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[The Albatross]

Posted this in the "what films don't stand up."

Both T1 and T2 really stand up well, T2 more than T1... But T1's focus more on story development rather than technology was smart. Basically, every scifi movie in the 80s that focused on story rather than showing off technology has stood up remarkably well -- Alien coming to mind as well. I think it's something we'll look at in 30 years for the last 10 years (2003 - 2013) and a lot of these visually impressive, but narrative lacking movies will be completely forgotten or scorned (like, say, Avatar).

T2 is just the gold standard for SciFi. it holds up remarkably well 25 years later. The story is excellent. It's a movie that has a child/young teen as a main character and he doesn't ruin it, unlike most other child action movies. Arnold is brilliant. The actress playing Sarah Connor is terrific, and no other Sarah Connor has ever matched her... Subsequent Terminators and Terminator TV shows never came close to portraying Connor's psychosis and madness... Part of that is the writers, but also the actress, who sadly I don't know her name.

Oddly, besides Arnold, nobody in that movie ever did much after it... maybe some TV spots here and there, but even remotely big. And they all did a great job.

 

[Space Runaway]

Both hold up very well. I recently watched the newer bluray of The Terminator and it looked great. I don't really mind the scenes with the animatronic Arnold head. Actually I think they look kinda cool despite obviously being fake. Sarah's reaction to the truck exploding and that stop motion scene with the terminator walking up to the door as it's being closed are the parts make me go "ugn". =P

On a related note, I hate that neither bluray has the original mono soundtrack. I greatly prefer it to the remaster and its exclusion is forcing me to hold onto the dvd version.

 

[Sato Koiji]

Rarely do I feel that excitementI felt back when I watched T2 the first time.

I dont know what it was...perfect cast...Arnolds unmatched coolness..true masterpiece.

 

[mokeyjoe]

The Terminator is by far one of the best films of the 80's. Only Blade Runner and maybe Escape From New York are better.

I rate Terminator way up there in 80s action film terms, but having watched Aliens again recently I think it may be the best of them. It hasn't aged a day and is probably one of the best examples of how great practical effects can be better than CGI.

To be honest I always tend to prefer them over CGI. Especially for monsters, and always when it comes to explosions. I don't like green screen sets at all either. There's always a disconnect for me with CG, like I'm watching a cartoon. Even slightly crusty ones like some of them in T1 are more satisfying. Aliens, though, is pretty much perfect.

 

[PhantomZone]

I rate Terminator way up there in 80s action film terms, but having watched Aliens again recently I think it may be the best of them. It hasn't aged a day and is probably one of the best examples of how great practical effects can be better than CGI.

To be honest I always tend to prefer them over CGI. Especially for monsters, and always when it comes to explosions. I don't like green screen sets at all either. There's always a disconnect for me with CG, like I'm watching a cartoon. Even slightly crusty ones like some of them in T1 are more satisfying. Aliens, though, is pretty much perfect.

I have never really warmed up many films from 2000 - onwards because of the cgi-fests they are. Oddly enough in a film such as The Avengers i disliked most of the real actor - cgi elements.... but when it was complete cgi (a few sequences The Hulk was involved in) the vision was bearable.


I like the stop mottion effects from The Terminator and to a lesser extent Robocop (two of my favorite films that use the technique). I have a good eye for detail (hence why most cgi comes off as fake to me) while it looks somewhat obvious now on dvd... watching them as a child the stop motion effects were pretty cool.

 

[SillyEskimo]

To be honest I always tend to prefer them over CGI. Especially for monsters, and always when it comes to explosions.

CGI blood is just the worst. It ruins any impact a scene may have had.

 

[Zampano]

Did you know that Bill Paxton is the only actor to have been killed by a terminator, a predator and an alien?

 

[inm8num2]

I love both films so much. T1 is pure 80s in the best possible ways. The art direction, the music, the TECH NOIR. I love it.

T2 is one of the greatest action films ever made. One of those rare sequels that just improves on everything from the predecessor (not to say T1 is inferior, it's actually my favorite of the two).

"I know now why you cry, but it something I can never do."

 

[Hermii]

They are both great. T3 is ok but forgettable. I refuse to accept that T4 exists.

 

[Extra Sauce]

Anyone else love these movies?

Nope, just you OP.

 

[zma1013]

The only things that actually look dated in T2 is the one scene where the T1000 is walking out of the fire and the other scene where it's obviously just a doll stuck on the bumper of the car. The former, the walking animation is just off somehow, looks odd, and the latter, as already said, is just a dummy lifelessly glued on the car. Other than that, just about every scene still looks awesome, especially when the T1000 is butchered in various ways only to heal shortly after.

 

[SweetDonuts]

T1 and 2 are legendary, I liked T3 as well (not sure why it's disliked that much). I haven't seen T4 but it doesn't seem like I'm missing out on much at all.

 

[The Albatross]

They are both great. T3 is ok but forgettable. I refuse to accept that T4 exists.

Terminator Salvation > T3

 

[zma1013]

Terminator Salvation > T3

No way, TS is a lifeless, soulless movie with very few redeeming qualities. The preview trailer was the best thing about the movie. T3 at the very least exists as a good satire of the Terminator series with some fun moments to be had.

 

[y2dvd]

The theme also more than holds up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zjC6aprlVY

DUM DUM DUMMMM DUM DUMMMMM. So hyppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Nothing wrong with preferring T1>T2. It's like Alien and Aliens, it's more what genre you prefer as the first movies really were different genres from the second movie. Having said that, T2 > T1. It's still my favorite movie of all time.

 

[yuraya]

James Cameron knows his shit. Also the Abyss from 89 is another one of his movies that holds up great today.

Did you know that Bill Paxton is the only actor to have been killed by a terminator, a predator and an alien?

but he survived a twister numerous amounts of times

 

[Brian Griffin]

T2 was always one of my favorite movies and I loved it even more after watching the extended version with Sarah's hospital dream and the open-head surgery on the T-800. This movie will stand up forever.

 

[Tex117]

. The actress playing Sarah Connor is terrific, and no other Sarah Connor has ever matched her... Subsequent Terminators and Terminator TV shows never came close to portraying Connor's psychosis and madness... Part of that is the writers, but also the actress, who sadly I don't know her name.

Linda Hamilton. Argubaly the best female heroine in a movie ever.

And yeah, T2 was before its time. T1 is also fantastic.

 

[cchum]

T1 is just such a darker film. The terminator is scarier in that hes liek this robotic Michael Myers, an unstoppable killing machine who will stop at nothing to get you. T2 is more of a summer blockbuster. Theres less deaths, more humour, a kid sidekick, etc. Dont get me wrong, its a great film, but that fucking kid ruins it, and the design of the T1000 seems like it was done just to fit in with the special effects Cameron was pushing at the time

Fun fact: The reason he chose morphing robot was due to influence from John Carpenter's The Thing

If lesser actors played those roles, the whole thing would've fallen down, and Terminator would be nothing but another forgotten 80's cult movie. Plus, Ah-nold as the Terminator himself is just perfect. Without a doubt the role he's best suited for. And Lance Henriksen on top of that!

What if he had chosen OJ Simpson (who was the front runner until JC discovered Arnold)? Man that shit would be terrifying to this day.

 

[Space Runaway]

What if he had chosen OJ Simpson (who was the front runner until JC discovered Arnold)? Man that shit would be terrifying to this day.

I know OJ was considered but I thought Lance Henriksen was the initial choice until Arnold came along?

Also to this day I'm curious what T2 would have been like if Billy Idol didn't get into that motorcycle accident which cost him the role of the T-1000. Would have been...interesting.

 

[cchum]

I know OJ was considered but I thought Lance Henriksen was the initial choice until Arnold came along?

Also to this day I'm curious what T2 would have been like if Billy Idol didn't get into that motorcycle accident which cost him the role of the T-1000. Would have been...interesting.

Yeah you're right lol
"O.J. Simpson was considered for the Terminator, but the producers feared he was "too nice" to be taken seriously as a cold-blooded killer. In 1990 (before Simpson's first trial) Dark Horse Comics printed issues using his likeness."

Lance Henrickson was on there too. Jeez, sounds like Cameron had a tough time casting this movie. A true labor of love. Tom Selleck and Mel Gibson also declined (kyle reese?).

Sarah Connor written for, Bridget Fonda turned it down. Also, Julia Louis-Dreyfus made a mistake. Sharon Stone and Geena Davis.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088247/trivia?ref_=tt_trv_trv

 

[catmincer]

No way, TS is a lifeless, soulless movie with very few redeeming qualities. The preview trailer was the best thing about the movie. T3 at the very least exists as a good satire of the Terminator series with some fun moments to be had.

This so much. I can watch T3 and enjoy it for what it is. I DID want Clare Danes to die though. So. much. screaming.

Also Kristanna Loken is hot.

 

[To Far Away Times]

The Terminator 2 scene in the drainage system with the 18 wheeler is the still the best action sequence to this day.

 

[EatChildren]

The Tech Noir scene embodies absolutely everything Terminator is supposed to be.

 

[Christopher]

The Tech Noir scene embodies absolutely everything Terminator is supposed to be.

So does her roommate so awesome 80s she defines it lol

 

[Scum]

The Tech Noir scene embodies absolutely everything Terminator is supposed to be.

"I'm a relentless cunt of a killing machine. No one stands in the way of my prime objective."
Fucking great films.

 

[inm8num2]

So does her roommate so awesome 80s she defines it lol

Let's not forget the roommate's boyfriend.

"Don't make me bust you up, man!"

 

[SnowTeeth]

T2 is timeless.

 

[Carbonox]

Even though the last 2 movies are far from master pieces they are still pretty entertaining IMO. You can get the anthology cheap if you keep an eye out.



I got a bunch of boxed sets last month on sale:



LotR = 35$
Star Wars = $40
Alien = $20
Terminator = $20

God damn it why the fuck isn't this out in Europe yet.

 

[Fallout-NL]

That part in T2 where the 101 jumps up on the hood of that truck and unloads his CAR15 through the windshield. So good.

 

[Cybran]

I always considered T2 to be too childish. The whole "Don't kill people" thing was a bit annoying. I understand why they did that of course. They wanted to show how dificult it is for a Terminator to understand human emotions and why it is important for humanity to win the war against the machines, but still. The child actor was really annoying at times.

T1 feels like a B movie in comparison, but I still like it a bit more than T2.

 

[Vilix]

The Tech Noir scene embodies absolutely everything Terminator is supposed to be.

The police station scene does it much better IMO.

 

[Calabi]

I always considered T2 to be too childish. The whole "Don't kill people" thing was a bit annoying. I understand why they did that of course. They wanted to show how dificult it is for a Terminator to understand human emotions and why it is important for humanity to win the war against the machines, but still. The child actor was really annoying at times.

T1 feels like a B movie in comparison, but I still like it a bit more than T2.

I thought it was just to be subversive. To have this bad arse killing machine not kill anyone its a great switch on your expectations(you dont need killing to be cool). Also the kid didnt want it to kill anyone, he was a smart kid.

They are great movies I dont see why they wouldnt stand up.

 

[Naked Snake]

Both were my top two favorite films for the longest time, and they're still up there (I'm just no longer in the habit of ranking things I love). If I had to put one over the other it'd be T1.

Christopher
Your mom wants his pee pee

Spoiler

I too want his pee pee

 

[bob_arctor]

The Terminator is by far one of the best films of the 80's. Only Blade Runner and maybe Escape From New York are better.

Every now and then you'll run into a post on GAF that completely nails it. This is one such post.

 

[inm8num2]

T2 - What's the Damage? (Cinema Sins)