Masterful sci-fi action thriller directed with great skill by a near-rookie James Cameron (previously he had only directed "Piranha 2") and starring the great Arnold Schwarzenegger in possibly the role of his life, he is simply magnificent as the killing machine whose name gives the film its title. Also magnificent are Mike Biehn, Linda Hamilton, Lance Henriksen and Paul Winfield.
An unknown Bill Paxton plays a small role as the Punk leader who is killed by the T-800. This was his first collaboration with Jim Cameron, later he would make 4 more movies with him.
Also noteworthy are the masterful special effects by Stan Winston and Gene Warren from Fantasy II, especially the endoskeleton (the skinless Terminator). The movie would have lost a lot if the endoskeleton had not been shown, it was the final surprise that Cameron had prepared.
It was evident that the Terminator had to be shown without the living tissue, as the vast majority of the public were very curious and expected to see what was inside Schwarzenegger, especially when viewing the "operation" of the eye and arm, the public he knew there was "something" inside Arnold and they wanted to see it.
Also noteworthy is the excellent soundtrack by Brad Fiedel, as well as some eighties songs by TryangleZ (Photoplay or Burnin 'in the third degre) or Lin Van Hek (Intimacy).
The movie is very, very entertaining from start to finish, an indisputable science fiction masterpiece that must be seen (if not 100, 100,000 times) before you die.
It was followed by an excellent sequel (S2: judgment day) with a less convincing Terminator, but with incredible special effects and the ridiculous Terminator 3: rise of the machines, with an aging Schwarzenegger, in addition to the 1996 3D show T2: Battle across time.
Terminator is UNIQUE.
I thank God to be alive to see this movie again. I never get tired of seeing it, it is impossible.
A DESERVED 10.
