The Terminator (1984)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:40
Fresh:40
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
US Box Office: $0
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... [More]
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen
Director: James Cameron
Reviews for The Terminator
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Click to read the article Full Review |
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 3.5/4 |
A cyberpunk picture that flirts with emotional resonance but mostly focuses on the gut...testosterone-fueled, estrogen-boosted action melodrama. Full Review |
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A brilliant sci-fi film that cleverly combines strong storytelling with suspense and killer set-pieces. Full Review |
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3/4 |
James Cameron's fast-paced, downright propulsive directorial sensibilities ensure that there are few lulls within the narrative. Full Review |
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As for Schwarzenegger, he nicely fleshes out the convention of a soulless gun for hire. With his choppy hair, cryptic shades and state-of-the-'80s leather ensemble, he looks like the Incredible Hulk gone punk. Full Review |
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An efficient, cold-blooded sci-fi splatter movie that never makes the mistake of forgetting that on some level it is deeply ridiculous. Full Review |
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A |
"TECH%u2022NOIR" indeed. He's a futuristic machine and this movie is pitch black with menace. Full Review |
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5/5 |
The original and best film from the franchise -- iconic, heady, dark and exciting. Full Review |
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B |
It's a work of pulp art to see the future guv of California rip out someone's heart. Full Review |
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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. Full Review |
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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. Full Review |
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8/10 |
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.
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More than enough violence to make it a profoundly moral film; and Arnold's a whizz. Full Review |
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5/5 |
Arguably among the very best science-fiction contemporaries.
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4/5 |
No review available.
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5/5 |
The movie's scares are intense, but the notion that the Terminator would move on to politics is even more frightening.
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5/5 |
No review available.
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5/5 |
Relentlessly entertaining
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4/5 |
No review available.
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4/4 |
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. Full Review |
1 CommentLatest News for The Terminator
June 01, 2009:
Top 10 Terminator Moments
Finally, it is here. Plagued by fanboy outcries, rumoured script changes, one legendary on-set tirade and a rash of mixed-to-rotten reviews from critics in the US, Terninator... More...
May 21, 2009:
Jen Gets Terminated, Day 4: Terminator Salvation
It's been a roller coaster ride revisiting the science fiction films Terminator (1984), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), and I... More...
May 19, 2009:
Jen Gets Terminated, Day 2: Terminator 2: Judgment Day
When James Cameron debuted his first real feature film in 1984 -- directing Piranha II: The Spawning for hire didn't really count -- he turned out a $6.5 million science fiction... More...
May 18, 2009:
Jen Gets Terminated, Day One: The Terminator
Ryan followed Bond. Alex did Jason. Tim got Kirk, Spock, and Bones. This week, I've been assigned to follow...The Terminator! In the latest Rotten Tomatoes watching series,... More...
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