Reviewing and Comparing the Films of the Terminator Trilogy

My newest foray into the world of movie mania is those movies that have spawned sequels. I'm not talking about remakes of the same basic plot, but movies that either continue the story line or continue characters from within the original movie. I chose, as my first movie in this category, one of my all time favorites - - the terminator series. This includes "The Terminator," "Terminator II: Judgment Day," and "Terminator III: Rise of the Machines."

The original terminator movie, which was made in 1984, proved to be groundbreaking for sci-fi. James Cameron's inventive tale about the ultimate fight between man and machine was a landmark event in this genre. This tightly woven and cleverly directed story enthralled millions of moviegoers throughout the world and earned record-breaking profits. It launched the relatively fledgling career of Arnold Schwarzenegger, boosted the on-again, off-again career of Linda Hamilton, and was the breakthrough film for director James Cameron.

The film moves between two time lines; that of the late-20^th-century and the year 2029 where the battle rages between ultra intelligent machines that rule the world with an iron grip and the remaining vestiges of humanity. Intent on exterminating what they consider to be an inferior race, the super-computers concoct a plan to destroy man's future by changing the past. Unaware of what was coming, audiences were stunned to see a nude Schwarzenegger emerge from a lighting flash; whereby what appears to be the perfect specimen of mankind is eventually unveiled instead to be the ultimate killing machine: An indestructible cyborg called a Terminator.

Schwarzenegger proves once and for all that he not only can act, but that he can do with style. His catch phrase "I'll be back!" instantly became a part of American pop culture. Finally, a role did justice to his strength and his humor, thereby allowing him to showcase that which he does best. Linda Hamilton, who plays the heroine Sarah Connor, was also well cast as the somewhat innocent yet unbelievably strong woman who the Terminator was sent to kill.