz.
02/09/06
This was the film that demonstrated to the dubious everyone that the musclebound fellow with that outrageous accent might be more than just another passing blip on our pop culture radar screens.
07/30/03
Top Critic At the end of both movies, I find myself overcome by an extraordinary swell of emotion.
07/23/03
This is a monster movie, and the monster's role fits Mr. Schwarzenegger just fine.
07/16/03
Top Critic
The film that put James Cameron on the map and made Arnold Schwarzenegger an international star, The Terminator is a high-potency distillation of a bunch of sci-fi concepts into one package.
11/07/02
Latest News for The Terminator
June 18, 2008:
Total Recall: The Best of Stan Winston
With the passing of Oscar-winning makeup and special effects artist Stan Winston, RT decided to take a closer look at one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential... More...
March 28, 2008:
Exclusive: Anton Yelchin on Star Trek and Terminator 4
RT sits down with the star of Charlie Bartlett to learn more about his space adventures with J.J. Abrams and time traveling with McG. More...
March 24, 2008:
Kim Newman on... The Invisible Boy
RT Obscura, the exclusive column by renowned critic Kim Newman, sees the writer plumbing the depths of the RT archive in search of some forgotten gems. In his 14th column, Kim... More...
January 04, 2008:
Sarah Connor Chronicles Pilot Making Early Online Debut
Hey, Terminator fans! Excited about the Jan. 13 and 14 premiere of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles on Fox? Well, good news: Thanks to Yahoo!, you don't have to wait. More...
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