Moviefan2k4
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OK, this is intended for discussion regarding only the currently-released Terminator films, as well as the 3D theme-park attraction. Here's my "two cents", as it were...
THE TERMINATOR
The Good...
The Good...
The Good...
the T-X massacring kids at their own home, slamming her hand through a cop's midsection, presumably carving Kate's fiance, and tasting blood for DNA analysis?! What was going on?! Serving the story with a little blood is one thing (case in point, the skin removal with Dyson in T2), but so much of it was unnecessary and flat-out sick this time. Have her strangle the cop, or she could shoot the fiance, with it being heard from off-screen. Enough is enough, guys...sheesh.
While the sunglasses gag was funny, what was the point of him getting his clothes from a gay stripper? Just not cool in my book. Stick with overconfident bikers or idiotic punks, not fetishists.
THE TERMINATOR
The Good...
- First, I feel it necessary to give a nod of appreciation to series creator James Cameron. the only other film of his I like as of yet is "Titanic", but with the majority of these films being his, the dedication just stands out above a ton of other action or sci-fi pictures.
- Michael Biehn's performance of Reese seemed very "standard" the first time I saw the film, but after years of liking it, I've come to appreciate what he brought to the story: determination, desperation, and believability. his "love speech" to Sarah seemed a little weird...not sure why.
- Lance Henriksen. Been a fan of his work the last few years, even though the "Alien" films aren't anywhere among my faves. He was great in this, and also in "Quick & the Dead" as an card-carrying gunslinger (literally).
- Linda Hamilton. Great actress, although I liked her better in Dante's Peak and T2 than in this. Maybe it's because I saw the sequel first as a kid, before ever watching this one.
- Last (but by no means least), everyone's favorite Freeza-Termi-Governator, Ahnuld. Jim did a fantastic job putting him in this, and it still holds up today. great career move...for both of them.
- The FX during the "eye surgery" scene. I know this was a low-budget effort in the early 80's, but I think that scene would have worked better, had Jim focused more on the Terminator's laser eye, rather than his reflection. It'd be cool if Cameron could get Stan Winston to recreate that scene digitally, using footage of Arnold from this film to show in that mirror.
- Also, maybe tweak the wide shots of the endoskeleton at the end. the stop-motion is painfully obvious, but of done right, an adjustment could be done to smooth things out, without giving the revamp away. If today's tech-artists can do it for films like "Highlander 2" and the Donner Cut DVD, why not this?
- Sex, sex, and more sex. Ginger & Matt, Sarah & Kyle, Matt's sleazy phone call...ugh. Now, I know the whole scene with Kyle & Sarah was to explain John's conception, but they could have toned it down a tiny bit more, in my opinion. As for Sarah's super-hormonal friends, what story point does it really serve to have the Terminator kill them both right after a so-called "romp"? Makes no sense whatsoever. He could have taken them out another way, and it would have worked just as well.
The Good...
- Just about every action scene and character moment between the Terminator, T-1000, John, Sarah, and Dyson. That covers about 90% of the film. I loved Sarah's opening voice-over, and using "Bad to the Bone" was incredible.
- Dyson comes off as sincere yet misguided, which was perfect for an actor like Joe Morton (loved his small yet cool role in "Paycheck", and he's appeared a few times on "Law & Order" as well). I actually found myself saddened when he died in the film.
- This was the first of the series that I saw, so it rocked my world when I first sat down to see it (was way too young when it was released, so didn't catch it until the late 1990s). The awesomeness of this film is what made me a Schwarzenegger fan, and I still get a kick out of this movie. Extended Cut is better, though.
- Edward Furlong...this kid ate the scenery whenever he was on-screen, clearly giving both Arnie & Linda a run for their money. Sadly, I've read about some of his roles recently, and my reactions have always been "no".
- John's foster parents seem as though they have very little interest in him. I don't know if this was the intention, but it was almost like a "hey, whatever" kind of attitude. I know the young Connor was a real pill, but give the kid some slack: his mother is trapped in an asylum, and everyone probably thought he was crazy for even trying to believe her warnings. That's no excuse for his delinquency, but some mention should have been made about them at least trying to raise him properly (more on John a bit later).
- The part in the desert at Salceda's place seemed rather strung-out, in both cuts of the film. I did, however, like the slightly-longer excahnge between John and the Terminator in the weapons cache.
- Dr. Peter Silberman...this guy seems to be abusing his authority left, right, and center. true, he was an idiot, but in the first film he at least appeared to mean well. ths time around, his only good scene was watching the needle cap fall out of his mouth, when the T-1000 passed thru that metal gate. Don't even get me started on Sarah's so-called "mental evaluation" scene.
- One word...or rather a lot of them, in the swearing sense. I watched this today, and never relaized how many times God's name is used for cussing at someone (lost my count after five, which is 5 too many). That and the violence are probably why it was rated R, but at least there's not as much of a "sex factor" as in the original. Personally, the worst offenses IMO regard John. His foster mother refers to him that way, and he himself uses it in a verbal assault on the Terminator...the kid is supposed to be ten, not some 16-year-old psycho. Jaded life or not, he's still ten, and I don't know anyone that young who cusses like that. Also of mention is Sarah's tirade during her restraint...after a while, you just sit back and wonder what posessed James to include so much of it in folks' dialogue.
The Good...
- Finally, another very-long-waited entry in the franchise. Arnold is once again in top form, both physically and acting-wise. It was great to see him in action again. Welcome back!
- Nick Stahl...while he's no Edward Furlong, he makes a very good John Connor, and i was suprised. i liked him as the young kid in "The Man Without a Face", and as a rebel turned psychotic preppy in "Disturbing Behavior". Overall, he managed to make the role his own.
- Claire Danes...her role before the T-X shows up seemed rather stale, but once the chase began, everything changed. Her leaping at Arnold when he opens the truck still makes me smile.
- Kristanna Loken as a cyborg assassin...was shocked to say the least by her role, although it was an interesting twist (more about this later).
- No Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, or James Cameron. The radical change in tone did affect this film in more ways than one. Jim brought a sense of drama to the chase, rather than going for the jugular every time, and the difference really comes through.
- I really missed Sarah in this one, and even though I liked Nick as John, it still took some getting used to. The whole "leukemia" angle hit me right out of left field.
- Continuity glitches. First, if John was 22 in T3, and it's supposedly set in 2003, then that means he was born in 1982. However, the first film takes place in '84, with Sarah not pregnant until the end. Plus, John's DOB, shown in T2, is 2-28-85, so in T3 he'd have been 18 at the oldest. Also, Sarah's death is listed on her coffin as the year 2000. Combine that with the previously mentioned glitch of John's age, and you have one seriously messed up storyline for connecting this with the first two. Mostow and the writers should have paid more attention. I'm surprised that even Arnold didn't seem to notice, otherwise he'd have requested it be changed.
the T-X massacring kids at their own home, slamming her hand through a cop's midsection, presumably carving Kate's fiance, and tasting blood for DNA analysis?! What was going on?! Serving the story with a little blood is one thing (case in point, the skin removal with Dyson in T2), but so much of it was unnecessary and flat-out sick this time. Have her strangle the cop, or she could shoot the fiance, with it being heard from off-screen. Enough is enough, guys...sheesh.
While the sunglasses gag was funny, what was the point of him getting his clothes from a gay stripper? Just not cool in my book. Stick with overconfident bikers or idiotic punks, not fetishists.
t:
A god damn here and a god damn there arent even close to the c**nts, f**ks, s**ts, and such that you hear stereotypical sailors using.
