Film

Movie theaters, reviews and showtimes in Chicago, plus articles, trailers and more

 

The Terminator (1984)

Director: James Cameron

Average user rating
No reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Back from the future in which the machines rule comes a rippling robot (Schwarzenegger) who terminates opponents with extreme prejudice (like ripping their hearts out). His goal is to kill a woman (Hamilton) destined to bear the child who will become the great freedom fighter of the future. Fortunately she has a champion in the shape of another time traveller, Arnold's all-too-human opponent (Biehn). The gladiatorial arena is set, with vulnerable flesh and cunning versus a leviathan who totes around massive weapons like so many chic accessories and can rebuild his organs as they get shot away. The pacing and the action are terrific, revelling in the feral relentlessness which characterised Assault on Precinct 13 and Mad Max 2; even the future visions of a wasted LA are well mounted. More than enough violence to make it a profoundly moral film; and Arnold's a whizz. CPea.

Author: CPea 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Time Out Film Guide


  • Print this page
  • Send to a friend

What do you think?
Post your review now

clear rating
Min 1 star. Zero stars will be treated as unrated.

*mandatory fields





Features

Do overs!

Do overs!

After Race to Witch Mountain, what should Disney remake next?

Gray's anatomy

James Gray wants to push buttons—again.

The next big thing?

Gigantic Releasing tries to rethink indie distribution…without movie theaters.

Red Diva: Lyubov Orlova, First Lady of Soviet Cinema

So you think you can dance, comrade?

Puppet master

Coraline director Henry Selick takes stop-motion animation into 3-D.

Socratic method

Laurent Cantet's approach on the set matches the message of his film.

Wander woman

Kelly Reichardt's Wendy and Lucy puts a Bush-era spin on the road movie.

Oscars

Read our interviews with the nominees, our reviews of the nominated films and more.