The Terminator - A

What separates this film apart from all of its imitators (including its own sequels) is not only its wonderfully depressing tone and bleak denouement, but also it surprisingly humane and touching love story between Reese (Michael Biehn) and Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). No one else but James Cameron could combine first-rate action scenes with this amount of human connection. Cameron frames some of the scenes that are Ingmar Bergman-worthy (which is a high compliment):It doesn’t hurt that Cameron cast Arnold Schwarzenegger as the titular character, which perfectly suited Arnold’s physical presence and limited English range. The special effects are pretty rudimentary especially compared to the revolutionary effects in Terminator 2, but when you’re this involved with the characters, it won’t matter. The script doesn’t scrimp on the secondary characters either. Rick Rossovich and Bill Paxton are memorable in small roles, and Lance Henriksen and Paul Winfield provide superb comic relief as two cops trying to make sense of the unfolding plot.

At only 108 minutes, the film is as economical as it gets with zero arbitrary or throwaway scenes. And the action scenes still provide a visceral thrill after several viewings. Terminator 2 maybe a little flashier and prettier with a bigger budget, but I’ll take the original, with its heavy Christian symbolism and funereal atmosphere. A