This 1984 film marks the birth of an entirely new film genre - the action movie. Before ''The Terminator'', there were adventure films (like ''Raiders of the Lost Ark''), there were science-fiction flicks (like ''Star Wars''), there were horror movies (like ''Jaws'') and there were police dramas (like ''The French Connection''). But then Canadian-born filmmaker James Cameron had the bright idea of combining all those genres into one single film, and bingo - a whole new type of movie has been created. ''The Terminator'' has the action set pieces of an adventure film, the high-tech special effects of a science-fiction flick, the shocking thrills of a horror movie and the exciting car chases of a police drama. There are even touches of humour. The immortal Arnold Schwarzenegger's line, ''I'll be back'' is actually a hilarious and elaborate gag. Reversing the typical action-sequence structure (where the hero usually delivers a punch line after performing a daring stunt), here the the quip is the set-up, and the action scene - Arnie coming right back, fully armed and riding a pickup-truck into a police station - becomes the punch line. Stylistically, the film is a masterpiece. Cameron's direction is dazzling. The noirish cinematography gives the movie a distinct, dark and forbidding look, which became quite familiar by the late 1980's, but was quite innovative at the time (just look at the difference in the visual look of 1978's ''Superman'' and the 1989's ''Batman'' to see how the superhero films have evolved due to Terminator's influence). The rapid-fire editing has also set a new pace for Hollywood movies from then on, making older action/adventure films look sluggish by comparison. The bone-rushing violence, the unrelenting suspense, the spectacular chases and action sequences, and a bleak vision of a post-apocalyptic future - all contribute to the excitement and the thrills. And there is even some sexual titillation thrown in for good measure. The plot is simple, but effective - an evil cyborg (Arnold Schwarzenegger) from a post-nuclear future, is sent to the past (1984's Lost Angeles) to kill a young girl (Linda Hamilton) who will become the mother of a future resistance leader. A resistance fighter (Michael Biehn) is also send to the past to protect her. Once this premise is introduced, the film doesn't waste any time on parallel subplots or narrative complications - it becomes one, long, exciting and relentless chase sequence that never stops.
