The Terminator

One of the films that had a powerful influence on me growing up. Like many others, I saw it on a VHS copy of a copy of a copy, and I instantly loved it. So much so that I still enjoy watching it today. True, the effects correspond to the time it was made. Even though they are of a high standard, the scene in which Arnie takes out his eye is just not as impressive today because of the obviously rubber face. I don't mean the film is bad, on the contrary, I think it’s definitely one of the best sci-fi thrillers ever made. Arnie was born to play T-800 (minimum acting and maximum thick German accent) and it was thanks to him that I sided with the dark side of the force for the first time. (01/08/2016)

The sci-fi genius of James Cameron is a classic genre now. The battle for the future that is being fought today with Arnold Schwarzenegger in his best role. Each frame of film is soaked in a wonderful atmosphere and the tension could be cut by a knife. Iconic moments await on every corner and Cameron’s sense for detail is also incredible (the little joke about cigarettes, the close up of the careering truck). The screenplay is faultless and believable in the sense that it doesn’t contain anything too unreal. The special effects are excellent for the time and everybody’s acting, headed by Arnold, is immaculate. Just add the best theme music of all time and we get a unique movie experience. (19/11/2006)

Suffocating and adrenaline-fueled sci-fi that time's tooth can't seem to gnaw away. Arnold probably will never inspire as much respect and fear again. Moreover, without this series, temporal paradoxes and the entire science fiction genre would be completely different today. Ideas like the one about a robot that has to change the past in order to alter the future occasionally come up, but fitting them into the right screenplay is already a form of cinematic art. (02/04/2006)

One of those films that even after 20 years has not lost any of its impact and can easily captivate today's audience. James Cameron is shown here for the first time as a meticulous visionary with an incredible amount of creativity and a range of ideas. What underlines everything is that he himself came up with the story and was the main creator of the excellent screenplay. Casting Arnold Schwarzenegger was truly a risky bet, but time has shown it to be brilliant; his wooden acting was exactly what was needed. The action is great and the clearing of the police station is still a breathtaking experience. The gloominess and depression present at every step, whether due to the dark story or the suggestive dark backgrounds of L.A., give this immensely impactful and gritty film the right edge. One of the milestones of sci-fi. (25/01/2006)

After his debut in Piranha 2, where he was more of a puppet in the hands of an Italian producer, John Cameron found himself in Terminator and despite the low budget delivered a technically proficient action flick that is a perfect image of 1980s tastes, with the hard-bodies cult of the period, typical synthesizer sound and violence that is you no longer see in today's impotent times. (18/09/2015)