The Terminator
1984
****
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Paul Winfield, Lance Henriksen, Earl Boen, Bess Motta, Rick Rossovich
In his signature role, the appropriately stone-faced Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a relentless cyborg who travels back in time from 2029 to 1984 to kill the mother of an unborn child who leads a rebellion against the machines in the future. James Cameron's science fiction movie is captivating and sharply written, but its squeaky tyre action scenes and stop motion effects haven't aged well. This influential movie launched a long running franchise, which includes releases such as Terminator 2, Terminator 3 and Terminator Salvation, and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles on TV.
