Rogue Keeper on 4/6/2009 at 10:01

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Regretfully, from several aspects it looks terribly dated, more than some other fantastic films from that period. And here I'm trying to make difference between "looking dated/obsolete" and "looking vintage." I'm implying some tools of audiovisual storytelling and SFX which may have looked cool at that time, but they were obsolete even by the end of 1980s...

For example the poineer electronic soundtrack by Brad Fiedel may have looked innovative back then, but now it sounds terribly primitive, even amateurish. Many electro tracks by Kraftwerk from 70s and 80s do not sound so obsolete like that. Maybe Brad was never the most talented electronic composer under the sun.

Then the usage of slow motion in some scenes, which was supposed to create subliminal tension or creeping doom or whatever, looks kindof inappropriately used. But I agree that the Tech Noir scene is memorable.

The laser guns of the killing machines of the future make funny sound. It reminds me 1953 War of the Worlds. Or some generic old coin-up variation of Space Invaders.

Not talking about stop-motion of the T800 skeleton miniature. It doesn't look to be one full step ahead of animated skeletons in two decades older Jason and Argonauts!

But all this is understandable, because T1 was basically a low budged B flick, which managed to rise to A status.

I don't know what you mean by "leanest" though. I appreciate T1 for it's mood, serious thoughts about the responsibility of humanity, place and consequences of actions of a seemingly unimportant individual in the course of history. The opening build-up is interesting (two tough guys are looking for an ordinary fragile girl, nobody knows why) but on repeated viewings it looses it's charm. And it's a positive feminist flick actually. But I can't help myself - many accumulated factors of obsolescence make it look funny today.

Rogue Keeper on 4/6/2009 at 11:25

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Give it 20 more years, then ask your grown up kids.

rachel on 4/6/2009 at 11:33

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BR: Well yeah, but we're talking T1/2009 here :)

Angel Dust on 4/6/2009 at 11:48

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The Terminator still plays perfectly fine today and I think it always will. My wife had never seen it until last year and isn't an action film lover by any means, but she was completely riveted by it. Any mature film-goer is never going to be bothered by outdated special effects in a film 20 years old especially in a film that delivers on the action, characters and story like The Terminator does. I didn't actually see it until after the second one and while I still like the second, my admiration of the first has grown with repeat viewings.

What Scots means by 'leanest and meanest' is that not a single scene is wasted and the pacing is relentless. Your mileage may vary but it doesn't change the fact that the critical consesus for The Terminator is that's it's all-killer-no-filler and an action flick for the ages.

I will agree that the soundtrack is dated though. Hairdo's and fashion bother me not as it doesn't really do anything more than place it in the 80's which is where the story is set after all. I'm not bothered by the fashion in 40's-70's films and while some cringe-factor for the 80's is understandable for us, I'm guessing, mostly 90's teens, I think for later generations it won't really register except in the 'it's an old film' way.

Angel Dust on 4/6/2009 at 12:05

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Yeah but The Terminator is equally praised by film critics and fans alike.

Man, I miss pre-Titanic James Cameron. Hopefully Avatar can deliver on the action because, god knows, a lot of today's directors could do with some lessons.