ROTTEN TOMATOES: Jen Gets Terminated, Day One: The Terminator Comments

Jen Gets Terminated, Day One: The Terminator

by Jen Yamato | May 18, 2009

Summary

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, yours truly will take on the famous futuristic cyborg in all four of its cinematic incarnations, from James Cameron's titular 1984 sci-fi horror classic to this Thursday's fourquel, in which director McG will show us his version of the future according to SkyNet. Watch and read along with me as I revisit the Terminator franchise, watching one movie a day, leading up to RT's Judgment Day -- May 21, when Terminator: Salvation lands in theaters. Back to Article

(1-50 of 50 posts) | Reply

JAKEofMIDWORLD writes:
on May 18 2009 05:24 PM

My favorite movie. I love how the least important person in the world, Sarah, is the most important. So many awesome themes are touched on and from a science fiction angel it is great. From an action perspective it kicks major *** and that final showdown "you're terminated ****er" and Sarah making the tapes, holy **** I love this movie. The 80's style and fashions don't bother me because I grew up with this, but also, the movie is suppose to take place in 1984. If it were made now they would have tried to achieve that look, but I'm sure you couldn't beat the real thing.

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JAKEofMIDWORLD writes:
on May 18 2009 05:26 PM

Good job btw, I enjoyed the write-up.

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Confounded writes:
on May 18 2009 05:30 PM

I love this movie. My favorite secondary character was always Dr. Silberman. He was a human (a phychologist, no less) with zero empathy or tact. To me it always showed that the gap between humanity and the machines was never really as big as we would like to think.

I know you'll re-enjoy T2 tomorrow. I have a hard time considering it better or worse since they're completely different movies. It's like Alien/Aliens to me. The first is far more cerebral and horrifying. The second is much faster and more action-focused. It all depends on the mood I'm in at the time.

And T3 is pretty bad, given. But it was Nick Stahl that ruined it for me. Not that I have a problem with him; I still mourn Carnivale. But he was just too much of a whiney "why me" John Connor. You'd think he would've gotten that out of his system in the last movie.

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ledawg1138 writes:
on May 18 2009 05:36 PM

Alright Jen, you got yerself the Terminator! Two great sci-fi's and T3! Anyway, I love this film. 10/10. It has humor, action, chills, spills (of blood), and a great cast. And this film is highly effective in making The Terminator feel unstoppable. He gets run over by a truck, keeps going. The truck blows up on him, keeps going. He gets a gernade in the belly, keeps going. DAMN! Plus, he's so freakin' cool. A gun, glasses, motorcycle, leather jacket. I never beleived a wuss like Reese could take him. Anyway, good job.

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willywonkanobi writes:
on May 18 2009 05:38 PM

shoot yes! GREAT MOVIE! Good overview, Jen.

Can't wait for Salvation, but I am only cautiously optimistic about it. 17% Fresh Rating so far... not too great. I must confess I am worried.

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John D. writes:
on May 18 2009 05:45 PM

A classic no doubt. I love how we are constantly told, "You can't stop it, You can't stop it, and it won't give up until you are dead" But hold on, if have a pit of molten lava, then you can stop it no problem!

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ledawg1138 writes:
on May 18 2009 05:46 PM

In reply to this comment (#2484217)
Yeah, but the reviews are few for "Salvation". But, most likely it will stay rotten.

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ARTaylor writes:
on May 18 2009 05:54 PM

Terminator is one of those great movies that has permeated itself into American culture. So that even children who have never seen the movie know about it.

I would have loved to see it back in the day. Problem is it's so well known that the surprises just aren't surprising anymore. But it's still a perfect movie.

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KingSigy writes:
on May 18 2009 05:55 PM

While are you are about the war taking place in 2029, I believe this movie takes place in the 80's. The Terminator does go back in time, so it would make sense why all the technology is crappy.
Everytime I see those special effects at the end (the stop motion done by Tool guitarist Adam Jones), I just laugh a little. It's not that it doesn't look robotic (because it certainly does), but it just sticks out slightly when you compare it to T2 only 7 years later (which had technology that surpasses even some of today's films).
This was a very good write-up, though. The Terminator is a movie that was literally not faltered at all with time. I think the reasoning is that the low-budget style made Ahnold perform his own stunts (he burns his eyebrows off in that car chase) and the call-backs to classic Horror films made this sci-fi, future dystopia seem real.
I can't wait to see what you say about T2. I think everyone can agree that is the better of the first two films, but I just love hearing more praise about that from everyone.

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Chris B. writes:
on May 18 2009 06:28 PM

yeah the first terminator was awesome. but i don't understand how you say that the only drawback is that this movie is dated. it was made in 1984 on a low-budget. i mean come on. and it's not like they had any choice but to use the technology that was available to them. the t-800 was from the year 2029 for God's sake.

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ZigBallistic writes:
on May 18 2009 06:36 PM

About the bit with the circular history. It is a theme in the movies and the TV show that with everything the people from the future do in the past changes the ever fluid future. Maybe the "original" John Connor (the one who sends back Reese) wasn't conceived by Kyle. The kid that is born from the copulation of Sarah and Kyle is instead a different soul who also has the name "John" because of an assumed destiny that maybe is not supposed to be his.

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GreenBastard writes:
on May 18 2009 06:59 PM

I'm not sure about Claire Danes wrecking the third Terminator. I'd say a female Terminator with self inflating breasts might have something to do with it!

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rebranded001 writes:
on May 18 2009 07:02 PM

The only really good part about this movie was Linda Hamilton's eggs-on-nails.

This POS is so dated you can smell the hair spray and Alberto VO8.

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Dominem007 writes:
on May 18 2009 07:25 PM

Um just HOW IS THIS A "REVIEW" of the movie???

We all know what happens in The Terminator Jen....Im pretty sure that most people that visit this site have seen all of the major classic Hollywood films that have come out. When you guys were counting down the days to Bond and Star Trek, you were reviewing all of the other things and basically stating what you liked about these movies....and what you did not like.

I want your take on this film, you only talk about the fact that it's somewhat "dated"....I know what happens in this movie....can you actually review Terminator 2 and Terminator 3 over the next couple of days please? As well as Salvation....that would actually be really nice to read.

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willpower writes:
on May 18 2009 08:33 PM

I agree Dominem. This is a synopsis, not a review. WTH?

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ColinTheCimmerian writes:
on May 18 2009 08:39 PM

Good article, I like your stressing of the horror aspects of the movie. That's something I've always felt strongly about but many people seem to overlook, probably because 2 and 3 are very much action movies and people tend to extend that perspective over the entire franchise. But the first Terminator is very much a horror movie. The girl next door protagonist who survives til the end while everyone around her slowly gets picked off one by one by the unstoppable monster? Sounds a lot like a whole bunch of slasher and monster movies. I think one of the most impressive things about this movie is how Cameron took that relatively old concept and put an entirely new spin on it, adding something all those other horror movies didn't have, namely an involving and clever plot, as well as a high-concept central conflict with epic-scale consequences. The only thing at stake in a typical slasher movie is the lives of maybe a dozen people, but in The Terminator, it's not just about Reese saving the girl and killing the monster, it's about saving the future of humanity. That elevated the movie from standard low-budget B horror movie to something a little more special.

I really liked Michael Biehn in this movie, and in most of his later roles. Too bad his career never really took off; I'm really not sure why it didn't. Maybe if Cameron had eventually made his Spider-man movie, we would have seen Biehn become a bona fide star; accordind to my understanding, he was Cameron's pick for the lead role.

Looking forward to the rest of these articles, the Terminator films are a particular passion of mine, and I don't hesitate to call T2 my #1 favourite movie, so I'm interested to see what you have to say about it.

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ColinTheCimmerian writes:
on May 18 2009 08:47 PM

@ Dominem, willpower:

Jeez you guys are tough to please; where does it say anywhere that this article is meant to be a review? The word used in the intro is 'revisit', which basically just means 'look at again'. The author can write whatever they want. I bet you guys always complain about the RT lists being wrong too. Take these articles for what they are, not what you want them to be.

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martinscorsese25 writes:
on May 18 2009 09:12 PM

man, i have little hope for terminator salvation... it has 14% on its tomato meter... **** McG, he is gonna ruined Christian Bale's track record... let's hope it gets higher up to 70%... i really hope that this won't be Bale's 'Batman and Robin' where the star(Clooney) is ashamed that he ever made the movie

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RexLaboro writes:
on May 18 2009 09:14 PM

Can I make one of these? Like with HTML and pics and stuff?

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ninja13 writes:
on May 18 2009 09:32 PM

A pretty good movie for it's time. The stop motion endo at the end always leaves me laughing rather than screaming though. More cheesy than scary. 7.5/10. T2 on the other hand is one of my favorite films ever. Certainly the best all-out action film ever. I'm worried about Salvation, 14%! It's likely to change, but a high-rated movie usually starts out at 100 and drops slightly such as Hellboy II, TDK, and Star Trek. Even Wolverine started out perfect but dropped down to 37. I wonder if Transformers 2 will make fresh seeing as the first didn't.

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Dominem007 writes:
on May 18 2009 09:39 PM

ColinTheCimmerian,

yeah but I want her opinion of what she thought of the movie....just like the other reviewers on this site who actually reviewed the previous films prior to Quantum of Solace and the new Star Trek opening. Its always good to relate to others who have seen these films and see what they think of them....

Oh and martinscorsese25, theres still hope, they just bumped it up to 25 percent with the latest review which was VERY positive.....

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Solonik -. writes:
on May 18 2009 10:34 PM

I had no idea T3 had such a high tomatometer.

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rle4lunch writes:
on May 18 2009 11:09 PM

Jen, did you like the movie or not? It's never apparent....

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sunsaz writes:
on May 18 2009 11:14 PM

Still a great movie. Given the impact it had on Arnold, Cameron, and Stan Winston's careers, clearly a benchmark in sci-fi cinema.

And while probably not a "tech-noir" film, the bar scene did provide the name for the sub-genre.

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Kevlegs writes:
on May 18 2009 11:19 PM

Good write up. Shame you couldn't have done the recent reviews of the Star Trek movie franchise.

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TragicVillain writes:
on May 18 2009 11:30 PM

Am I the only one who read "Jen Gets Terminated" and thought Jen had gotten fired?

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martinscorsese25 writes:
on May 18 2009 11:32 PM

w8 a minute, if there is 'Bonding with Bond' , 'Trekking with Tim', and 'Jen gets Terminated(it sounds like she's fired, LOL)' then there should be...

'Tracking Tarantino' or 'Counting Quentin' or sometitle thats really catchy! LOL.. hahaha

have someone who hasnt watch any of his films(it's hard to find but it's better to have someguy who has a clueless view of Tarantino) and let him review his films from Reservoir Dogs up to Basterds...

i know alot will react to this idea but we all know Tarantino has a Kubrick aura in him... i'm not saying that Tarantino is as good as Kubrick(Scorsese is this generations Kubrick) but he, like Kubrick, has large gaps in making movies, and apart from that, he consistently delivers(Death Proof is debatable)... Tarantino is a pop culture persona of our generation.... he needs to be REVIEWED!!!!

it's a fun idea and it's a really good promotion for Basterds when it opens in August... RT please consider my idea...

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Bob S. writes:
on May 19 2009 12:46 AM

I love this movie and its immediate sequel. They're both among the best sci fi movies IMHO, and they have stood the test of time well for me.

Now I'm hoping that you'll have a Trailer Bulletin for SHERLOCK HOLMES and the casting of Tom Hiddleston as Loki in THOR tomorrow :).

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shane f. writes:
on May 19 2009 07:11 AM

Jen - you're missing one BIG thing here that made the other 'reviews' of film series interesting reading for us...

What did you actually think about it? What was good or bad in your opinion? How did you feel watching it? etc, etc.

Come on Jen - your 'review' is very 1980s terminatorish...

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stevegilpin writes:
on May 19 2009 08:16 AM

Jen, you're right! The viewer can indeed see Arnold's junk when he's walking up to the punks in the beginning of the movie....quite impressive! I love this movie so much. I think Brad Fiedel's music is awesome in the opening credit sequence!
The only thing I disagree with is that Ginger's death scene isn't that funny to me....it's actually kinda terrifying!
Anyway, thanks for the write-up! Good work.

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TombstoneLawDog writes:
on May 19 2009 10:36 AM

This movie stands solid among the greatest science fiction movies ever made, and I only give it MORE credit when I learn exactly how mercenary and creative Cameron and Crew were in making it (gleaned from 'making of' featurettes). Favorite examples include: The scene at the end when the destroyed T800 is a smoking shell on the hydrolic press, they made the smoke by literally having one of the production crew smoke a cigarette and blow it into the frame. The body bag that they zip over Kyle Reese's body in the end is Michael Biehn's suit bag. God, I love these guys.

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thebeagleking writes:
on May 19 2009 11:42 AM

like the movie series

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Jen Yamato writes:
on May 19 2009 11:56 AM

Hello party people,

To address the "is this or isn't this a review" question - it's meant as a revisiting/rewatching, not a review per se, but I've taken your suggestions under consideration for the next installments. Yes, I liked the first Terminator. I also like going back and noticing the smaller details that I might have missed on earlier viewings. It amuses me to notice Arnold's junk swinging in the shadows, and I do desperately want a pair of Kyle Reese Vandals. I like Sarah Connor's wimp-to-heroine arc.

That said, there are fewer asides to note in subsequent Terminator flicks, so I'll inject more opinion into said pieces. (Although I wouldn't necessarily call any of the previous "watching" series we've done "reviews.")

Thanks for the notes, and I hope you enjoy the next one!

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whitey_mcwhite writes:
on May 19 2009 01:13 PM

I have to say that I love this movie, but, and I know I'm approaching sacrilege here, I'm not a fan of Biehn. I can't really think of too many movies I've seen him in, but the only character I bought him playing that comes to mind is his character in Aliens. I didn't buy him in this or in The Abyss. I love the movie, but I didn't by Biehn as the soldier type in this movie.

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Bigbrother writes:
on May 19 2009 02:14 PM

In reply to this comment (#2485799)
He was awesome as Johnny Ringo in Tombstone and in his bit part in The Rock..."Give the Order"..."I CANNOT GIVE THAT ORDER".

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sorcerer's_cat writes:
on May 19 2009 02:22 PM

I always thought this had one of the most romantic uses of time paradox. When Kyle tells her that he memorized every curve and every line of her face from the picture he also says "You were young like you are now. You look a little bit sad. I used to wonder what you were thinking of at that moment."
When the little boy takes her picture at the end she had just finished saying into the tape that she and Reece had "loved a lifetimes worth"--so she was thinking of him at that moment. Great stuff.

I always tell my actor friends to take a page out of Bill Paxton's book: work with good directors, no matter how small the role. Paxton has shown up in (nearly?) all of Cameron's movies, even in small roles, ever since.

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jaysix writes:
on May 19 2009 02:34 PM

It was Great then, and it's still Great today. Arnold is awesome as the "bad" terminator. One of the best thrillers ever.

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whitey_mcwhite writes:
on May 19 2009 03:18 PM

In reply to this comment (#2485897)
The last time I watched Tombstone and The Rock I actually did not know who Biehn was. Now I have to go watch those again to see if they help me see him differently.

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on May 19 2009 05:53 PM

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Chris N. writes:
on May 20 2009 08:21 AM

About that picture at the end, I was surprised one aspect wasn't mentioned: Reese said he always wanted to know what Sarah was thinking in that picture; turns out, at that moment she was thinking of him. It's one of my favorite movie moments of all time.

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bijio writes:
on May 20 2009 08:22 PM

I still say that "The Terminator Theme" by Brad fiedel is by a wide margin my favorite piece of music written for a film, period. Maybe cos of the nostalgia factor, I don't know. It ****ing rules though.

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LeglessInSulaco writes:
on May 21 2009 09:28 AM

In reply to this comment (#2485654)
Nice write up Jen. I was 7 when this came out and remember my parents hooking up the stereo to the VCR and not letting me watch it. So they had sourround sound Terminator and I couldnt see it, but I could hear it :(. The next day they went out and left in the VCR...lol. I enjoy this movie as much then as I do now and lately its been on cable almost everyday.

BTW http://www.pickyourshoes.com/size/nike_vandal.htm

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John B. writes:
on May 22 2009 10:39 AM

The way the TV networks completely eviscerate the Terminator when they show the "edited for content and formatted to fit this screen" version should be a crime punishable by death. Yes, in reply to a previous comment, the psychologist character is one of my favorites also, especially down the road when he gets his just desserts. Three cheers for Linda Hamilton, without whom this mini-series would have been but mediocre. And those of you trashing Claire Danes, shame on you.

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superskrull writes:
on May 22 2009 11:30 PM

That's funny about 1980's tech, now that VCRs are obsolete. When I got my first VCR, the very first movie I rented was -- you guessed it, The Terminator. No contest, T1 had to be the first VHS movie I rented.

I think it's the best sci-fi flick ever.

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Nada Z. writes:
on May 25 2009 07:35 AM

I was eight when i saw this and I can tell you stop motion or not it scared the hell out of me for years! I loved it though and still do to date. Never licked action or horror, but this I adore. Terminator Salvation was fun to watch but other than the intro music, it didn't feel like a T movie. No Ahnold, no terminator, not even a computer generated Ahnold could help! (it did ease the pain though!)- for those of you who haven't seen salvation yet, watch T1 as it will make Salvation more fun with the subtle hints. (I watched T1 after - enjoyed it big time, but it made me realise how much of it i'd forgotten...) - Don't bother about Salvation reviews, it's a must see movie, can't get around it!...

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Jessica W. writes:
on May 25 2009 12:11 PM

NADA!! Completely agree. There were so many references to the first one. More than 5. I'm glad somebody else is a fan and actually GETS the movie. Everyone ridicules it but they clearly aren't true fans of the first and second film. Thanks for commenting! :D

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gla55jaw writes:
on May 27 2009 10:48 AM

The 80's styles and setting do not make this film outdated, it is set in 1984! The terminator endoskeleton at the end which was animated is the only thing that outdates this film.

Michael Biehn wasn't considered to play the terminator. Lance Henriksen was originally who Cameron wanted to play the terminator but after talking with Schwarzenegger he re-wrote the script and interviewed Biehn for Kyle Reese.

You should have watched the special features before writing this instead of using wikipedia.

Also, "homemade sawed off shotgun" isn't needed. Reese didn't make the shotgun himself, he just "sawed off" the barrel. Sawed off is self explanitory.

I forget that people who write for websites arn't actually writers.

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deadlysquirrel writes:
on May 29 2009 10:02 PM

Good review, the movie takes place in 1984, so it does take place in the eighties...the musical score was off the hook...they should of thrown more of this impressive musical soundtrack into terminator salvation..especially the tronish techno music u hear when reese has the flashbacks of the future and humans are at war with the machines...Anyway, classic, bottom line...A Sci Fi/Horror masterpiece...

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