Cast
Storyline
Sent back from a dystopian 2029--where the cold machines have conquered the entire world--to 1984 Los Angeles, the indestructible cyborg-assassin known as the "Terminator" commences his deadly mission to kill humankind's most important woman: the unsuspecting, Sarah Connor. However, from the same war-torn post-apocalyptic future comes a battle-scarred defender--Kyle Reese, a brave soldier of the human Resistance Army--bent on stopping the cybernetic killer from eliminating the world's last hope. But, the Terminator has no feelings, he doesn't sleep, and above all, he won't stop until he carries out his grim task. Does our future lie in our past? Written by Nick Riganas
Taglines:
La sua missione e una sola: distruggere, uccidere... (His one and only mission: to destroy, to kill...) (Italian DVD) See more »Parents Guide:
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[the garbage truck's engine stops]
Truck Driver: What the hell? Goddamn son of a bitch...
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Performed by Tryanglz
Written by Tane McClure (as Tahnee Cain), Pug Baker, Jonathan Cain
Published by Any Garage Music (ASCAP)
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Did You Know?
Trivia
This is the only one of the Terminator trilogy in which Arnold's character is not seen scanning for the appropriate clothes sizes. See more »Goofs
(at around 7 mins) After Kyle appears in an alley after traveling through time, he steals a pair of pants from a wino in the alley. Kyle has a slim, athletic figure, and the wino is a large man with a big waistline. Yet the pants fit Kyle perfectly. See more »Quotes
[first lines][the garbage truck's engine stops]
Truck Driver: What the hell? Goddamn son of a bitch...
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Crazy Credits
The opening credits run while large outlines of the two halves of THE TERMINATOR cross each other. After the last directorial credit is shown, the title THE TERMINATOR zooms backward, is filled by metallic blue, and reveals itself. See more »Alternate Versions
When aired on USA and SCI-FI, the following alterations were made: when both Terminator and Reese arrive from the future, the supposed dirty mumblings of the witnesses (a garbage truck driver and a bum) have been edited. When the Terminator visits the first wrong Sarah, his original scene of him shooting her six times is changed to one shot with the BANG cut out. The scenes where Kyle hotwires the cars is edited, as is the scene of Sarah waitressing in the restaurant and a kid drops a spoonful of ice cream in her apron. See more »Connections
Spoofed in Robot Chicken: Babe Hollytree in: I Wish One Person Had Died (2020) See more »Soundtracks
PhotoplayPerformed by Tryanglz
Written by Tane McClure (as Tahnee Cain), Pug Baker, Jonathan Cain
Published by Any Garage Music (ASCAP)
See more »
In the course of a few hours during which Sarah Connor realises that she is running for her life from a soul-less machine in human flesh that is implacably and violently determined to kill her, she transforms from a girl who can't balance her cheque book to a woman who can order a wounded, beaten man to "get on your feet, soldier." She is clear-headed, not panicky, focused in crisis and incredibly courageous. And it's not that she has lost her essential femaleness but that she's grown up.
It's relentless, heartless violence appals and fascinates me. It's gritty depiction of our society as a prelude to an even more horrific one in 2023 darkens my heart. It's quickly developing love story touches me. Its humor makes the dark places in me smile. But most of all I am touched and fascinated by Sarah's precipitous transformation. As a good life exercise, ask yourself this: Would you have the courage to do what she does?
9.5 out of 10.