…we are of course talking about – how could it be otherwise – “Terminator“! Because it is not only considered the film with which ‘Avatar’ and ‘Titanic’ creator James Cameron and action icon Arnold Schwarzenegger celebrated their big break in Hollywood, but also as one of the best action and science fiction films in cinema history. Furthermore, the time travel war between man and machine has become more deeply entrenched in pop culture than few other films – not least with one of the most iconic quotes of all time.
, the T-800 embodied by the Styrian oak informed us in 1984. And exactly that, namely it’s still there – in streaming. “Terminator” is now included in your Paramount+ subscription, in its completely uncut version…
…which may seem obvious these days. But that hasn’t always been the case. Because ‘Terminator’ was on the index in Germany from 1985 to 2010 – and the unabridged version was not allowed to be openly advertised or sold for 25 years. Only after a quarter of a century did the FSK carry out a routine re-examination. The film has since been released uncut for ages 16 and older.
“Terminator”: It (almost) doesn’t get any better
“Relentless violence, intelligent skill, naked struggle for existence” – this is how author Ulrich Behrens describes the “magic triangle” in the FILMSTARTS review in which the struggle for life and death takes place of a woman (Linda Hamilton) whose fate is directly linked to that of the people connected to all humanity. Because even though ‘Terminator’ ostensibly entertains with strong characters and quick statements, with uncompromising violence and (for that time) impressive special effects, the time travel thriller is especially fascinating because of the paradox it assumes:
Thanks largely to its exploration of the concept of fate, ‘Terminator’ is a timeless experience that continues to spark debate decades later. Somewhere between free will and an inescapable predestination that the present inevitably moves toward, it opens up a lot of room for interpretation, ultimately making “Terminator” much more than just a brutal, cool sci-fi action hit. Of course, that is exactly what he is, but also much more.
The first film in the cult sci-fi series lives less on pure spectacle, but mainly on its dense atmosphere. Cameron brings the dark dystopia to life along with cinematographer Adam Greenberg and composer Brad Fiedel, who make the film a thrilling chase from start to finish – and were later brought back on board for ‘Terminator 2 – Judgment Day’.
Yes, it couldn’t be better. Almost. Because with the aforementioned “T2”, James Cameron went one or two steps further – and gave us the best action film of all time: the sequel not only leads the FILMSTARTS ranking of the best action films, but is also in our user rankings. Vote for the best science fiction films of all time, ahead of its legendary predecessor. And even when it comes to the best Schwarzenegger film, the FILMSTARTS community has a clear favorite: “Terminator 2” clearly leads the top 10 – ahead of “Terminator.” This is followed by films such as ‘Total Recall’, ‘Predator’ and ‘True Lies’: