Terminator 1, 2, & 3: Review and Discussion Thread

[Dr.HugoStrange]

I'd like something explained. Alot of fans on this thread, fans i've come across, and even Linda Hamilton have stated that the franchise should have ended with two movies. But i've always felt that there should be atleast 3, here's why; if John Connor's still alive at the end of T2 then Judgement Day hasn't been averted. Simply because John's the offspring of a man who came from a future where a Judgement Day took place, where time travel exists and robots rule the earth. How could John and Sarah think they changed the future? If they would have John would'nt exist, he'd disappear into nothingness. I was wondering what you guys thought about this.
Also:
1. T2
2. T1
3. T3
4. TS(although I really need to see this again)

 

[livrule]

I'd like something explained. Alot of fans on this thread, fans i've come across, and even Linda Hamilton have stated that the franchise should have ended with two movies. But i've always felt that there should be atleast 3, here's why; if John Connor's still alive at the end of T2 then Judgement Day hasn't been averted. Simply because John's the offspring of a man who came from a future where a Judgement Day took place, where time travel exists and robots rule the earth. How could John and Sarah think they changed the future? If they would have John would'nt exist, he'd disappear into nothingness. I was wondering what you guys thought about this.
Also:
1. T2
2. T1
3. T3
4. TS(although I really need to see this again)

Indeed, good post.

I also agree with many who claim they probably have stopped at 2.

The future war didn't need to be seen (Unless maybe Cameron could have done it) ... Like the Star Wars prequels they tell a story that is best left to the imagination ...

The Terminator is all about the chase ...

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I'd like something explained. Alot of fans on this thread, fans i've come across, and even Linda Hamilton have stated that the franchise should have ended with two movies. But i've always felt that there should be atleast 3, here's why; if John Connor's still alive at the end of T2 then Judgement Day hasn't been averted. Simply because John's the offspring of a man who came from a future where a Judgement Day took place, where time travel exists and robots rule the earth. How could John and Sarah think they changed the future? If they would have John would'nt exist, he'd disappear into nothingness. I was wondering what you guys thought about this.
Also:
1. T2
2. T1
3. T3
4. TS(although I really need to see this again)

while I enjoyed T3 and TS, they really werent needed, the 3rd movie should have come full circle with it being the future war, the humans winning and finding the time dicplacement system and sending Reese back, this would have brought the movies full circle superbly.

 

[CELTICPRED]

Like the other movies or not, you still always have the first 2.

 

[GothamAlleys]

I'd like something explained. Alot of fans on this thread, fans i've come across, and even Linda Hamilton have stated that the franchise should have ended with two movies. But i've always felt that there should be atleast 3, here's why; if John Connor's still alive at the end of T2 then Judgement Day hasn't been averted. Simply because John's the offspring of a man who came from a future where a Judgement Day took place, where time travel exists and robots rule the earth. How could John and Sarah think they changed the future? If they would have John would'nt exist, he'd disappear into nothingness. I was wondering what you guys thought about this.
Also:
1. T2
2. T1
3. T3
4. TS(although I really need to see this again)

dissapear? lol...not this silly kiddie assumption again

Terminator series is heavily based on logic and physical facts. The movie is not an 80's comedy like "Back To The Future" to do such things, that would be illogical and a complete cartoonish fantasy.

Physics tell us that there's cause and effect. If you remove the cause, the effect will not happen. But if you remove the cause AFTER the effect happened, the effect will still be there, simply because it's already a done physical object or event. There is no rule or any physical or chemical elements that would cause it to evaporate, that's just ludicrous. Going back, the effect won't happen the second time around because the cause is removed, but here and now the effect is already placed

from http://www.jamescamerononline.com/T2FAQ.htm

Dont forget the movie was done by physics major, not a comedy 80s director.

 

[Dr.HugoStrange]

I don't mean John would literally disappear, that's just metaphor. Its just simply if you change someone's past, you'd distort their present state. And I agree the 3rd and 4th movies are subpar and Cameron should have been involved in T3, but point is something would have to happen in the interim between T2 and Kyle being sent back. I've sometimes wondered if John really is Kyle's kid, I mean Sarah already had a boyfriend before she met Kyle. She could have already been pregnant without Knowing it. Maybe that's why in TS skynet uses Kyle as bait to drawout John instead of Just killing Kyle, because they know their not related, but they also know John thinks that Kyle's his dad. In that case then T2 could be the conclusion to the story cause Kyle's existence wouldn't have any affect on John's.

 

[Carnotaur3]

I mean Sarah already had a boyfriend before she met Kyle. She could have already been pregnant without Knowing it.

"Wrong."

Sarah did not have a boyfriend. The guy on the answering machine was just a date that ditched her on Friday night. It's obviously setting up that Sarah doesn't have a way with guys. That is why Kyle and Sarah seem to have the perfect chemistry. Both of them never had anybody.

 

[GothamAlleys]

"Wrong."

Sarah did not have a boyfriend. The guy on the answering machine was just a date that ditched her on Friday night. It's obviously setting up that Sarah doesn't have a way with guys. That is why Kyle and Sarah seem to have the perfect chemistry. Both of them never had anybody.

Thats right. And that was about to be her first date with the guy who she met at the restaurant. And as most of her boyfriends, he just ditched her

 

[GothamAlleys]

Here's an article about how ridiculously over the top terminators became after Cameron left

http://jamescamerononline.com/SuperTerminators.htm

 

[CELTICPRED]

Here's an article about how ridiculously over the top terminators became after Cameron left

http://jamescamerononline.com/SuperTerminators.htm

Good read.

 

[spider-neil]

if I'd never seen or heard the first two termintor movies I would have been a lot more entertained by the last two terminator movies. I disagree with someone earlier post that you don't need to the future, I think you do but it would have been better if cameron had done it (well, obviously).

so my order is
T2 - 10/10
T1 - 9.5/10
(in comparison with the first two terminatior movies rather than their own merits)
T3 - 4/10
T4 - 6/10

 

[Scarlet Spider]

Neill Blomkamp cites the original Terminator, as the film that made him want to become a filmmaker:

After The Terminator was released, I first had to endure a horrific two- or three-year wait period where I simply couldn't get my hands on it. From the time I was about 11, I was aware of the film. Every time I entered a video store, I would instantly go and seek out the shelf that displayed the VHS cover of Schwarzenegger holding the long-slide 1911[handgun] with the laser sight and the red digital code in his sunglasses, and then be forced to rent He-Man or some other lame show because I was "too young for that movie." When I was about 12, my cousin had a magazine with lots of stills from Terminator. The magazine came with me on my family vacation where I spent the whole time redrawing each image. By the time I finally saw it, I was 13. I was at a friend's house and saw the cover on his shelf. I almost fainted.

I think it scared me more than I was expecting, because the Terminator is horrifying. But of course, at 13, things are much more literal. It's not about the Cold War and nuclear genocide—it's about a robot guy who shoots things. The idea of a terrifying cyborg and the mechanical requirements to bring that to life had me wound up with so much creative energy. Illustrations and crappy sculptures just didn't satiate the hunger I felt.

When I was making District 9, I tried to keep other movies out of my mind. But I think The Terminator affected me so much that it had to find its way into District 9 one way or another. The idea of man and machine is hugely interesting to me, and although it doesn't happen in the same way as in The Terminator, there is a cybernetic link between Wikus and the exo suit. I also think the pieces falling off of him could be traced to when the Terminator has the exposed mechanics and then cuts out his eye. There's also the overall tone of District 9, which although more satirical than The Terminator's, does have the same kind of raw '80s violence. Terminator is the movie that made me want to make movies.

http://www.maxim.com/movies/the-movie-blog/85370/when-arnold-ruled-earth.html

 

[Solidus]

Here's an article about how ridiculously over the top terminators became after Cameron left

http://jamescamerononline.com/SuperTerminators.htm

Interesting article.

I agree in some parts, and not in others.

TS was with out a doubt, so over the top, pretty much everything with the Terminator was just ridicoulous. I agree with this.

T3, definatley had some moments like this, like the Bathroom fight.

Yet T3 tried to explain it a tad more, first it was a T-850, that was suppose to be slightly updgraded, so to me I always figured it was slightly stronger then the T-800.

Some of those things are on, but I liked showing of some of the strength, the T-800 in T2 held the mini gun with both hands because that's how that gun is held to fire. I think it had nothing to do with the weight to the T-800.

But the thing I disagree with most is the weight thing. Actually that to me was always a slight fault of the Terminators in the first two. They in all reality would be extremely heavy. Listen to Stan talk about in in T1, he said the puppet in parts was incredibly heavy it had so many people holding it up, and it was suppose to be fake. I always figured the T-800's would be probably some what heavy, and not light. Arnold in real life is 220, I figure the T-800 is much much heavier then that. Not only that, in T1 the car he jumped on was an older car, made of much more "strong material" it would not bend as much. But I have a topper for my Tacoma, and trust me, they are not that "strong" a Terminator Jumping from a high distance would cause it to bend.

So I would say that TS I agree over all over the top.

With T3 there were some moments, but I thought they kept some what grounded.

I just watched the entire series on Blu-Ray and I decided to "re-review them all".

T2: 100% Just a masterpiece, great film all around and still stands up today.
T1. 97% Another masterpiece, aging in some departments, but the story and acting still holds up so strong, it too is a masterpiece.
T3: 72% A huge step down from T2 and T1, but even though it was mainly a copy cat with some minor plot holes, it over all was still a fun movie, not the best, but not horrible.
TS: 55%: Some interesting ideas, but overall just a bomb, so many plot holes, and just overall sadly not the best.

 

[Deaths Head II]

Here's an article about how ridiculously over the top terminators became after Cameron left

http://jamescamerononline.com/SuperTerminators.htm

I hadn't thought about a lot of this.

It's true. Especially the comment about how if the Terminators in Salvation were as strong as the one that fought Connor then destroying the warehouse probably didn't accomplish anything.

 

[Caped Crusader]

Neill Blomkamp cites the original Terminator, as the film that made him want to become a filmmaker:

Nice! I wonder if Neill would be interested in doing T5

 

[Caped Crusader]

Terminator: A Close Call

For his breakout blockbuster, James Cameron initially considered O.J. Simpson for the part of the Terminator, but he didn't think people would believe "such a nice guy could be a ruthless killer." Instead, the role went to Ahnold and cemented his status as the 1980s' ultimate action hero.


lol.. oh man

 

[The Chris]

Here's an article about how ridiculously over the top terminators became after Cameron left

http://jamescamerononline.com/SuperTerminators.htm

Yeah some of that did cross my mind. How the T-800 handled so much punishment in Salvation that the T-1000 couldn't even take (Like the grenade launcher and all that hot malt that fell on it)

Though the strength part I can handle. The terminator punched through a guy in Terminator 1, and the terminator in T2 did burst through a wall to get to Sarah Connor.

 

[Octoberist]

the part that got me was when the T-800 surived the melted metal/lava in 'Salvation'. I was like "What the".

 

[Aesop Rocks]

Nice! I wonder if Neill would be interested in doing T5

He's proven himself as already a better film maker than McG.

I would love to see Neill involved with the Terminator Franchise.

 

[Pittman4Two]

T2 is my favorite sci-fi movie and in my top 5 of any genre.

Everything about the movie was perfect. The blue hue throughout the movie, the sound effects, the groundbreaking visuals, the acting, Arnold.

Cameron shaped Arnold to be the Terminator. You actually think you're seeing a robot walk around. That's a credit to Arnold as well, of course.

If I had to pick something negative, it would have to be the choice of Furlong to play Conner. Cannot stand his voice or his crappy acting.

One of the best movies of all time.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

the part that got me was when the T-800 surived the melted metal/lava in 'Salvation'. I was like "What the".

I know, the T-800 in TS was far too powerful, shot-gun blasts knocked the T-800 back in T1, yet a grenade straight to the sternum when it still had flesh on it didnt? Come on McG, and yeah, the lava thing was a step too far as well, it was just way too powerful and another thing McG messed up on.

 

[The Chris]

I know, the T-800 in TS was far too powerful, shot-gun blasts knocked the T-800 back in T1, yet a grenade straight to the sternum when it still had flesh on it didnt? Come on McG, and yeah, the lava thing was a step too far as well, it was just way too powerful and another thing McG messed up on.

Yes. I commend them for making the T-800 threatening again (though that wasn't too hard considering this is the first time since T1 it was a villain) But they took it way too far!

 

[Aesop Rocks]

Someone in the theater by me actually pointed out what Octoberist said as it was happening.

 

[Dark Victory]

I recently watched all of the Terminator films. The first and second are still classics, but like most, I prefer the sequel. No doubt in my mind it's arguably the greatest action film and sequel ever made. The third is still a piece of **** and the fourth is somewhat mediocre. I enjoyed it in the theater, but watching it on DVD on a tubeset doesn't live up to the previous experience...obviously.

Let me also add that the bathroom fight sequence in the third has to be one of the most cringe-worthy moments in action films in the last decade or so.

 

[Nightmare]

Yeah, thats like a bad comedy scene inserted into a terminator film. The hell..