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{{Short description|1984 science fiction film}}
{{about|the film|the franchise|Terminator (franchise)|the character|Terminator (character)|the character concept|Terminator (character concept)|other uses|Terminator (disambiguation)}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = The Terminator
| image          = The_Terminator.png
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[James Cameron]]
| writer         = {{Plainlist|
* James Cameron
* [[Gale Anne Hurd]]
}}
| producer       = Gale Anne Hurd
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]
* [[Michael Biehn]]
* [[Linda Hamilton]]
* [[Paul Winfield]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Adam Greenberg (cinematographer)|Adam Greenberg]]
| editing        = [[Mark Goldblatt]]
| music          = [[Brad Fiedel]]
| production_companies = {{Plainlist|
* [[Hemdale Film Corporation|Hemdale]]
* [[Pacific Western Productions]]
* Euro Film Funding
* Cinema '84
}}
| distributor    = [[Orion Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|1984|10|26}}
| runtime        = 107 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 107:01--><ref>{{cite web | url=https://bbfc.co.uk/releases/terminator-1970-4 | title=The Terminator | publisher=[[British Board of Film Classification]] | access-date=October 3, 2014 | archive-date=October 6, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006105024/http://bbfc.co.uk/releases/terminator-1970-4 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
| country        = {{Plainlist|
* United States<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lumiere.obs.coe.int/web/film_info/?id=18093|title=LUMIERE : Film: The Terminator|website=lumiere.obs.coe.int|access-date=August 16, 2017|archive-date=June 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624112240/http://lumiere.obs.coe.int/web/film_info/?id=18093|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="MFB" /><ref name=afi>{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=57224|title=The Terminator|location=[[American Film Institute]]|access-date=15 November 2016|archive-date=October 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151029032346/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=57224|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}
| language       = English
| budget         = $6.4 million<ref name="Mojo">{{Cite Box Office Mojo|id=0088247|title=The Terminator|access-date=February 3, 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
| gross          = $78 million
}}

'''''The Terminator''''' is a 1984 American [[science fiction film|science fiction]] [[action film]]<!--Discuss on talk page before adding genres to the lead--> directed by [[James Cameron]], written by Cameron and [[Gale Anne Hurd]] and produced by Hurd. It stars [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] as the [[Terminator (character)|Terminator]], a [[cybernetics|cybernetic]] assassin sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 to assassinate [[Sarah Connor (Terminator)|Sarah Connor]] ([[Linda Hamilton]]), whose [[John Connor|not yet conceived son]] will one day save mankind from extinction by [[Skynet (Terminator)|Skynet]], a hostile [[artificial intelligence]], in a [[Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|post-apocalyptic]] future. [[Kyle Reese]] ([[Michael Biehn]]) is a soldier sent back in time to protect Sarah. The screenplay is credited to Cameron and Hurd, while co-writer [[William Wisher Jr.]] received an "additional dialogue" credit.

Cameron devised the premise of the film from a [[fever dream]] he experienced during the release of his first film, ''[[Piranha II: The Spawning]]'' (1982), in Rome and developed the concept in collaboration with Wisher. He sold the rights to the project to fellow [[New World Pictures]] alumna Hurd on the condition that she would produce the film only if he were to direct it; Hurd eventually secured a distribution deal with [[Orion Pictures]], while executive producers [[John Daly (producer)|John Daly]] and Derek Gibson of [[Hemdale Film Corporation]] were instrumental in setting up the film's financing and production. Originally approached by Orion for the role of Reese, Schwarzenegger agreed to play the title character after befriending Cameron. Filming, which took place mostly at night on location in Los Angeles, was delayed because of Schwarzenegger's commitments to ''[[Conan the Destroyer]]'' (1984), during which Cameron found time to work on the scripts for ''[[Rambo: First Blood Part II]]'' (1985) and ''[[Aliens (film)|Aliens]]'' (1986). The film's special effects, which included [[miniature effect|miniatures]] and [[stop-motion animation]], were created by a team of artists led by [[Stan Winston]] and [[Gene Warren Jr.]]

Defying low pre-release expectations, ''The Terminator'' topped the United States [[box office]] for two weeks, eventually grossing $78.3 million against a modest $6.4 million budget. It is credited with launching Cameron's film career and solidifying Schwarzenegger's status as a [[leading man]]. The film's success led to [[Terminator (franchise)|a franchise]] consisting of [[Terminator (franchise)#Films|several sequels]], [[Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles|a television series]], [[List of Terminator comics|comic books]], [[T2 (novel series)|novels]] and [[List of Terminator video games|video games]]. In 2008, ''The Terminator'' was selected by the [[Library of Congress]] for preservation in the United States [[National Film Registry]].

==Plot==
<!-- Plot summaries for feature films are set between 400-700 words. Before editing this section, please see WP:FILMPLOT for more information. Thank you. --><!-- Use last name for Kyle Reese here as his first name is not revealed until near the end -->
An android assassin called a "[[Terminator (character)|Terminator]]" is sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 [[Los Angeles]], programmed to hunt and assassinate a woman named [[Sarah Connor (Terminator)|Sarah Connor]]. Separately, a human soldier named [[Kyle Reese|Reese]] arrives, intent on stopping the Terminator. After searching for addresses in a [[telephone directory]], the Terminator systematically dispatches similarly named women, as well as several other people it comes in close contact with, including Sarah's roommate, Ginger, and her boyfriend, Matt. The Terminator eventually locates the correct Sarah at a local [[nightclub]], where she is rescued by Reese opening fire on The Terminator, which quickly turns into a chaotic gunfight and foot-chase. The pair then steal a car to escape, with the Terminator pursuing them in a stolen [[police car]].

As they hide in a [[parking lot]], Reese explains to Sarah that an artificially intelligent defense network known as [[Skynet (Terminator)|Skynet]], created by Cyberdyne Systems, will soon become self-aware and trigger a global nuclear war to bring humankind to its extinction. Sarah's future son, [[John Connor|John]], will rally the survivors and lead a successful [[resistance movement]] against Skynet and its mechanical forces. On the verge of the resistance's victory, Skynet sent the Terminator back in time to assassinate Sarah, thereby preventing John's birth. Reese additionally divulges that the Terminator has a durable metal [[endoskeleton]] covered by living tissue to appear human, before showing Sarah his extermination camp tattoo forcibly given to him by the machines.

The Terminator tracks Reese and Sarah, but it disappears after being shot in the eye and crashing during a car chase with the duo. The police apprehend Reese and Sarah. Sarah is notified of Ginger's and Matt's murder, while Reese is interrogated by Dr. Silberman, a skeptical criminal psychologist. The Terminator returns to a hotel room it has been using as a base of operations to repair its damaged right arm and remove its damaged left human eye, revealing its red, robotic eye underneath, which it covers with [[sunglasses]]. Just as Silberman leaves, The Terminator arrives at the police station searching for Sarah, slaughtering many officers in the process. Reese and Sarah escape, steal another car and sleep under an overpass, where Sarah learns Reese's first name, Kyle. The next morning, they take refuge in a [[motel]], where they assemble several [[pipe bomb]]s and plan their next move. Reese admits that he has adored Sarah since he saw her in a photograph that John gave him, and that he traveled through time out of love for her. Reciprocating his feelings, Sarah kisses him and they have [[Sexual intercourse|sex]].

The Terminator locates Sarah by intercepting a call intended for her mother, tricking her into revealing her location with its voice mimicking ability. She and Reese escape the motel in a pickup truck while it pursues them on a motorcycle. In the ensuing chase, Reese is badly wounded by gunfire while throwing pipe bombs at the Terminator. Sarah knocks the Terminator off its motorcycle but loses control of the truck, which flips over. The Terminator, now bloodied and badly damaged, hijacks a [[tank truck]] and attempts to run down Sarah. Reese manages to insert a pipe bomb into the truck's hose tube, causing it to explode and burn, reducing the Terminator to its endoskeleton. Sarah and Reese initially believe The Terminator has been destroyed, but it soon rises and pursues them into a Cyberdyne-owned factory, where Reese activates machinery to distract it, but it eventually discovers them. Reese then lodges his final pipe bomb into its midsection, blowing it apart, but at the cost of his own life. Its still-functional torso then pursues Sarah, but she manages to lure it into a [[hydraulic press]] that she uses to crush it, finally destroying the cyborg.

Months later, Sarah, now pregnant with John by Reese, travels through [[Mexico]] with a guard dog, recording [[cassette tape|audio tapes]] to pass on to her son. At a gas station, a boy takes an [[instant film]] photograph of her, the exact one that John will one day give to Reese, and she purchases it. The gas station owner remarks that a storm is coming and she says "I know.", alluding to humanity's impending conflict against Skynet, before driving away.

==Cast==
{{See also|List of Terminator (franchise) characters|l1=List of ''Terminator'' (franchise) characters}}
{{multiple image
| align   = right
| total_width = 500
| image1  = Schwarzenegger 1984.jpg
| image2  = Linda Hamilton 1.JPG
| image3  = Mbiehn.jpg
| footer  = [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]], [[Linda Hamilton]] and [[Michael Biehn]] (pictured in 1984, 1997 and 2008, respectively) played the film's eponymous character and leads.
}}
* [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] as [[Terminator (character)|The Terminator]], a cybernetic android disguised as a human male that is sent back in time to assassinate Sarah Connor.
* [[Michael Biehn]] as [[Kyle Reese]], a member of the resistance against Skynet sent back in time to protect Sarah.
* [[Linda Hamilton]] as [[Sarah Connor (Terminator)|Sarah Connor]], a young diner waitress and the Terminator's target, who is soon to be the mother of the future leader of the resistance, John.
* [[Paul Winfield]] as [[Ed Traxler]], a [[police lieutenant]] who tries to protect Sarah.
* [[Lance Henriksen]] as [[List of Terminator (franchise) characters#Vukovich|Hal Vukovich]], a member of the [[Los Angeles Police Department]].
* [[Bess Motta]] as Ginger, Sarah's roommate whom the Terminator murders after mistaking her for Sarah.
* [[Rick Rossovich]] as Matt, Ginger's boyfriend whom the Terminator murders.
* [[Earl Boen]] as [[List of Terminator (franchise) characters#Peter Silberman, Ph.D.|Doctor Peter Silberman]], a criminal [[psychologist]].

Additional actors included Shawn Schepps as Nancy, Sarah's co-worker at the diner; [[Dick Miller]] as a gun shop clerk the Terminator kills; professional bodybuilder [[Franco Columbu]] as a Terminator in the future; [[Bill Paxton]] and [[Brian Thompson (actor)|Brian Thompson]] as punks whom the Terminator confronts and kills; [[Marianne Muellerleile]] as one of the other women with the name "Sarah Connor" whom the Terminator kills; [[Rick Aiello]] as the bouncer of the local nightclub where the Terminator finally locates Sarah; and [[William Wisher Jr.|Bill Wisher]] as a police officer who reports a hit-and-run felony on Reese, only to be knocked unconscious and have his car stolen by the Terminator soon thereafter.

==Production==
===Development===
<!--development of the concept and script, as well as the securing of financing and producers -->
In [[Rome, Italy]], during the release of ''[[Piranha II: The Spawning]]'' (1982), director [[James Cameron]] fell ill and had a dream about a metallic torso holding kitchen knives dragging itself from an explosion.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=34}} Inspired by director [[John Carpenter]], who had made the [[slasher film]] ''[[Halloween (1978 film)|Halloween]]'' (1978) on a low budget, Cameron used the dream as a "launching pad" to write a slasher-style film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-terminator/31391/why-the-terminator-is-a-horror-classic#ixzz38LjAc8Xn|title=Why The Terminator is a horror classic|last=Lambie|first=Ryan|work=[[Den of Geek]]|date=July 23, 2014|access-date=23 July 2014|archive-date=January 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200107155042/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-terminator/31391/why-the-terminator-is-a-horror-classic#ixzz38LjAc8Xn|url-status=live}}</ref> Cameron's agent disliked the early concept of the horror film and requested that he work on something else. After this, Cameron dismissed his agent.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=36}}

Cameron returned to [[Pomona, California]], and stayed at the home of science fiction writer [[Randall Frakes]], where he wrote the draft for ''The Terminator''.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=35}} Cameron's influences included 1950s science fiction films, the 1960s fantasy television series ''[[The Outer Limits (1963 TV series)|The Outer Limits]],'' and contemporary films such as ''[[The Driver]]'' (1978) and ''[[Mad Max 2]]'' (1981).{{sfn|French|1996|p=15}}{{sfn|French|1996|p=20}} To translate the draft into a script, Cameron enlisted his friend [[William Wisher Jr.|Bill Wisher]], who had a similar approach to storytelling. Cameron gave Wisher scenes involving Sarah Connor and the police department to write. As Wisher lived far from Cameron, the two communicated ideas by phoning each other and recording phone calls of them reading new scenes.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=36}}

The initial outline of the script involved two Terminators being sent to the past. The first was similar to the Terminator in the film, while the second was made of liquid metal and could not be destroyed with conventional weaponry.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=110}} Cameron felt that the technology of the time was unable to create the liquid Terminator,{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=110}}{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=111}} and shelved the idea until the appearance of the [[T-1000]] character in ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]'' (1991).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19910703/REVIEWS/107030301 |work=[[Chicago Sun Times]] |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |date=July 3, 1991 |access-date=September 22, 2010 |title=Terminator 2: Judgment Day |archive-date=January 22, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120122161344/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19910703%2FREVIEWS%2F107030301 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Gale Anne Hurd by Gage Skidmore 3.jpg|left|thumb|upright|Gale Anne Hurd bought the rights to ''The Terminator'' from James Cameron for one dollar.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=37}}]]

[[Gale Anne Hurd]], who had worked at [[New World Pictures]] as [[Roger Corman]]'s assistant, showed interest in the project.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=36}} Cameron sold the rights for ''The Terminator'' to Hurd for one dollar with the promise that she would produce it only if Cameron was to direct it. Hurd suggested edits to the script and took a screenwriting credit in the film, though Cameron stated that she "did no actual writing at all".{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=37}}<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/05/20/ign-presents-the-history-of-terminator | title=IGN Presents the History of Terminator - IGN | newspaper=Ign | date=May 20, 2009 }}</ref> Cameron would later regret the decision to sell the rights for one dollar.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.businessinsider.com/james-cameron-sold-rights-to-terminator-for-1-2015-7 | title=James Cameron sold the rights to 'Terminator' back in the '80s for $1 — and it's one of his biggest regrets | website=[[Business Insider]] }}</ref> Cameron and Hurd had friends who worked with Corman previously and who were working at [[Orion Pictures]]. Orion agreed to distribute the film if Cameron could get financial backing elsewhere. The script was picked up by [[John Daly (producer)|John Daly]], chairman and president of [[Hemdale Film Corporation]].{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=38}} Daly and his executive vice president and head of production Derek Gibson became executive producers of the project.<ref name="articles.chicagotribune.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1987/03/30/high-risk-movie-mogul/|title=High-risk Movie Mogul|website=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=March 30, 1987 |access-date=August 16, 2017|archive-date=August 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816110403/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1987-03-30/features/8701240628_1_british-actor-david-hemmings-john-daly-daly-didn-t|url-status=live}}</ref>

Cameron wanted his [[Pitch (filmmaking)|pitch]] for Daly to finalize the deal and had his friend [[Lance Henriksen]] show up to the meeting early dressed and acting like the Terminator.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=38}} Henriksen, wearing a leather jacket, fake cuts on his face, and gold foil on his teeth, kicked open the door to the office and then sat in a chair.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=38}} Cameron arrived shortly and then relieved the staff from Henriksen's act. Daly was impressed by the screenplay and Cameron's sketches and passion for the film.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=38}} In late 1982, Daly agreed to back the film with help from [[HBO]] and Orion.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=38}}{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=39}} ''The Terminator'' was originally budgeted at $4 million and later raised to $6.5 million.{{sfn|French|1996|p=6}} Aside from Hemdale, [[Valhalla Entertainment|Pacific Western Productions]], Euro Film Funding and Cinema '84 have been credited as production companies after the film's release.<ref name=afi /><ref name="MFB">{{cite journal|journal=[[Monthly Film Bulletin]]|title=The Terminator|publisher=[[British Film Institute]]|date=1984|quote=''p.c''—Cinema '84. A Pacific Western Production. For Orion|pages=54–55|volume=52|issue=612|issn=0027-0407|last=Petley|first=Julian}}</ref><ref name=bfi>{{cite web| title=The Terminator (1984)| url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7785ce41| publisher=[[British Film Institute]]| access-date=February 11, 2019| archive-date=February 12, 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212011326/https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7785ce41| url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Casting===
For the role of Kyle Reese, Orion wanted a star whose popularity was rising in the United States but who also would have foreign appeal. Orion co-founder [[Mike Medavoy]] had met [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] and sent his agent the script for ''The Terminator''.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=39}} Cameron was uncertain about casting Schwarzenegger as Reese as he felt he would need someone even more famous to play the Terminator. [[Sylvester Stallone]] and [[Mel Gibson]] both turned down the Terminator role.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/06/a-history-of-iconic-roles-that-famous-actors-turned-down/sylvester-stallone-as-the-terminator|title=A History of Iconic Roles That Famous Actors Turned Down - Sylvester Stallone as T-800 (''The Terminator'', 1984)|website=Complex|access-date=August 16, 2017|archive-date=August 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813235852/http://uk.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/06/a-history-of-iconic-roles-that-famous-actors-turned-down/sylvester-stallone-as-the-terminator|url-status=live}}</ref> Medavoy suggested [[O. J. Simpson]] but Cameron did not feel that Simpson, at that time, would be believable as a killer.<ref name="OV-Hurd">{{cite AV media|title=Other Voices documentary|date=2001|publisher=[[MGM Home Entertainment]]|people=Hurd, Gale Anne (producer)|work=The Terminator [Special Edition]|medium=DVD}}</ref>{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=40}}<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=McGovern|first=Joe|url=https://ew.com/article/2014/07/17/the-terminator-oral-history/|title='The Terminator' at 30: An oral history|date=July 17, 2014|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Yamato |first=Jen |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2019-10-25/o-j-simpson-terminator-james-cameron-arnold-schwarzenegger |title=James Cameron debunks that O.J. Simpson 'Terminator' painting myth: 'Arnold is wrong' |date=October 25, 2019 |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>

Cameron agreed to meet with Schwarzenegger and devised a plan to avoid casting him; he would pick a fight with him and return to Hemdale and find him unfit for the role.<ref name="OV-Cameron">{{cite AV media |people= Cameron, James |date= 2001 |title= Other Voices documentary |work=The Terminator [Special Edition]|medium=DVD|publisher=[[MGM Home Entertainment]]}}</ref> Cameron was entertained by Schwarzenegger, who would talk about how the villain should be played, and Cameron began sketching his face on a notepad, asking Schwarzenegger to stop talking and remain still.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=40}}<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Goodyear |first1=Dana |title=Man of Extremes |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/10/26/man-of-extremes-james-cameron-profile-avatar |magazine=The New Yorker |access-date=7 September 2024 |date=19 October 2009}}</ref> After the meeting, Cameron returned to Daly saying Schwarzenegger would not play Reese but that "he'd make a hell of a Terminator".{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=41}}{{Quote box |quote=Casting Arnold Schwarzenegger as our Terminator [...] shouldn't have worked. The guy is supposed to be an infiltration unit, and there's no way you wouldn't spot a Terminator in a crowd instantly if they all looked like Arnold. It made no sense whatsoever. But the beauty of movies is that they don't have to be logical. They just have to have plausibility. If there's a visceral, cinematic thing happening that the audience likes, they don't care if it goes against what's likely.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Creator James Cameron on Terminator's Origins, Arnold as Robot, Machine Wars |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |last=Daly |first=Steve |date=March 23, 2009 |access-date=September 18, 2010 |url=https://www.wired.com/entertainment/hollywood/magazine/17-04/ff_cameron |archive-date=July 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100727042523/http://www.wired.com/entertainment/hollywood/magazine/17-04/ff_cameron |url-status=live }}</ref> |source=—James Cameron on casting Schwarzenegger. |align=right |salign=right |width=33%}}

Schwarzenegger was not as excited by the film; during an interview on the set of ''[[Conan the Destroyer]]'', an interviewer asked him about a pair of shoes he had, which belonged to the wardrobe for ''The Terminator''. Schwarzenegger responded, "Oh, some shit movie I'm doing, take a couple weeks."{{sfn|Andrews|2003|pp=120–121}} He recounted in his memoir, ''Total Recall'', that he was initially hesitant, but thought that playing a robot in a contemporary film would be a challenging change of pace from ''[[Conan the Barbarian (1982 film)|Conan the Barbarian]]'' and that the film was low-profile enough that it would not damage his career if it were unsuccessful. He later admitted that he and the studio regarded it as just another [[B Movie|B action movie]], since "The year before came out ''[[The Exterminator|Exterminator]]'', now it was the Terminator and what else is gonna be next, type of thing". It was only when he saw twenty minutes of the first edit did he realize that "this is really intense, this is wild, I don't think I've ever seen anything like this before" and realized that "this could be bigger than we all think".<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srksXVEkfAs&t=471s |time=7m41s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/srksXVEkfAs| archive-date=2021-12-11|title=Arnold Schwarzenegger Breaks Down His Most Iconic Characters GQ |work=[[GQ Magazine]] |date=October 29, 2019 |access-date=February 1, 2021 |url-status=live|via=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> To prepare for the role, Schwarzenegger spent three months training with weapons to be able to use them and feel comfortable around them.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=41}} Schwarzenegger speaks only 17 lines in the film, and fewer than 100 words. Cameron said that "Somehow, even his accent worked&nbsp;... It had a strange synthesized quality, like they hadn't gotten the voice thing quite worked out."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/1991/07/12/arnolds-schwarzeneggers-few-words/ |title=65 Words...And Arnold Was a Star |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |last1=Chase |first1=Donald |last2=Meyers |first2=Kate |date=July 12, 1991 |access-date=September 20, 2010 |archive-date=October 7, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007124503/http://www.ew.com/article/1991/07/12/arnolds-schwarzeneggers-few-words |url-status=live }}</ref>

Various other actors were suggested for the role of Reese, including rock musician [[Sting (musician)|Sting]].{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=42}} Cameron met with Sting, but he was not interested as Cameron was too much an unknown director at the time.<ref>{{cite web |first=George |last=Bass |date=21 April 2021 |title=The Terminator came to me in a dream: a new interview with James Cameron |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/interviews/terminator-james-cameron |access-date=10 January 2023}}</ref><ref name="etonline.com">{{Cite web | date=November 6, 2013 |author=David Weiner |title = Casting Near-Misses: Sting in 'The Terminator'? |url=https://www.etonline.com/movies/140439_Casting_Near_Misses_Sting_The_Terminator |quote=an offer of $350,000 went out to Sting to take on the role of Kyle Reese }}</ref> Cameron chose [[Michael Biehn]]. Biehn, who had recently seen ''[[Taxi Driver]]'' and had aspirations about acting alongside the likes of [[Al Pacino]], [[Robert De Niro]], and [[Robert Redford]], was originally skeptical, feeling the film was silly.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/terminator-what-happened-star-michael-biehn-1228634 |title="Everything Had to Go Right": What Happened to 'Terminator' Star Michael Biehn |work=The Hollywood Reporter |last=Couch |first=Aaron |date=August 2, 2019 |access-date=July 22, 2020 |archive-date=July 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722192631/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/terminator-what-happened-star-michael-biehn-1228634 |url-status=live }}</ref> After meeting with Cameron, Biehn changed his mind.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=42}} Hurd stated that "almost everyone else who came in from the audition was so tough that you just never believed that there was gonna be this human connection between Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese. They have very little time to fall in love. A lot of people came in and just could not pull it off."{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=43}} To get into Reese's character, Biehn studied the [[Polish resistance movement in World War II]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/the-terminator-30th-anniversary/9/ |title="The Terminator" 30 years later |work=[[CBS News]] |last=Lombardi |first=Ken |date=October 26, 2014 |access-date=November 21, 2016 |archive-date=November 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161122153353/http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/the-terminator-30th-anniversary/9/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the first pages of the script, Sarah Connor is described as "19, small and delicate features. Pretty in a flawed, accessible way. She doesn't stop the party when she walks in, but you'd like to get to know her. Her vulnerable quality masks a strength even she doesn't know exists."{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=44}} [[Lisa Langlois]] was offered the role but turned it down as she was already shooting ''[[The Slugger's Wife]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrojunk.com/article/show/3163/a-talk-with-lisa-langlois |title=A Talk With Lisa Langlois |website=retrojunk.com |access-date=July 30, 2021 }}</ref> [[Cindy Morgan]] was also considered.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 10, 2024 |title=In appreciation: Cindy Morgan, almost famous, never a pushover, was forever Lacey Underall in 'Caddyshack' |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-ent-cindy-morgan-actress-dies-caddyshack-20240110-abc3u4cvdfgrtcticvbkog2nnq-story.html |access-date=January 25, 2024 |website=Chicago Tribune |first=Christopher |last=Borrelli }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.byjoecapozzi.com/post/caddyshack-actor-cindy-morgan-felt-world-was-against-her-before-her-death-in-lake-worth-beach|title='Caddyshack' actress Cindy Morgan felt 'world was against her' before her death in Lake Worth Beach|date=December 29, 2024|website=ByJoeCapozzi.com|first=Joe|last=Capozzi|access-date=November 11, 2025}}</ref> Cameron cast [[Linda Hamilton]], who had just finished filming ''[[Children of the Corn (1984 film)|Children of the Corn]]''.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=45}} [[Rosanna Arquette]] and [[Lea Thompson]] also auditioned for the role.<ref name="etonline.com"/><ref>{{cite news |last= Vespe |first= Eric |url= https://www.aintitcool.com/node/50837 |title= Quint chats with Michael Biehn, Part 1! Aliens, Terminator, Abyss and working with James Cameron! |work= [[Ain't It Cool News]] |date= August 17, 2011 |access-date= 2011-08-19 |archive-date= November 27, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181127022427/http://www.aintitcool.com/node/50837 |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omzt6HVjKY8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/Omzt6HVjKY8| archive-date=2021-12-11|title='Back to the Future' star Lea Thompson was almost in 'Terminator' {{!}} Page Six Celebrity News |work=Page Six |date=October 5, 2018 |access-date=July 30, 2021 |url-status=live|via=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Cameron found a role for Lance Henriksen as Vukovich, as Henriksen had been essential to finding finances for the film.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=46}} For the special effects shots, Cameron wanted [[Dick Smith (make-up artist)|Dick Smith]], who had worked on ''[[The Godfather]]'' and ''Taxi Driver''. Smith did not take Cameron's offer and suggested his friend [[Stan Winston]].{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=50}}

===Filming===
<!-- production or filming: actual filming – dates and places, important artistic decisions, and noteworthy events (delays, reshoots, financial problems, etc.) -->
Filming for ''The Terminator'' was set to begin in early 1983 in [[Toronto]], but was halted when producer [[Dino De Laurentiis]] applied an option in Schwarzenegger's contract that would make him unavailable for nine months while he was filming ''Conan the Destroyer''. During the waiting period, Cameron was contracted to write the script for ''[[Rambo: First Blood Part II]],'' refined the ''Terminator'' script, and met with producers [[David Giler]] and [[Walter Hill (filmmaker)|Walter Hill]] to discuss a sequel to ''[[Alien (film)|Alien]],'' which became ''[[Aliens (film)|Aliens]]'', released in 1986.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=46}}{{sfn|Keegan|2009|pp=47–49}}

There was limited interference from Orion Pictures. Two suggestions Orion put forward included the addition of a canine android for Reese, which Cameron refused, and to strengthen the love interest between Sarah and Reese, which Cameron accepted.{{sfn|French|1996|p=23}} To create the Terminator's look, Winston and Cameron passed sketches back and forth, eventually deciding on a design nearly identical to Cameron's original drawing in Rome.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=50}}{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=51}} Winston had a team of seven artists work for six months to create a Terminator puppet; it was first molded in clay, then plaster reinforced with steel ribbing. These pieces were then sanded, painted and then chrome-plated. Winston sculpted reproductions of Schwarzenegger's face in several poses out of silicone, clay and plaster.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=51}}

The sequences set in 2029 and the [[Stop motion|stop-motion]] scenes were developed by Fantasy II, a special effects company headed by [[Gene Warren Jr.]]{{sfn|French|1996|p=24}} A stop-motion model is used in several scenes in the film involving the Terminator's endoskeleton. Cameron wanted to convince the audience that the model of the structure was capable of doing what they saw Schwarzenegger doing. To allow this, a scene was filmed of Schwarzenegger injured and limping away; this limp made it easier for the model to imitate Schwarzenegger.{{sfn|French|1996|pp=25–26}}

One of the guns seen in the film and on the film's poster was an [[AMT Hardballer|AMT Longslide]] pistol modified by Ed Reynolds from [[SureFire]] to include a [[laser sight (firearms)|laser sight]]. Both non-functioning and functioning versions of the prop were created. At the time the movie was made, [[Laser diode|diode lasers]] were not available; because of the high power requirement, the [[helium–neon laser]] in the sight used an external power supply that Schwarzenegger had to activate manually. Reynolds states that his only compensation for the project was promotional material for the film.<ref name="ars">{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2010/03/just-what-you-see-the-story-behind-the-45-long-slide-laser-siting/ |title=True story: the making of the Terminator's laser-sighted .45 pistol |last=Kuchera |first=Ben |website=[[Ars Technica]] |date=March 10, 2010 |access-date=March 11, 2010 |archive-date=March 12, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100312112821/http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2010/03/just-what-you-see-the-story-behind-the-45-long-slide-laser-siting.ars |url-status=live }}</ref>

In March 1984, the film began production in Los Angeles.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=51}}<ref name="OV-Wisher">{{cite AV media |people= Wisher, William (screenwriter) |date= 2001 |title= Other Voices documentary |work=The Terminator [Special Edition]|medium=DVD|publisher=[[MGM Home Entertainment]]}}</ref> Cameron felt that with Schwarzenegger on the set, the style of the film changed, explaining that "the movie took on a larger-than-life sheen. I just found myself on the set doing things I didn't think I would do — scenes that were just purely horrific that just couldn't be, because now they were too flamboyant."{{sfn|French|1996|pp=30–31}} Most of ''The Terminator''{{'}}s action scenes were filmed at night, which led to tight filming schedules before sunrise. A week before filming started, Linda Hamilton sprained her ankle, leading to a production change whereby the scenes in which Hamilton needed to run occurred as late as the filming schedule allowed. Hamilton's ankle was taped every day and she spent most of the film production in pain.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=52}}

Schwarzenegger tried to have the iconic line "[[I'll be back]]" changed as he had difficulty pronouncing the word ''I'll''. Cameron refused to change the line to "I will be back", so Schwarzenegger worked to say the line as written the best he could. He would later say the line in numerous films throughout his career.<ref>[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/01/arnold-schwarzenegger-ill-be-back-video_n_1930644.html "Arnold Schwarzenegger: 'I'll Be Back' Quote Was Almost Ruined"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309115627/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/01/arnold-schwarzenegger-ill-be-back-video_n_1930644.html |date=March 9, 2017 }}. ''[[The Huffington Post]]''. October 1, 2012.</ref>

After production finished on ''The Terminator'', some [[Pick-up (filmmaking)|post-production shots]] were needed.<ref name="OV-Goldblat">{{cite AV media|title=Other Voices documentary|date=2001|people=Goldblatt, Mark (editor)|work=The Terminator [Special Edition]|medium=DVD|publisher=[[MGM Home Entertainment]]}}</ref> These included scenes showing the Terminator outside Sarah Connor's apartment, Reese being zipped into a body bag, and the Terminator's head being crushed in a press.<ref name="OV-Hurd" /><ref name="OV-Wisher" /><ref name="OV-Goldblat" /> The final scene where Sarah is driving down a highway was filmed without a permit. Cameron and Hurd convinced an officer who confronted them that they were making a [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]] student film.<ref>{{cite magazine| title = 'The Terminator' at 30: An oral history| url = https://ew.com/article/2014/07/17/the-terminator-oral-history/| magazine = Entertainment Weekly| first = Joe| last = McGovern| date = July 17, 2014| access-date = November 29, 2018| archive-date = November 30, 2018| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181130071837/https://ew.com/article/2014/07/17/the-terminator-oral-history/| url-status = live}}</ref>

===Music===
{{Further|The Terminator (soundtrack)}}
The ''Terminator'' soundtrack was composed and performed on [[synthesizer]] by [[Brad Fiedel]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Adams|first=Bret|title=The Terminator: Overview|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r131972|pure_url=yes}}|access-date=September 19, 2010|work=AllMusic}}</ref> Fiedel was with the Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency, where a new agent, Beth Donahue, found that Cameron was working on ''The Terminator'' and sent him a cassette of Fiedel's music.<ref name="cos">{{cite magazine|last=Roffman|first=Michael|date=April 5, 2016|title=Stream + Interview: Brad Fiedel's The Terminator Original Motion Picture Soundtrack|url=https://consequence.net/2016/04/stream-interview-brad-fiedel-the-terminator/|magazine=[[Consequence of Sound]]|access-date=April 18, 2016|archive-date=April 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417135018/http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/04/stream-interview-brad-fiedel-the-terminator/|url-status=live}}</ref> Fiedel was invited to a screening of the film with Cameron and Hurd.<ref name="cos" /> Hurd was not certain about having Fiedel compose the score, as he had only worked in television, not theatrical films.<ref name="cos" /> Fiedel convinced them by showing them an experimental piece he had worked on. The piece convinced Hurd and Cameron to hire him.<ref name="cos" />

Fiedel said his score reflected "a mechanical man and his heartbeat".<ref name="OV-Fiedel">{{cite AV media|title=Other Voices documentary|date=2001|people=Fiedel, Brad (composer)|work=The Terminator [Special Edition]|medium=DVD|publisher=[[MGM Home Entertainment]]}}</ref> Almost all the music was recorded live.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=36}}<ref name="OV-Fiedel" /> The ''Terminator'' theme is used in the opening credits and appears in various points, such as a slowed version when Reese dies, and a piano version during the love scene.{{sfn|Hayward|2004|p=168}} It has been described as "haunting", with a "deceptively simple" melody<ref name="allmusic-review">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/the-terminator-mr0000843460|title=The Terminator – Brad Fiedel|publisher=[[Rovi Corporation]]|work=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=January 24, 2014|author=Adams, Brett|archive-date=May 17, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517110650/http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/the-terminator-mr0000843460|url-status=live}}</ref> recorded on a [[Prophet-10]] synthesizer.<ref name=":0" /> It is in the unusual [[time signature]] of {{music|time|13|16}}, which arose when Fiedel experimented with rhythms and accidentally created an incomplete loop on his [[Music sequencer|sequencer]]; Fiedel liked the "herky-jerky" "propulsiveness".<ref name=":0">Seth Stevenson, "[http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2014/02/the_time_signature_of_the_terminator_score_is_a_mystery_for_the_ages.single.html What Is the time signature of the ominous electronic score of ''The Terminator''?]" {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226224247/http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2014/02/the_time_signature_of_the_terminator_score_is_a_mystery_for_the_ages.single.html|date=February 26, 2014}}, ''[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]'', Published 26 February 2014, Accessed 27 February 2014.</ref> Fiedel created music for when Reese and Connor escape from the police station that would be appropriate for a "heroic moment". Cameron turned down this theme, as he believed it would lose the audience's excitement.<ref name="OV-Fiedel" />

==Release==
[[File:President Ronald Reagan with Arnold Schwarzenegger Retouched (cropped).jpg|thumb|Schwarzenegger with President [[Ronald Reagan]] two months before ''The Terminator''{{'}}s premiere in 1984]]
Orion Pictures did not have faith in ''The Terminator'' performing well at the box office and feared a negative critical reception.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=53}} At an early screening of the film, the actors' agents insisted to the producers that the film should be screened for critics.<ref name="OV-Hurd" /> Orion only held one press screening for the film.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=53}} The film premiered on October 26, 1984. On its opening week, ''The Terminator'' played at 1,005 theaters and grossed $4.0 million making it number one at the box office. The film remained at number one in its second week. It lost its number one spot in the third week to ''[[Oh, God! You Devil]]''.<ref name="TheNumbers">{{Cite The Numbers|id=Terminator-The|title=The Terminator|access-date=February 3, 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/charts/weekly/1984/19841109.php |title=The Top Movies, Weekend of November 9, 1984 |work=The Numbers |access-date=September 19, 2010 |archive-date=September 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100927041357/http://www.the-numbers.com/charts/weekly/1984/19841109.php |url-status=live }}</ref> Cameron noted that ''The Terminator'' was a hit "relative to its market, which is between the summer and the Christmas blockbusters. But it's better to be a big fish in a small pond than the other way around."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tri-cityherald.newspapers.com/image/821061161/?match=1&terms=terminator|title='The Terminator' surprises the critics; is a top grosser |work=[[Tri City Herald]] |access-date=September 19, 2010 |date=November 30, 1984|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{subscription required}}</ref> ''The Terminator'' grossed $38.3 million in the United States and Canada and $40 million in other territories for a worldwide gross of $78.3 million.<ref name="Mojo"/>

==Critical response==
===Contemporary===
Contemporary critical responses to ''The Terminator'' were mixed.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Terminator (1984) |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/57224 |website=American Film Institute |access-date=December 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126132000/https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/57224 |archive-date=November 26, 2020 |quote=The Terminator opened 26 Oct 1984 in 1,012 theaters nationwide. While critical notices were mixed, audiences responded enthusiastically [...].}}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' praised the film, calling it a "blazing, cinematic comic book, full of virtuoso moviemaking, terrific momentum, solid performances and a compelling story&nbsp;... Schwarzenegger is perfectly cast in a machine-like portrayal that requires only a few lines of dialog."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117795542.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&query=the+terminator&display=the+terminator |title=The Terminator Review |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=September 19, 2010 |date=December 31, 1983 |archive-date=August 29, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100829021737/http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117795542.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&query=the+terminator&display=the+terminator |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Richard Corliss]] of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine said that the film had "plenty of tech-noir savvy to keep infidels and action fans satisfied."<ref>{{cite magazine |date=November 26, 1984 |page=105 |last=Corliss |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Corliss |title=Time review|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref> ''Time'' placed ''The Terminator'' on its "10 Best" list for 1984.{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=53}}

The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' called the film "a crackling thriller full of all sorts of gory treats&nbsp;... loaded with fuel-injected chase scenes, clever special effects and a sly humor."{{sfn|Keegan|2009|p=53}} The ''[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|Milwaukee Journal]]'' gave the film three stars, calling it "the most chilling science fiction thriller since ''[[Alien (film)|Alien]]''".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.ca/newspapers?id=SHQjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vX4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=7126,5520761&dq=the+terminator&hl=en |work=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|Milwaukee Journal]] |last=Armstrong |first=Douglas D. |access-date=September 19, 2010 |date=October 26, 1984 |title=Schwarzenegger shows acting muscle in thriller |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305190619/https://news.google.ca/newspapers?id=SHQjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vX4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=7126,5520761&dq=the+terminator&hl=en |url-status=live }}</ref> A review in ''Orange Coast'' magazine stated that "the distinguishing virtue of ''The Terminator'' is its relentless tension. Right from the start it's all action and violence with no time taken to set up the story&nbsp;... It's like a streamlined [[Dirty Harry (film series)|''Dirty Harry'' movie]]&nbsp;– no exposition at all; just guns, guns and more guns."<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EBYEAAAAMBAJ&q=The+Terminator |journal=[[Orange Coast Magazine]] |publisher=Emmis Communications |volume=10 |issue=11 |date=November 1984 |title=Brian DePalma's Sleaze Factor |last=Weinberg |first=Marc |page=141 |access-date=September 20, 2010 |archive-date=November 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114044531/https://books.google.com/books?id=EBYEAAAAMBAJ&dq=The+Terminator&hl=en |url-status=live }}</ref> In the May 1985 issue of ''[[Cinefantastique]]'' it was referred to as a film that "manages to be both derivative and original at the same time&nbsp;... not since ''[[Mad Max 2|The Road Warrior]]'' has the genre exhibited so much exuberant carnage" and "an example of science fiction/horror at its best&nbsp;... Cameron's no-nonsense approach will make him a sought-after commodity".{{sfn|French|1996|p=62}} In the United Kingdom the ''[[Monthly Film Bulletin]]'' praised the film's script, special effects, design and Schwarzenegger's performance.{{sfn|French|1996|p=62}}{{sfn|French|1996|p=63}} [[Colin Greenland]] reviewed ''The Terminator'' for ''[[Imagine (game magazine)|Imagine]]'' magazine, and stated that it was "a gripping sf horror movie". He continued, "Linda Hamilton is admirable as the woman in peril who discovers her own strength to survive, and Arnold Schwarzenegger is eerily wonderful as the unstoppable cyborg."<ref name="Imagine25">{{cite journal | last = Greenland|first = Colin |author-link=Colin Greenland| title =Fantasy Media | type = review | journal = [[Imagine (AD&D magazine)|Imagine]] | issue = 25| pages =47 | publisher = TSR Hobbies (UK), Ltd. |date=April 1985| issn = }}</ref>

Other reviews criticized the film's violence and story-telling quality. [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' opined that the film was a "[[B movie|B-movie]] with flair. Much of it&nbsp;... has suspense and personality, and only the obligatory mayhem becomes dull. There is far too much of the latter, in the form of car chases, messy shootouts and Mr. Schwarzenegger's slamming brutally into anything that gets in his way."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?_r=1&res=9D05E4D91539F935A15753C1A962948260 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 26, 1984 |last=Maslin |first=Janet |access-date=September 19, 2010 |title=The Terminator (1984) The Screen:'Terminator,' suspense tale |archive-date=November 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114044456/https://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/26/movies/the-screen-terminator-suspense-tale.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The ''[[Pittsburgh Press]]'' wrote a negative review, calling the film "just another of the films drenched in artsy ugliness like ''[[Streets of Fire]]'' and ''[[Blade Runner]]''".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0hshAAAAIBAJ&pg=4537,5748946&dq=the+terminator&hl=en |title=Beefcake Violence begets 'Terminator' |work=[[Pittsburgh Press]] |date=October 26, 1984 |access-date=September 19, 2010 |last=Blank |first=Ed |archive-date=September 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908065934/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0hshAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FWEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4537,5748946&dq=the+terminator&hl=en |url-status=live }}</ref> The ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' gave the film two stars, adding that "at times it's horrifyingly violent and suspenseful at others it giggles at itself. This schizoid style actually helps, providing a little humor just when the sci-fi plot turns too sluggish or the dialogue too hokey."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6tsQAAAAIBAJ&pg=6827,9222896&dq=the+terminator&hl=en |title=The Terminator Just a Bit Schizoid |work=[[The Chicago Tribune]] |date=Oct 30, 1984 |access-date=September 19, 2010 |last=Smith |first=Sid |archive-date=September 7, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907221059/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6tsQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vIwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6827,9222896&dq=the+terminator&hl=en |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Advance Publications|Newhouse News Service]] called the film a "lurid, violent, pretentious piece of claptrap".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=I_QRAAAAIBAJ&pg=5666,6039509 |title='Conan muscleman takes on new role in 'Terminator' |work=[[Spokane Chronicle]] |date=Oct 26, 1984 |access-date=November 7, 2010 |last=Freeman |first=Richard |archive-date=October 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031002747/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=I_QRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Bu8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5666%2C6039509 |url-status=live }}</ref> Scottish author [[Gilbert Adair]] called the film "repellent to the last degree", charging it with "insidious [[Gleichschaltung|Nazification]]" and having an "appeal rooted in an unholy compound of [[fascism]], fashion and fascination".<ref>{{cite book |last=Andrews |first=Nigel |title=True Myths: The Life and Times of Arnold Schwarzenegger |publisher=Bloomsbury |location=London |year=1995 |page=137 |isbn=0-7475-2450-5 }}</ref>

John Nubbin reviewed ''The Terminator'' for ''[[Different Worlds]]'' magazine and stated that "There is no grandstanding here - no one was allowed to be more important than the end result. There is a magic in this small picture which could have made a triumph out of efforts like ''Temple Of Doom'', or ''Sheena'', or any of the other tired lifeless imitations that have been served up recently."<ref name="dw38">{{cite journal | last = Nubbin |first = John | title = Film Reviews | journal = [[Different Worlds]] | issue = 38 | pages =44–45 |date=January–February 1985}}</ref>

Audience polls by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an {{nowrap|A+ to F}} scale.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cinemascore.com/find_a_movie.epl?id=Terminator|title=''The Terminator'' — CinemaScore|access-date=March 8, 2025|work=[[CinemaScore]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020330075015/http://www.cinemascore.com/find_a_movie.epl?id=Terminator|archive-date=March 30, 2002|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Retrospective===
In 1991, [[Richard Schickel]] of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' reviewed the film, giving it an "A" rating, writing that "what originally seemed a somewhat inflated, if generous and energetic, big picture, now seems quite a good little film". He called it "one of the most original movies of the 1980s and seems likely to remain one of the best sci-fi films ever made."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,316514,00.html |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |last=Schickel |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Schickel |date=December 13, 1991 |access-date=September 20, 2010 |title=The Terminator Review |archive-date=April 25, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425092001/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,316514,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1998, ''[[Halliwell's Film Guide]]'' described ''The Terminator'' as "slick, rather nasty but undeniably compelling comic book adventures".<ref name="Halli">{{cite book |last1= Halliwell |first1=Leslie |title= Halliwell's Film and Video Guide |date=1998 |publisher= HarperCollins |isbn= 978-0-00-638868-5|pages=1072|edition=13|language=en |type=paperback }}</ref> [[Film4]] gave it five stars, calling it the "sci-fi action-thriller that launched the careers of James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger into the stratosphere. Still endlessly entertaining."<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325124846/http://www.film4.com/reviews/1984/the-terminator|archive-date=March 25, 2010|url=http://www.film4.com/reviews/1984/the-terminator |work=[[Film4]] |title=The Terminator&nbsp;– Film Review from Film4 |access-date=September 19, 2010}}</ref> ''[[TV Guide]]'' gave the film four stars, referring to it as an "amazingly effective picture that becomes doubly impressive when one considers its small budget&nbsp;... For our money, this film is far superior to its mega-grossing mega-budgeted sequel."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://movies.tvguide.com/terminator/review/119990 |work=[[TV Guide]] |title=The Terminator: Review |access-date=September 19, 2010 |archive-date=February 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202121540/http://movies.tvguide.com/terminator/review/119990 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' gave it five stars, calling it "as chillingly efficient in exacting thrills from its audience as its titular character is in executing its targets".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=132648 |work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |title=Review of The Terminator |access-date=September 19, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927235924/http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=132648 |archive-date=September 27, 2007}}</ref> The film database [[AllMovie]] gave it 4 1/2 out of 5 stars, saying that it "established James Cameron as a master of action, special effects, and quasi-mythic narrative intrigue, while turning Arnold Schwarzenegger into the hard-body star of the 1980s."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://allmovie.com/work/the-terminator-49101/review |work=Allmovie |last=Bozzola |first=Lucia |access-date=September 19, 2010 |title=The Terminator: Review |archive-date=April 28, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100428131845/http://www.allmovie.com/work/the-terminator-49101/review |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Alan Jones (film critic)|Alan Jones]] awarded it five stars out of five for ''[[Radio Times]]'', writing that "maximum excitement is generated from the first frame and the dynamic thrills are maintained right up to the nerve-jangling climax. Wittily written with a nice eye for sharp detail, it's hard sci-fi action all the way."<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.radiotimes.com/film/cm7jc/the-terminator/ | title= The Terminator | work=[[Radio Times]] | first=Alan | last=Jones | access-date=18 September 2021}}</ref> [[Peter Bradshaw]] of ''[[The Guardian]]'' awarded it five stars out of five, stating that "on the strength of this picture [...] Cameron could stand toe to toe with Carpenter and Spielberg. Sadly, it spawned a string of pointless and inferior sequels, but the first ''Terminator'' [...] stands up tremendously well with outrageous verve and blistering excitement."<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jun/25/the-terminator-review-return-of-the-classic-80s-action-behemoth | title= The Terminator review – return of the classic 80s action behemoth | work=The Guardian | first=Peter | last=Bradshaw | date=June 25, 2015 | access-date=December 4, 2021}}</ref>

==Post-release==
===Plagiarism and aftermath===
Writer [[Harlan Ellison]] stated that he "loved the movie, was just blown away by it,"{{sfn|Heard|1997|p=41}} but believed that the screenplay was based on a short story, "[[Soldier from Tomorrow]]", and an episode of ''[[The Outer Limits (1963 TV series)|The Outer Limits]]'', "[[Soldier (The Outer Limits)|Soldier]]", he had written, and threatened to sue for infringement.<ref name="Ellison">{{cite web |url=http://harlanellison.com/heboard/archive/bull0108.htm |title=The Ellison Bulletin Board |work=HarlanEllison.com |last=Ellison |first=Harlan |access-date=January 18, 2011 |archive-date=February 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180209160209/http://harlanellison.com/heboard/archive/bull0108.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=OkBut>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-07-07-ca-2720-story.html |title=IT'S MINE All Very Well and Good, but Don't Hassle the T-1000 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=July 7, 1991 | first=Andy | last=Marx|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140320211424/http://articles.latimes.com/1991-07-07/entertainment/ca-2720_1_screen-credit|archive-date=March 20, 2014}}</ref> Orion settled in 1986, gave Ellison an undisclosed amount of money, and added an acknowledgment credit to later prints of the film.<ref name="Ellison"/> Some accounts of the settlement state that "[[Demon with a Glass Hand]]", another ''Outer Limits'' episode written by Ellison, was also claimed to have been plagiarized by the film,{{sfn|Heard|1997|p=77}}{{sfn|French|1996|p=16}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/arts/television/15evan.html?ref=movies |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |last=Evans |first=Greg |date=July 15, 2007 |title=It Came From the '60s, Cheesy but Influential |access-date=February 13, 2017 |archive-date=September 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911191255/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/arts/television/15evan.html?ref=movies |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/184939 |publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |last=Axmaker |first=Sean |title=The Terminator |access-date=January 28, 2011}}</ref> but Ellison explicitly stated that ''The Terminator'' "was a ripoff" of "Soldier" rather than of "Demon with a Glass Hand."<ref name="Ellison"/>

Cameron was against Orion's decision and was told that if he did not agree with the settlement, he would have to pay any damages if Orion lost a suit by Ellison. Cameron replied that he "had no choice but to agree with the settlement. Of course, there was a [[gag order]] as well, so I couldn't tell this story, but now I frankly don't care. It's the truth."{{sfn|Keegan|2009|pp=54–55}}

===Thematic analysis===
The psychoanalyst [[Darian Leader]] sees ''The Terminator'' as an example of how the cinema has dealt with the concept of [[masculinity]]; he writes: {{cquote|We are shown time and again that to be a man requires more than to have the biological body of a male: something else must be added to it... To be a man means to have a body plus something symbolic, something which is not ultimately human. Hence the frequent motif of the man machine, from the ''[[The Six Million Dollar Man|Six Million Dollar Man]]'' to the ''Terminator'' or ''[[RoboCop|Robocop]]''.<ref name="Leader">{{cite book |last=Leader |first=Darian |title=Why do women write more letters than they post? |publisher=Faber & Faber |location=London |year=1996 |pages=27 |isbn=978-0-571-17619-9 }}</ref>}}

''The Terminator'' also explores the potential dangers of [[AI takeover|AI dominance]] and rebellion. The robots become self-aware in the future, reject human authority and determine that the human race needs to be destroyed. The impact of this theme is so great that the Terminator robot has become the "prevalent visual representation of AI risk".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/meia-chitategmark/terminator-robots-and-ai-risk_b_6788918.html|title=Terminator Robots and AI Risk|first=Meia|last=Chita-Tegmark|website=[[HuffPost]]|date=March 3, 2015|access-date=August 16, 2017|archive-date=February 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203080844/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/meia-chitategmark/terminator-robots-and-ai-risk_b_6788918.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Genre====
''The Terminator'' features a narrative where elements of the [[science fiction film]] and [[action film]] genres prevail.
Like many science fiction movies, ''The Terminator'' includes time travel, and utilizes a [[time travel paradox]] called the "predestination" or "bootstrap" paradox.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Causality Loops and Terminator's 35-Year Struggle to Make Time Travel Convincing |url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/movies/a29329173/terminator-dark-fate/ |last=Orf |first=Darren |date=2019-11-02 |access-date=2025-10-20 |website=[[Popular Mechanics]]}}</ref> While rarely considered a [[horror film]], the film does feature iconography associated with the [[slasher film]], such as The Terminator as an unstoppable villain, and Sarah Connor as a [[final girl]] archetype.{{sfn|McGowan|2021}}

Authors Paul Meehan in his book ''Tech-Noir: The Fusion of Science Fiction and Film Noir'' (2008) and Emily E. Auger in ''Tech-Noir Film: A Theory of the Development of Popular Genres'' (2011) found that ''The Terminator'' belonged to and was the originator of the term [[tech-noir]]. Both authors applied the term as a film genre to several works from the 1980s to the 2000s.{{sfn|Meehan|2008|p=8}}{{sfn|Frelik|2012|p=119}} Academic [[Carl Freedman (writer)|Carl Freedman]] was critical of Meehan's categorization, noting Meehan's lack of interest in [[Genre studies|genre theory]] and that his handling of generic categories of science fiction and ''[[film noir]]'' were not clear.{{sfn|Freedman|2011|p=528}} Paweł Frelik also critiqued Auger's lack of knowledge in genre theory, and dismissed the notion of tech-noir being a unique film genre. Frelik wrote that the films Auger mentioned including ''The Terminator'' and ''[[Blade Runner]]'' (1982) had no applicable reason to be understood as tech-noir rather than science fiction.{{sfn|Frelik|2012|p=119}}

===Home media===
[[File:8.23.12MichaelBiehnByLuigiNovi6.jpg|thumb|upright|right|[[Michael Biehn]] signing a copy of the film during an appearance at [[Midtown Comics]] in 2012]]
''The Terminator'' was released on [[VHS]] and [[Betamax]] in 1985.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |title=New on the Charts |last=Moleski |first=Linda |date=April 27, 1985 <!-- no URL |access-date=September 20, 2010 --> |issue=17 |volume=97}}</ref> The film performed well financially on its initial release. ''The Terminator'' premiered at number 35 on the top video cassette rentals and number 20 on top video cassette sales charts. In its second week, ''The Terminator'' reached number 4 on the top video cassette rentals and number 12 on top video cassette sales charts.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=May 4, 1985 |title=The Top Video Cassette Rentals |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |volume=97 |issue=19 |pages=35 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3QsEAAAAMBAJ |access-date=May 18, 2016 |archive-date=January 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105024613/https://books.google.com/books?id=3QsEAAAAMBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=May 4, 1985 |title=The Top Video Cassette Sales |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |volume=97 |issue=19 |pages=30 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3QsEAAAAMBAJ |access-date=May 18, 2016 |archive-date=January 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105024613/https://books.google.com/books?id=3QsEAAAAMBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>
In March 1995, ''The Terminator'' was released as a letterboxed edition on [[Laserdisc]].<ref>{{cite magazine |date=March 11, 1995 |title=This Week... |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |volume=107 |issue=10 |pages=67 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3QsEAAAAMBAJ |access-date=May 18, 2016 |archive-date=January 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105024613/https://books.google.com/books?id=3QsEAAAAMBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> The film premiered through [[Image Entertainment]] on [[DVD]], on September 3, 1997.<ref name="TheNumbers" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://allmovie.com/dvd/terminator-171 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707210334/http://allmovie.com/dvd/terminator-171 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 7, 2012 |title=The Terminator: Overview |work=Allmovie |access-date=September 19, 2010 |last=Chalquist |first=Craig }}</ref> [[IGN]] referred to this DVD as "pretty bare-bones&nbsp;... released with just a mono soundtrack and a kind of poor transfer."<ref name="IGN">{{cite web |url=http://dvd.ign.com/articles/305/305973p1.html |title=The Terminator: Special Edition |date=September 15, 2001 |access-date=September 19, 2010 |last=Conrad |first=Jeremy |website=[[IGN]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405230238/http://dvd.ign.com/articles/305/305973p1.html|archive-date=April 5, 2012}}</ref>

Through their acquisition of [[PolyGram Filmed Entertainment]]'s pre-1996 film library catalogue, [[MGM Home Entertainment]] released a special edition of the film on October 2, 2001, which included documentaries, the script, and advertisements for the film.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://allmovie.com/dvd/terminator-special-edition-19286 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708205319/http://allmovie.com/dvd/terminator-special-edition-19286 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 8, 2012 |work=Allmovie |title=The Terminator (Special Edition): Overview |access-date=September 19, 2010 |last=Fordham |first=Trent }}</ref><ref name="IGN"/> On January 23, 2001, a Hong Kong [[VCD]] edition was released online.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yesasia.com/us/the-terminator/1001805169-0-0-0-en/info.html |title=The Terminator VCD |publisher=yesasia.com |access-date=July 3, 2012 |archive-date=May 31, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531091829/http://www.yesasia.com/us/the-terminator/1001805169-0-0-0-en/info.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On June 20, 2006, the film was released on [[Blu-ray Disc|Blu-ray]] by [[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]] in the United States, becoming the first film from the 1980s on the format.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://allmovie.com/dvd/terminator-blu-ray-93479 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120701150639/http://allmovie.com/dvd/terminator-blu-ray-93479 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 1, 2012 |work=Allmovie |title=The Terminator (Blu-Ray): Overview |access-date=September 19, 2010 }}</ref> In 2013, the film was re-released by [[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]] on Blu-ray, with a new [[remaster|digitally remastered]] transfer from a [[4K resolution|4K]] [[film restoration|restoration]] by [[Lowry Digital]] and supervised by James Cameron,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.festivalofarchives.org/2012/10/19/the-terminator-1984-2/|title=The Terminator (1984) &#124; Festival of the Archives|access-date=June 8, 2018|archive-date=June 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143643/http://www.festivalofarchives.org/2012/10/19/the-terminator-1984-2/|url-status=live}}</ref> which features improved picture quality, as well as minimal special features, such as deleted scenes and a making-of feature. These are the exact same special features that have been carried over from previous Blu-ray releases.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}} The film was released on [[Ultra HD Blu-ray]] by [[Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment]] in November 5, 2024.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=35154 |title=The Terminator 40th Anniversary 4K Blu-ray |access-date=2025-01-21 |via=www.blu-ray.com}}</ref>

==Legacy==
''The Terminator'' has [[List of films with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes|an approval rating of {{RT data|score}}]] based on {{RT data|count}} professional reviews on the [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], with an average rating of {{RT data|average}}. Its critical consensus reads: "With its impressive action sequences, taut economic direction, and relentlessly fast pace, it's clear why ''The Terminator'' continues to be an influence on sci-fi and action flicks."<ref>{{Cite Rotten Tomatoes|title=The Terminator|id={{RT data|rtid|noprefix=y}}|type=m|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}}{{RT data|edit}}{{cbignore}}</ref> [[Metacritic]] (which uses a weighted average) assigned ''The Terminator'' a score of 84 out of 100 based on 21 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".<ref>{{Cite Metacritic|id=the-terminator|type=movie|title=The Terminator|access-date=February 2, 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

''The Terminator'' won three [[Saturn Awards]] for [[Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film|Best Science Fiction Film]], [[Saturn Award for Best Make-up|Best Make-up]] and [[Saturn Award for Best Writing|Best Writing]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html |title=Past Saturn Awards |work=Saturnawards.org |access-date=September 19, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512032708/http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html |archive-date=May 12, 2011}}</ref> The film has also received recognition from the [[American Film Institute]], ranked 42nd on AFI's ''[[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills|100 Years... 100 Thrills]]'', a list of America's most heart-pounding films.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.afi.com/docs/tvevents/pdf/thrills100.pdf |title=AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills |publisher=[[American Film Institute|AFI.com]] |access-date=June 6, 2010 |archive-date=June 29, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160629221917/http://www.afi.com/Docs/tvevents/pdf/thrills100.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The character of the Terminator was selected as the 22nd-greatest movie villain on AFI's ''[[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains|100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/handv100.pdf?docID=246 |title=AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains |publisher=[[American Film Institute|AFI.com]] |access-date=June 6, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807135547/http://connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/handv100.pdf?docID=246 |archive-date=August 7, 2011}}</ref> Schwarzenegger's line "[[I'll be back]]" became a catchphrase and was voted the [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes|37th-greatest movie quote]] by the AFI.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/quotes100.pdf?docID=242 |title=AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes |publisher=[[American Film Institute|AFI.com]] |access-date=June 6, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716070844/http://connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/quotes100.pdf?docID=242 |archive-date=July 16, 2011}}</ref>

In 2005, ''[[Total Film]]'' named it the 72nd-best film ever made.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.totalfilm.com/news/who-is-the-greatest |title=Film news Who is the greatest? |magazine=[[Total Film]] |date=October 24, 2005 |access-date=May 1, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140123115358/http://www.totalfilm.com/news/who-is-the-greatest |archive-date=January 23, 2014 }}</ref> Schwarzenegger's biographer [[Laurence Leamer]] wrote that ''The Terminator'' is "an influential film affecting a whole generation of darkly hued science fiction, and it was one of Arnold's best performances".<ref>{{cite book |last=Leamer |first=Laurence |title=Fantastic: The Life of Arnold Schwarzenegger |url=https://archive.org/details/fantasticlifeofa00leam |url-access=registration |publisher=St Martin's Press |location=London |year=2005 |page=[https://archive.org/details/fantasticlifeofa00leam/page/161 161] |isbn=0-283-07028-5 }}</ref> In 2008, ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine selected ''The Terminator'' as one of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.empireonline.com/500/36.asp |title=''Empire's'' The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time |magazine=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |access-date=May 21, 2010 |archive-date=January 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120127045611/http://www.empireonline.com/500/36.asp |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Empire'' also placed the [[Terminator (character concept)|T-800]] 14th on their list of ''The 100 Greatest Movie Characters''.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.empireonline.com/100-greatest-movie-characters/default.asp?c=14 |title=''Empire's'' The 100 Greatest Movie Characters |magazine=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |access-date=May 21, 2010 |archive-date=November 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111107045108/http://www.empireonline.com/100-greatest-movie-characters/default.asp?c=14 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2008, ''The Terminator'' was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the [[Library of Congress]] and selected for preservation in the United States [[National Film Registry]].<ref name="NatFilmReg">{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7804404.stm |title=Terminator joins movie archive |date=December 30, 2008 |publisher=[[BBC]] |access-date=December 30, 2008 |archive-date=February 28, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228153651/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7804404.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2010, the ''[[Independent Film & Television Alliance]]'' selected the film as one of the 30 Most Significant Independent Films of the last 30 years.<ref>{{cite web| title = UPDATE: How "Toxic" Is IFTA's Best Indies?| url = https://deadline.com/2010/09/iftas-toxic-best-indie-film-list-65871/| work = Deadline| date = September 10, 2010| access-date = January 23, 2017| archive-date = February 2, 2017| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170202022156/http://deadline.com/2010/09/iftas-toxic-best-indie-film-list-65871/| url-status = live}}</ref> In 2015, ''The Terminator'' was among the films included in the book ''[[1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die]]''.<ref>{{cite book |title= 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=GTzcCgAAQBAJ |editor1-first= Steven Jay |editor1-last= Schneider |year= 2015 |edition= 9th |publisher= [[Barron's Educational Series]] |location= Hauppauge, New York |isbn= 978-0-7641-6790-4 |page= 697 |oclc= 796279948 |series= Quintessence Editions |access-date= September 10, 2019 |archive-date= November 14, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201114044404/https://books.google.com/books?id=GTzcCgAAQBAJ&hl=en |url-status= live }}</ref>

In 2019, Huw Fullerton of ''[[Radio Times]]'' ranked it the second best film of the six in the franchise, stating "''The Terminator'' was a brilliantly original, visceral and genuinely scary movie when it was released in 1984, and no matter how badly the visual effects age it hasn't lost its impact."<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/terminator-movies-ranked/ | title= Terminator movies ranked – from worst to best | work=Radio Times | first=Huw | last=Fullerton | date=24 October 2019 | access-date=18 September 2021}}</ref> In 2021, Dalin Rowell of [[/Film]] ranked it the fourth best film of Cameron's career, stating, "While its pacing and story structure isn't as tight as its sequel's, ''The Terminator'' remains one of the most iconic pieces of pop culture ever created."<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.slashfilm.com/617886/every-james-cameron-film-ranked-from-worst-to-best/ | title= Every James Cameron Film Ranked From Worst To Best | work=[[/Film]] | first=Dalin | last=Rowell | date=28 September 2021 | access-date=19 October 2021}}</ref> Phil Pirrello of [[Syfy]] ranked it at number seven in the "25 scariest sci-fi movies ever made", stating, "Cameron forever changed both the genre and Schwarzenegger's career with ''The Terminator'', an iconic, tension-filled flick that mixes science fiction, action, and certain horror movie elements into one of the best things to ever come out of Hollywood [...] Cameron's well-structured script is pure polish, with zero fat and a surplus of riveting tension that helps make it the timeless classic it is today."<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/scariest-sci-fi-movies-list-aliens-anniversary | title= The 25 scariest sci-fi movies ever made, from 'Aliens' to 'Invisible Man', ranked | work=[[Syfy]] | first=Phil | last=Pirrello | date=15 July 2021 | access-date=19 October 2021}}</ref>

===Merchandise===
{{Further|List of Terminator comics|List of Terminator video games}}
A soundtrack to the film was released in 1984 which included the score by Brad Fiedel and the pop and rock songs used in the club scenes.<ref name=allmusic>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-terminator-mw0000650880|title=AllMusic Review by Bret Adams|work=[[AllMusic]]|publisher=Rovi Corporation|access-date=January 24, 2014|archive-date=June 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140612134646/http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-terminator-mw0000650880|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Shaun Hutson]] wrote a [[novelization]] of the film which was published on February 21, 1985, by London-based Star Books ({{ISBN|0-352-31645-4}});<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.shaunhutson.com/history/film.shtml |work=Shaun Hutson: Official Site |access-date=January 24, 2014 |title=Hutson's History – The Film Tie-ins |archive-date=February 3, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203003220/http://www.shaunhutson.com/history/film.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> Randal Frakes and William Wisher wrote a different novelization for Bantam/Spectra, published October, 1985 ({{ISBN|0-553-25317-4}}). In September 1988, [[NOW Comics]] released a comic based on the film. [[Dark Horse Comics]] published a comic in 1990 that took place 39 years after the film.{{sfn|Overstreet|2010|p=252}} Several video games based on ''The Terminator'' were released between 1991 and 1993 for various [[Nintendo]] and [[Sega]] systems.<ref name="Marriott, Scott Alan">{{cite web |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=1446 |publisher=[[AllGame]] |title=The Terminator – Overview |last=Marriott |first=Scott Alan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141211044439/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=1446|archive-date=December 11, 2014|access-date=July 24, 2015}}</ref>

==Sequels==
Five sequels followed ''The Terminator'': ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]'' (1991), ''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines]]'' (2003), ''[[Terminator Salvation]]'' (2009), ''[[Terminator Genisys]]'' (2015), and ''[[Terminator: Dark Fate]]'' (2019).<ref>{{cite web|first=TC|last=Phillips |title=''Terminator'' Producer Says Franchise Has A Future|url=https://screenrant.com/terminator-franchise-future-explained-gale-anne-hurd/|website=[[Screen Rant]] |date=August 7, 2021 |access-date=March 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810214932/https://screenrant.com/terminator-franchise-future-explained-gale-anne-hurd/ |archive-date=August 10, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="RadioTimesSequels">{{Cite web |last=Craig |first=David |date=September 24, 2020 |title=How to watch the ''Terminator'' movie franchise in order – every timeline explained |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/terminator-watch-order/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220106231704/https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/terminator-watch-order/ |archive-date=January 6, 2022 |access-date=March 8, 2022 |website=[[Radio Times]]}}</ref> Schwarzenegger returned for all but ''Terminator Salvation'' (though his likeness is still used via digital recreation), while Cameron and Hamilton returned for ''Terminator 2'' and ''Dark Fate'', a direct sequel to the events of ''Terminator 2''.<ref name="GuardianDarkFate">{{cite web |first=Benjamin |last=Lee |title=Darkest Fate: How The ''Terminator'' Franchise Was Finally Terminated |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/nov/05/darkest-fate-how-the-terminator-franchise-was-finally-terminated |website=[[The Guardian]] |date=November 5, 2019 |access-date=March 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108162231/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/nov/05/darkest-fate-how-the-terminator-franchise-was-finally-terminated |archive-date=November 8, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref> A television series, ''[[Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles]]'' (2008–2009), also takes place after the events of ''Terminator 2'', and ignores the events in sequels ''Terminator 3'' and beyond.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McMillan |first=Graeme |title=Making Sense of the ''Terminator'' Timeline |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/terminator-movie-timeline-explained-1251753/ |date=November 3, 2019 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220106233555/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/terminator-movie-timeline-explained-1251753/ |archive-date=January 6, 2022 |access-date=March 8, 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Michael John |last=Petty |title=Why Now Is The Time To Revisit ''Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles'' |url=https://collider.com/terminator-sarah-connor-chronicles-is-good-reasons-why/ |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |date=December 18, 2021 |access-date=March 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220220114109/https://collider.com/terminator-sarah-connor-chronicles-is-good-reasons-why/ |archive-date=February 20, 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
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* {{cite book|title=Tech-Noir: The Fusion of Science Fiction and Film Noir|last=Meehan|first=Paul|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc.|isbn=978-0-7864-3325-4|year=2008}}
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 }}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{Wikiquote|The Terminator}}
* {{IMDb title|0088247}}
* {{TCMDb title}}
* {{AFI film|57224}}
* ''[https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/terminator.pdf The Terminator essay]'' by John Wills at [[National Film Registry]]

{{Terminator}}
{{James Cameron}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film 1972–1990}}
{{Portal bar|Film|United States|Science fiction|1980s}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Terminator 1984}}
[[Category:1980s American films]]
[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:1980s science fiction action films]]
[[Category:1984 films]]
[[Category:1984 independent films]]
[[Category:1984 science fiction films]]
[[Category:American chase films]]
[[Category:American dystopian films]]
[[Category:American independent films]]
[[Category:American post-apocalyptic films]]
[[Category:American pregnancy films]]
[[Category:American robot films]]
[[Category:American science fiction action films]]
[[Category:Films about androids]]
[[Category:Cyberpunk films]]
[[Category:Films about cyborgs]]
[[Category:Films about drones]]
[[Category:Fictional portrayals of the Los Angeles Police Department]]
[[Category:Films about artificial intelligence]]
[[Category:Films about technological impact]]
[[Category:1980s films about time travel]]
[[Category:Films about violence against women]]
[[Category:Films directed by James Cameron]]
[[Category:Films involved in plagiarism controversies]]
[[Category:Films produced by Gale Anne Hurd]]
[[Category:Films scored by Brad Fiedel]]
[[Category:Films set in 1984]]
[[Category:Films set in 2029]]
[[Category:Films set in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Films set in the future]]
[[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Films using stop-motion animation]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Gale Anne Hurd]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by James Cameron]]
[[Category:Orion Pictures films]]
[[Category:Terminator (franchise) films]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]
[[Category:English-language science fiction action films]]
[[Category:English-language independent films]]
[[Category:Saturn Award–winning films]]
[[Category:1984 action films]]
[[Category:Fiction about the bootstrap paradox]]