I only really like the first 2. 3 felt like just a bunch of repeated scenes of John and Kate running away from the T-X and the T-850 fighting it, Salvation and Genisys sucked and Dark Fate making the first 2 films pointless by killing John off, a T-800 that somehow understood despite not being reprogrammed like T2's was, the Rev-9 being a poor man's T-1000 and the Mary Sues Grace and Dani were terrible.
1) T2 2) Terminator 3) Dark Fate 4) Rise of the Machines 5) Genisys 6) Salvation With that said the first two are the only ones worth watching (Dark Fate is fine)
When my parents divorced one of the few things my dad had was the VHS set of Terminator and T2. Should my sister and I have been watching them at 11 and 8? No. But they'll always hold a place in my heart, especially T2 because of that time. I think of them and I think of my dad. Thanks for looking at this classic, Matt.
I never had a great relationship with my dad, one of the cool things he did when I was little was lie to my mom, hire a babysitter, buy tickets to whatever disney movie was out and snuck my brother and I into the theater for Terminator 2.
I honestly never thought of The Terminator as a franchise. It's a duology; a closed loop told in two genres; with several apocryphal narratives born of greed and nostalgia.
Well...I'd count the PC game (Resistance) and the series (The Sarah Connor Chronicles) as far better additions to the franchise/canon than the movies that came after.
I can't agree with you more. I remember five years ago or so realizing the Terminator is a slasher film, with Arnold Schwarzenegger playing cyborg Michael Meyers. It's also such a tight and effective film. T2 has spectacle on lock, but I very much prefer the first film
I’ve always been a bigger fan of Terminator compred to T2. The constant chase through a techno neo-noir city is thrilling and frightening. Its a masterpiece in my mind.
I think people underrate Arnolds acting because of his line deliveries, but his ability to act with his body language and facial expressions in a way few action stars can. There’s a moment in Conan where he is just sharpening his sword while his companions go over their plan to steal back the princess and are begging him not to go rogue and stick to the plan. Arnold’s body language and facial expressions fill that scene with so much tension! It’s great, one of his best moments as an actor ever.
All I needed was one comment or I was writing one... There's a scene in total recall at the beginning, don't get me wrong the very 1st scene is awful with Sharon Stone but the scene at recall when he goes under and is all excited and then wakes up screaming "you blew my cover!" Is quality, he was awesome in predator, you can feel the tension on every viewing and there's a few scenes in true lies
A couple of notes: 1) Cameron and Hurd (and pal Bill Paxton) got their start with Roger Corman, him as SFX supervisor on Battle Beyond The Stars, her as an associate producer (after applying to be Corman's secretary!). That would be where they learned how to work within a budget. 2) There was one other Harlan Ellison story Cameron supposedly riffed off for this: "Demon With A Glass Hand". That too involved time travel, destiny, a chase and a talking machine.
At last! A review that recognizes that the original film is the masterpiece of the series. No alternate timelines. Just a dark inescapable preordained fate. 🔥💀🔥
I feel similar to the Matrix series. New scifi idea with its rumors of plagerisms, parody to hell and back, 80s/90s club dance scenes, charismatic lead without the most acting ability, a bunch of sequels trying to recapture former glory, and that first film which works best as a horror film with a trail of bodies against a seemingly unstoppable force.
Then again matrix reloaded wasn’t good while T2 was amazing yet arguably not as good as the first. I don’t think any one has ever said that about reloaded while it’s not that bad it’s just not good.
I’ve loved the first Terminator film forever, watching it on VHS repeatedly as a kid (along with T2). As time passes, my appreciation for the first film has grown, mainly because it’s chock full of so many of my favorite genres: dystopian cyberpunk, slasher-horror, noir, and romance - “I traveled across time for you, Sarah”. Like goddamn, if that ain’t love I don’t know what is.
"That Terminator is out there. It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear, and it absolutely will not stop. Ever! Until you will are dead." - Kyle Reese
I’ve always loved the Terminator over any of the sequels. I saw T2 before the og when I was a kid, and I was expecting a over the top, quippy action movie. I had nightmares about a metal skeleton coming after me for a week afterwards. There’s just something about it, the gritty cinematography mixed with the music, the slow deconstruction of the Terminator from man to machine, the fact that *you can’t stop it*, has always stuck with me
Great vid as usual! The first Terminator is also my personal favorite and I hate that it's almost overshadowed by the awesomeness of T2 and the awfulness of the other cash-in sequels. Except for Salvation, I really did love Salvation for what it was. I just wish they kept the same look of the future from the first two movies to really keep that Horror angle that's been missing in this franchise.
Literally my favorite film of ALL time. This is the most multi genre package that film has to offer. If I only ever made one film but it was this or equal to it I could live with this. Absolute masterpiece.
Watching T1 as a gay man was a very different experience. It was not only scary but also sad. I cried when Kyle died. Very rarely do men show that kind of vulnerability on screen. I grew up in a dysfunctional household, and was lonely for the majority of my life, so I saw a lot of myself in him. I felt like I was falling in love with him along with Sarah. His story was tragic from start to end. Born in a war among death and destruction, then died after spending only 1 night with his lover, never knowing that he was the father. He was a beautiful person who suffered so much pain and received so little reward. His death was inevitable and unavoidable. John sent Kyle back knowing Kyle would die, but not sending Kyle back would prevent John from being born. For me, T1 was leagues ahead of T2. The emotions just hit harder. It just wasn't the same with Arnold as the good Terminator. The human vs machine parallel from T1 was gone. Not sending a human from the future really changed the tone of T2. The T-800 didn't suffer any trauma, nor did it have any feelings besides its programming. It was likeable, but it was no Kyle Reese. I think Arnold did a better job as the monster than as the good guy. Interestingly, the best scenes of Kyle were deleted scenes. The scene where he broke down crying after realizing his PTSD had caused him to pull a gun on Sarah, that made me cry too. Then in T2, the one scene he was in got deleted. It's sad that T2 audiences (people who saw T2 first) never got to experience Kyle. He really deserved better. I also disagree with your point that "Sarah became the hero Kyle could never be". Kyle WAS that hero. Sarah would not be who she is today if not for him. He was her inspiration.
The original terminator could have been its own stand-alone horror classic; with Arnie's T-800 assassin join the horror roster with Freddy Kreuger, Jason Voorhees etc. I'm glad it wasn't because we wouldn't have had T2: Judgement Day.
The first movie was so AWESOME for a movie of this budget,i like the horror elements,its more of a sci fi take on slashers instead of the demonic mystical one. This and robocop are awesome movies in the cyberpunk genre.
It's really funny how we like so many of the same things, and it becomes even more apparent when you open the scope of the kinds of reviews you post. Anyway, I'm loving the variety, keep em coming, Matt!
I was not expecting to get a Terminator video this soon! This was an excellent treat. Imma need videos from all the Arnie greats now, Matt. 1. The Terminator 2. Terminator 2 3. Terminator Salvation 4. Terminator Dark Fate 5. Terminator 3 6. Terminator Genesis 🤢
Man, Terminator Salvation had a bad rep among fans, but if you think about it, it's not an attempt-to-make-a-T2-sequel like rest, it's just a post apocalyptic movie. (My favorite attempt-to-make-a-T2-sequel movie it's T3 because it connects to this film)
The Terminator is one of my favorite movies of all time mainly because I love how it blends so many genres all in one movie. While T2 isn’t my favorite it’s still my second favorite since without T1 wouldn’t have T2. I get why people hate T3 but I wouldn’t say it’s the worst sequel, salvation is decent as long as you don’t think about it too much. I really don’t like genisys, and I want to like dark fate but I just don’t as of now. Overall I like the franchise, while the sequels aren’t anything to brag about at least the first two were fantastic.
The Terminator is my #1 favorite movie of all time! This movie is such a masterpiece. I will say that I personally love the stop motion animation they used for the endoskeleton, since the rough and shaky movement of stop motion animation gave the Terminator a creepier vibe. Great video!
I'm pretty sure Colossus : The Forbin Project was an influence. It not only features a self-aware A.I. taking control of the nuclear arsenal, but two lovers being stalked by the machine.
Cameron is enough of an old school sci-fi guy to run across it, I agree. However, many of those same elements are also present in Ellison's "Demon With A Glass Hand".
They don’t make movies like this anymore. They just remake them or do sequels and prequels. I’m glad l can remember when Hollywood actually produced original great movies like this one.
Really enjoyed your thoughtful commentary. The bit about bringing children into this world is one that has always resonated and I first thought of the concept when I was young. In the early 90s, there was a Magic Card set called Fallen Empires. Theme is obvious, and one flavor text on the cards talked about how the parents found solace in the fact that although they were all doomed, they held off destruction long enough for their children to grow and fall in love. Forget fantasy, how many time in history has this conundrum played out? Sumerians as their culture gradually faded, Gauls in the face of the inexorable Romans, Moors in Grenada, every New World culture.... Remarkable how ephemeral culture can sometimes provoke a lifetime of deep thought.
It's a good thing that there weren't like 24 listings in that phone book for Sarah Connor, or this movie would have been exceedingly long. ;-) Seriously: saw this flick in the fall of 1984 and what a fun ride that was. (I was 18.) I didn't see any of the other films in the franchise. I liked that this one was a real suspense yarn with scary elements. Had to say, regarding narration here: People saying "...because (noun)" is driving me batshit, lol. It's becoming the norm in American slang, I guess. It sounds so goofy to the ear-- but that's just my little peeve. :D
I love how you talk about how the first terminator is a slasher. I was writing a cover letter for an art position and I talked about how some action films are inspired by horror films. The movies I talked about were predator and terminator. I wrote this letter the day this was uplaoded. Cool.
The reason the romance part works so well is the same than in Titanic: it's a great love story because it's fleeting, short and intense!! If Kyle and Sarah prevent the apocalypse and live, they would get sick of each other after a couple of years and go their separate ways. Every great romance forces the couple to split rather than having their love wither, wether it's by an iceberg or war against the machines. Thanx, Matt!!! Great video as usual!! Yes, can we have some more horror, please?
It's more than okay to like Terminator Salvation: while it feels like a late 1990s / early 2000s film that passed its sell-by date, and one can argue it only gives a glimpse of the great future war to come, at least it was attempting something different than remaking T2 three times over.
Everytime I talk about this movie and I say it’s basically a HALLOWEEN remake but a very very good one I always get strange looks. But when they watch both and come back to me they always say I’m right hahah. Great video
Like Alien 1&2, The Terminator part one feels like a work of art in a time capsule and part two has a larger than life Hollywood fun at the theater feel. It's wild to me that I thought the same thing, that The Terminator is a horror movie about the Boogeyman and can form a category in which both films belong. No Country for Old Men is another one.
Apparently Michael Biehn was originally supposed to play the T-1000 in T2 which would have really messed with Sarah having to fight a Terminator that looked like Kyle.
Great video. I've only seen the first three Terminator Movies. Loved the first two but I can't rank one over the other, I just really appreciate them both for what they offer. Although the first one is special because of its setting and high stakes for ordinary people against an unknown evil. I enjoyed this and I too am an Arnold Fan.
You should watch Salvation to see the good ideas it had and did execute kinda well and it was the only movie that takes place in the future. Genesis was… a movie. And Dark Fate had good and bad elements. The bad being how the future “Savior” is basically John but a female, no one cares about Grace, but Sarah was good, and the T-800 was obviously the best one.
@@victorcapote7376 Dark Fate frustrated me because it ALMOST got there. The action was as impressive as ever but the emotional content during the downtime just was lacking. Still, Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor was a revelation to me, sort of like my mom if she'd wound up with permanent PMS instead of menopause. That one line "Funerals don't help them, goodbyes don't help you" just gets at the core of the character.
Problem is that John Conner did not tell Kyle that he was his father; that's an important part of the story. Kyle chose to come on his own, because he was already in love with her and wanted to save her. Sarah, before, was not Sarah until Kyle. She learned everything about how to survive from him. ("Do I look like the mother of the future? I can't even balance my checkbook! You're talking about things I haven't done yet in the past tense.") Without Kyle, there is no story. He was always the center of everything.
T1 is still my personal favorite in the series. I loved that it carried itself more like a slasher movie than an action film (like all the other ones). For me its: The Terminator Terminator 2 Judgement Day Terminator Dark Fate (Yeah, I said it) Terminator 3 Rise of the Machines Terminator Salvation Terminator Genysis (couldn't make it thru the 1st few mins of it)
Terminator 1 and 2 are about love in a cold loveless world. Terminator is about emotion. Absence of love can destroy us, BUT love can save us. The actions of the current generation can affect the future ones. I can say more but thats it for now.
Yes, there is a storm coming. Yes things will not be easy.. but there is a greater Hope on the horizon. A faith in something bigger for the future. With a new life that is being literally carried inside her and indeed a rebirth for the character of Sarah herself.
T2 is always seen as the better film. In many ways it is, but T1 has something over T2 and to me it's the most important: the intent. While T2 plays it safe by trying to appeal to everyone regarding adults, kids, humor, and special effects spectacle, T1 knows exactly which audience it's aiming for, and it succeeds. No moral tales ("I swear I will not kill anyone") to relieve parents about showing it to their kids, no forced "Arnold humor" as he was now a huge star by that time ("I need a vacation!!"), no scapegoat villain made of liquid metal so there's no blood when he gets damaged (as to avoid an "X" rating), and no happy ending by saying there's multiple timelines if you remove evidence of the future from the present. T1 says "It's gonna be bloody, it's gonna be dark/scary, and any humor in the film comes within the context of the drama of whatever the characters are doing. NOT because Arnold is charismatic and audiences like when he says funny things. You're not gonna get invested in the spectacle, you're gonna get invested in the DRAMA". Seriously, the best humor in T1 comes from the back-and-forth between Lt. Traxler and Ed at the police station, followed by Dr. Sielberman. When Arnold tells the other truck driver to "Get out!!" at the end of the movie, it isn't funny because Arnold is saying it, it's because we see that the Terminator's face is all messed up, and it's running out of time to keep up the charade of trying to blend in with humans since it just got into a car accident and then got RAN OVER BY A FUCKING TRUCK. That moment is funny because of what's happening, NOT because Arnold said it.
It’s funny they Cameron did this to his own films (follow an slasher film with an action sequel) since he did the same with Alien/Aliens. The Alien franchise also feels disconnected from the first film.
Terminator 2 was my entry point and I love it to this day. Loved the ending of T3. Wish they showed off John Connor a bit more in Salvation. I was somewhat intrigued with the direction they were going in in GeniSyS. Thought Dark Fate was a watchable mid tier movie. I think my main problems with the sequels is the lack of progression and over-reliance on Arnie's T-800. I feel like at this point they should stop making movies and make another tv series. Like a 24 episode anime or 3-4 season live action show. This way they'll be forced to progress through the overall story and not just rehash the same plot over and over again
I have absolutely NO ISSUE with anything people say this film have as a flaw...the low budget FX, only enhanced the creepiness of a bloody cold killing machine walking direct to you and you are shitting your pants (or panties in this situation) just running away from it. The Scene of the T-800 performing a surgery on himself is still one of my all time favorites scenes in film and I don't care how fake the head looks, the arm and the rest just creep me out and I love it. Also James Cameron is probably the best director capturing strong female leads without forcing agendas or making them mary sues, they always human, vulnerable and determine survivors that will do anything to protect their love ones even when they face death itself, from Ellen Ripley, Sarah Connor, Lindsey Brigman (watch the Abyss people a true underrated GEM), Helen Tasker, Rose DeWitt and Neytiri (and I will put Alita in that list, despite he didn't direct Battle Angel it was his baby and his Fingerprints are all over that film), James knows how to make you care about his leads, no matter if they are men or women, I wish many current directors and sadly FEMALE DIRECTORS knew how to write female characters as great as Cameron does. T1 and T2 for me are both masterpieces I love them equally, neither for me is better, both complement each other a beautiful dance of Horror and Action, but overall humanity at its very core (Salvation been the only one of the sequels that...I like, not canon to me, but is the one that at least TRY), love these films to death and T1 is just an unique film, the music, the look, the despair and dread, I just love it, can complain this is anyone's favorite, it totally deserved, I never have watch T2 without play first T1, those movies truly go together for me.
Finally, some more love for my personal fave. Let's all realize, whether you like it or not, T2 is what led to the creation of the rest of the franchise, so perhaps this should've remained a solo affair. That being said, I'll divert from popular opinion (as most should) & give GENISYS some credit, because despite its misplaced aspirations to "Marvelize" Terminator, it does A LOT right by the love story element of T1. Plus, it & SALVATION were the only subsequent entries that seemed to remember that T1 & KYLE REESE were actually things that existed. My ranking of all six, at this current point in time: THE TERMINATOR GENISYS (yeah, I said it) T2 SALVATION (I technically like this conceptually more than T2, but T2 is objectively a better made film) DARK FATE (too little too late, but tonally probably the third best if you're interested in a trilogy) T3 (a fun yarn, but pretty much a shining example of what not to do right after T2)
It’s ironic that it’s the very first Terminator, made with a paltry budget and arguably the least powerful villain in the franchise is also the one that is scariest. All the other films ramp up the action, spectacle, and (to their detriment) camp value and lose varying degrees of the horror element as a result. For all the advancements in filmmaking techniques, larger budgets and more advanced terminator models that followed none quite compare to the original.
So it would be wild if T2 and Aliens are in the same universe, Skynet actually being an early attempt by The Weiland Corporation to take over the world ????
Good starting point, actually, making them a slightly more competent Umbrella Corporation. What would be fun would be going beyond just Terminators and Aliens and seeing what other horrors they could cook up.
How would you rank the Terminator movies?
Having only seen three, I'd say: 1) T2, 2)Terminator and 3) Dark Fate.
I only really like the first 2. 3 felt like just a bunch of repeated scenes of John and Kate running away from the T-X and the T-850 fighting it, Salvation and Genisys sucked and Dark Fate making the first 2 films pointless by killing John off, a T-800 that somehow understood despite not being reprogrammed like T2's was, the Rev-9 being a poor man's T-1000 and the Mary Sues Grace and Dani were terrible.
1) T2
2) Terminator
3) Dark Fate
4) Rise of the Machines
5) Genisys
6) Salvation
With that said the first two are the only ones worth watching (Dark Fate is fine)
I rank it as terminator 1 that's like triple S tier. Terminator 2 A+ as a film C- as a terminator film, F for everything else.
1. T2 2. Salvation 3. Dark Fate 4. Terminator 5. Terminator 3 6. Genisys
When my parents divorced one of the few things my dad had was the VHS set of Terminator and T2. Should my sister and I have been watching them at 11 and 8? No. But they'll always hold a place in my heart, especially T2 because of that time. I think of them and I think of my dad. Thanks for looking at this classic, Matt.
I saw the original Terminator when I was 10 myself, albeit on regular TV. Even with the cuts, it was still too memorable to ever forget, yes?
I never had a great relationship with my dad, one of the cool things he did when I was little was lie to my mom, hire a babysitter, buy tickets to whatever disney movie was out and snuck my brother and I into the theater for Terminator 2.
Terminator 2 was the first R rated film that I watched.
I saw it on laser disc with my dad in his home theater.
I honestly never thought of The Terminator as a franchise. It's a duology; a closed loop told in two genres; with several apocryphal narratives born of greed and nostalgia.
That's fair. The core narrative remains within those two films.
Well...I'd count the PC game (Resistance) and the series (The Sarah Connor Chronicles) as far better additions to the franchise/canon than the movies that came after.
@@nickmitsialis Dawn of Fate was pretty good too.
@@andrewpytko4773 I've heard of the game but I don't think I've ever managed to see a play thru.
Fair. I’d say the trilogy is good while salvation isn’t needed it was OK. The rest are just horrible.
I can't agree with you more. I remember five years ago or so realizing the Terminator is a slasher film, with Arnold Schwarzenegger playing cyborg Michael Meyers. It's also such a tight and effective film. T2 has spectacle on lock, but I very much prefer the first film
I’ve always been a bigger fan of Terminator compred to T2. The constant chase through a techno neo-noir city is thrilling and frightening. Its a masterpiece in my mind.
I think people underrate Arnolds acting because of his line deliveries, but his ability to act with his body language and facial expressions in a way few action stars can. There’s a moment in Conan where he is just sharpening his sword while his companions go over their plan to steal back the princess and are begging him not to go rogue and stick to the plan. Arnold’s body language and facial expressions fill that scene with so much tension! It’s great, one of his best moments as an actor ever.
All I needed was one comment or I was writing one...
There's a scene in total recall at the beginning, don't get me wrong the very 1st scene is awful with Sharon Stone but the scene at recall when he goes under and is all excited and then wakes up screaming "you blew my cover!" Is quality, he was awesome in predator, you can feel the tension on every viewing and there's a few scenes in true lies
A couple of notes:
1) Cameron and Hurd (and pal Bill Paxton) got their start with Roger Corman, him as SFX supervisor on Battle Beyond The Stars, her as an associate producer (after applying to be Corman's secretary!). That would be where they learned how to work within a budget.
2) There was one other Harlan Ellison story Cameron supposedly riffed off for this: "Demon With A Glass Hand". That too involved time travel, destiny, a chase and a talking machine.
At last! A review that recognizes that the original film is the masterpiece of the series. No alternate timelines. Just a dark inescapable preordained fate. 🔥💀🔥
I feel similar to the Matrix series.
New scifi idea with its rumors of plagerisms, parody to hell and back, 80s/90s club dance scenes, charismatic lead without the most acting ability, a bunch of sequels trying to recapture former glory, and that first film which works best as a horror film with a trail of bodies against a seemingly unstoppable force.
Then again matrix reloaded wasn’t good while T2 was amazing yet arguably not as good as the first. I don’t think any one has ever said that about reloaded while it’s not that bad it’s just not good.
I’ve loved the first Terminator film forever, watching it on VHS repeatedly as a kid (along with T2). As time passes, my appreciation for the first film has grown, mainly because it’s chock full of so many of my favorite genres: dystopian cyberpunk, slasher-horror, noir, and romance - “I traveled across time for you, Sarah”. Like goddamn, if that ain’t love I don’t know what is.
This is cool. It’s more than an action/sci-fi/cyberpunk story, it’s also a love story.
"That Terminator is out there. It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear, and it absolutely will not stop. Ever! Until you will are dead." - Kyle Reese
So many ways that could have gone so wrong delivered by a lessor actor. Biehn was masterful.
I’ve always loved the Terminator over any of the sequels. I saw T2 before the og when I was a kid, and I was expecting a over the top, quippy action movie. I had nightmares about a metal skeleton coming after me for a week afterwards. There’s just something about it, the gritty cinematography mixed with the music, the slow deconstruction of the Terminator from man to machine, the fact that *you can’t stop it*, has always stuck with me
Great vid as usual! The first Terminator is also my personal favorite and I hate that it's almost overshadowed by the awesomeness of T2 and the awfulness of the other cash-in sequels. Except for Salvation, I really did love Salvation for what it was. I just wish they kept the same look of the future from the first two movies to really keep that Horror angle that's been missing in this franchise.
Literally my favorite film of ALL time. This is the most multi genre package that film has to offer. If I only ever made one film but it was this or equal to it I could live with this. Absolute masterpiece.
Watching T1 as a gay man was a very different experience. It was not only scary but also sad. I cried when Kyle died. Very rarely do men show that kind of vulnerability on screen. I grew up in a dysfunctional household, and was lonely for the majority of my life, so I saw a lot of myself in him. I felt like I was falling in love with him along with Sarah. His story was tragic from start to end. Born in a war among death and destruction, then died after spending only 1 night with his lover, never knowing that he was the father. He was a beautiful person who suffered so much pain and received so little reward. His death was inevitable and unavoidable. John sent Kyle back knowing Kyle would die, but not sending Kyle back would prevent John from being born.
For me, T1 was leagues ahead of T2. The emotions just hit harder. It just wasn't the same with Arnold as the good Terminator. The human vs machine parallel from T1 was gone. Not sending a human from the future really changed the tone of T2. The T-800 didn't suffer any trauma, nor did it have any feelings besides its programming. It was likeable, but it was no Kyle Reese. I think Arnold did a better job as the monster than as the good guy.
Interestingly, the best scenes of Kyle were deleted scenes. The scene where he broke down crying after realizing his PTSD had caused him to pull a gun on Sarah, that made me cry too. Then in T2, the one scene he was in got deleted. It's sad that T2 audiences (people who saw T2 first) never got to experience Kyle. He really deserved better.
I also disagree with your point that "Sarah became the hero Kyle could never be". Kyle WAS that hero. Sarah would not be who she is today if not for him. He was her inspiration.
The original terminator could have been its own stand-alone horror classic; with Arnie's T-800 assassin join the horror roster with Freddy Kreuger, Jason Voorhees etc.
I'm glad it wasn't because we wouldn't have had T2: Judgement Day.
The first movie was so AWESOME for a movie of this budget,i like the horror elements,its more of a sci fi take on slashers instead of the demonic mystical one.
This and robocop are awesome movies in the cyberpunk genre.
It's really funny how we like so many of the same things, and it becomes even more apparent when you open the scope of the kinds of reviews you post. Anyway, I'm loving the variety, keep em coming, Matt!
I was not expecting to get a Terminator video this soon! This was an excellent treat. Imma need videos from all the Arnie greats now, Matt.
1. The Terminator
2. Terminator 2
3. Terminator Salvation
4. Terminator Dark Fate
5. Terminator 3
6. Terminator Genesis 🤢
I didn't plan on covering it so soon but I got the itch and had to scratch! I think this is the perfect ranking.
I deem this the correct opinion and will receive the spirograph seal of approval
Man, Terminator Salvation had a bad rep among fans, but if you think about it, it's not an attempt-to-make-a-T2-sequel like rest, it's just a post apocalyptic movie. (My favorite attempt-to-make-a-T2-sequel movie it's T3 because it connects to this film)
Is salvation the Christian Bale one?
@@mrhumble2937 ya
Matt Draper after making another banger video essay: “I’ll be back”.
The Terminator is one of my favorite movies of all time mainly because I love how it blends so many genres all in one movie. While T2 isn’t my favorite it’s still my second favorite since without T1 wouldn’t have T2. I get why people hate T3 but I wouldn’t say it’s the worst sequel, salvation is decent as long as you don’t think about it too much. I really don’t like genisys, and I want to like dark fate but I just don’t as of now. Overall I like the franchise, while the sequels aren’t anything to brag about at least the first two were fantastic.
I loved your analysis and great usage of Gunship’s Tech Noir!
The Terminator is my #1 favorite movie of all time! This movie is such a masterpiece. I will say that I personally love the stop motion animation they used for the endoskeleton, since the rough and shaky movement of stop motion animation gave the Terminator a creepier vibe. Great video!
“Come with me if you wanna live.” - Kyle Reese
I dug this one. I didn't even miss daredevil like I thought I would. And always I appreciate the midnight. Going to see them live very soon.
Is my favorite in the franchise for many of the reasons you give here and also one of my favorite films ever. Thank you for this video.
the theme song still gives me the chills
Thank you for making the Ellison connection. I was waiting to see if you did :) he’s my favorite author
The Terminator being the unique kind of slasher it is I call it a Blazer.
Thanks for all the coverage Matt. Much ❤ as always
Matt as an immense fan of your channel and Conan The Barbarian I would love to hear your analysis of the film. What is best in life?
The crush you enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women!
I'm pretty sure Colossus : The Forbin Project was an influence. It not only features a self-aware A.I. taking control of the nuclear arsenal, but two lovers being stalked by the machine.
Cameron is enough of an old school sci-fi guy to run across it, I agree. However, many of those same elements are also present in Ellison's "Demon With A Glass Hand".
Find myself coming back to this video. I love it
They don’t make movies like this anymore. They just remake them or do sequels and prequels. I’m glad l can remember when Hollywood actually produced original great movies like this one.
This is the absolute the best Terminator retrospect of my favorite movie I have ever watched.
Great use of Gunship's "TechNoir" and "Mountain" tracks :-). Love those.
Goddammit, now I want to drop everything and rewatch "The Terminator"...
Excellent video, as always!
Thanks so much, Marianna! Do it, it's such a good time. And maybe T2. But then STOP there haha
Great video, I remember I used to have anxiety and nightmares over this film and in my youth get scare with doomsday scenarios.
Really enjoyed your thoughtful commentary.
The bit about bringing children into this world is one that has always resonated and I first thought of the concept when I was young. In the early 90s, there was a Magic Card set called Fallen Empires. Theme is obvious, and one flavor text on the cards talked about how the parents found solace in the fact that although they were all doomed, they held off destruction long enough for their children to grow and fall in love.
Forget fantasy, how many time in history has this conundrum played out? Sumerians as their culture gradually faded, Gauls in the face of the inexorable Romans, Moors in Grenada, every New World culture....
Remarkable how ephemeral culture can sometimes provoke a lifetime of deep thought.
It's a good thing that there weren't like 24 listings in that phone book for Sarah Connor, or this movie would have been exceedingly long. ;-) Seriously: saw this flick in the fall of 1984 and what a fun ride that was. (I was 18.) I didn't see any of the other films in the franchise. I liked that this one was a real suspense yarn with scary elements.
Had to say, regarding narration here: People saying "...because (noun)" is driving me batshit, lol. It's becoming the norm in American slang, I guess. It sounds so goofy to the ear-- but that's just my little peeve. :D
I absolutely love The Terminator. This video may be one of the best examinations of that film I have seen. Great job here!
I love the terminator such a great Sci-fi horror movie
I was wondering as a request can you do a review of Batman Gotham by gaslight both the comics and the movie
3:35 This is how the endoskeleton should've risen up from the fire in the final sequence.
Fantastic analysis Mr. Draper.
There’s a lot of Gunship music being played in the background and so I had to sub. Finally someone has caught on.
the kids watching the fire is still unintentionally hilarious to me in a really morbid kind of way.
Excellent use of Gunship here! 👌👌👌
I love how you talk about how the first terminator is a slasher. I was writing a cover letter for an art position and I talked about how some action films are inspired by horror films. The movies I talked about were predator and terminator. I wrote this letter the day this was uplaoded. Cool.
You also can see that action/horror crossover energy in the Daredevil Netflix series.
@@johnathonhaney8291 Cool.
seriously matt banger after banger
Thank you Matt!
Once I heard 'Tech Noir' by Gunship in the bg... F**k yeah, man...
Besides 1&2 Terminator Resistance is the only piece of Terminator Media I hold in high regard.
The reason the romance part works so well is the same than in Titanic: it's a great love story because it's fleeting, short and intense!! If Kyle and Sarah prevent the apocalypse and live, they would get sick of each other after a couple of years and go their separate ways. Every great romance forces the couple to split rather than having their love wither, wether it's by an iceberg or war against the machines. Thanx, Matt!!! Great video as usual!! Yes, can we have some more horror, please?
It's more than okay to like Terminator Salvation: while it feels like a late 1990s / early 2000s film that passed its sell-by date, and one can argue it only gives a glimpse of the great future war to come, at least it was attempting something different than remaking T2 three times over.
I just rewatched the first two Terminator films recently, I feel like Matt Draper is spying on me lol
RIP HARLAN ELLISON
To quote Norman Spinrad on the man, "the Dangerous Vision who got away."
I love the First Terminator movie
Terminator was so awesome and well done
I watched this film after T2 but it was stil a very cool experience. I might still have the VHS tape somewhere.
Terminator 2 is a masterpiece, but the original will always be my favourite
Everytime I talk about this movie and I say it’s basically a HALLOWEEN remake but a very very good one I always get strange looks. But when they watch both and come back to me they always say I’m right hahah. Great video
Like Alien 1&2, The Terminator part one feels like a work of art in a time capsule and part two has a larger than life Hollywood fun at the theater feel.
It's wild to me that I thought the same thing, that The Terminator is a horror movie about the Boogeyman and can form a category in which both films belong. No Country for Old Men is another one.
Apparently Michael Biehn was originally supposed to play the T-1000 in T2 which would have really messed with Sarah having to fight a Terminator that looked like Kyle.
Would have been an interesting twist. As it stands, he still made a fine villain turn as Johnny Ringo in Tombstone.
Now I kinda want to go to the alternate reality where this happened, LOL.
I go back and forth on if I like the original or second film better. Usually depends on my current mood.
Great video. I've only seen the first three Terminator Movies. Loved the first two but I can't rank one over the other, I just really appreciate them both for what they offer. Although the first one is special because of its setting and high stakes for ordinary people against an unknown evil. I enjoyed this and I too am an Arnold Fan.
You should watch Salvation to see the good ideas it had and did execute kinda well and it was the only movie that takes place in the future. Genesis was… a movie. And Dark Fate had good and bad elements. The bad being how the future “Savior” is basically John but a female, no one cares about Grace, but Sarah was good, and the T-800 was obviously the best one.
@@victorcapote7376 Dark Fate frustrated me because it ALMOST got there. The action was as impressive as ever but the emotional content during the downtime just was lacking. Still, Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor was a revelation to me, sort of like my mom if she'd wound up with permanent PMS instead of menopause. That one line "Funerals don't help them, goodbyes don't help you" just gets at the core of the character.
@@johnathonhaney8291 True
Gunship - Tech Noir. Very nice
You know I HAD to use that song!
@@MattDraper Great choice of music, I'm curious though why you called Kyle Reese a "mansplainer"?
Yes the first terminator film is a horror movie Sarah is one of my favorite final girl love the cast linda and Michael were great so too is Arnold
Dude I can’t wait for the fantastic four video
Not to mention, Arnold as the Terminator never screams. "AAUUGGHHHAAAUUULLLLL!"
I love this channel, but I’m still holding out for the Max Payne (video games) analysis 😁
Did he really just call Kyle Reese a "mansplainer"? XD
He did, it was very annoying.
Problem is that John Conner did not tell Kyle that he was his father; that's an important part of the story. Kyle chose to come on his own, because he was already in love with her and wanted to save her. Sarah, before, was not Sarah until Kyle. She learned everything about how to survive from him. ("Do I look like the mother of the future? I can't even balance my checkbook! You're talking about things I haven't done yet in the past tense.") Without Kyle, there is no story. He was always the center of everything.
T1 is still my personal favorite in the series. I loved that it carried itself more like a slasher movie than an action film (like all the other ones). For me its:
The Terminator
Terminator 2 Judgement Day
Terminator Dark Fate (Yeah, I said it)
Terminator 3 Rise of the Machines
Terminator Salvation
Terminator Genysis (couldn't make it thru the 1st few mins of it)
I love the genisys’ opening and john’s speech but the rest FOCK IT
I completely agree on your notion that this is actually a slasher. I want to add that Sarah even has a horny roommate as any good slasher should have.
Terminator 1 and 2 are about love in a cold loveless world. Terminator is about emotion. Absence of love can destroy us, BUT love can save us. The actions of the current generation can affect the future ones. I can say more but thats it for now.
Yes, there is a storm coming. Yes things will not be easy.. but there is a greater Hope on the horizon. A faith in something bigger for the future. With a new life that is being literally carried inside her and indeed a rebirth for the character of Sarah herself.
I’d love to see you tackle Green Arrow the longbow hunters or Geoff Johns GL run
T2 is always seen as the better film. In many ways it is, but T1 has something over T2 and to me it's the most important: the intent. While T2 plays it safe by trying to appeal to everyone regarding adults, kids, humor, and special effects spectacle, T1 knows exactly which audience it's aiming for, and it succeeds. No moral tales ("I swear I will not kill anyone") to relieve parents about showing it to their kids, no forced "Arnold humor" as he was now a huge star by that time ("I need a vacation!!"), no scapegoat villain made of liquid metal so there's no blood when he gets damaged (as to avoid an "X" rating), and no happy ending by saying there's multiple timelines if you remove evidence of the future from the present. T1 says "It's gonna be bloody, it's gonna be dark/scary, and any humor in the film comes within the context of the drama of whatever the characters are doing. NOT because Arnold is charismatic and audiences like when he says funny things. You're not gonna get invested in the spectacle, you're gonna get invested in the DRAMA".
Seriously, the best humor in T1 comes from the back-and-forth between Lt. Traxler and Ed at the police station, followed by Dr. Sielberman. When Arnold tells the other truck driver to "Get out!!" at the end of the movie, it isn't funny because Arnold is saying it, it's because we see that the Terminator's face is all messed up, and it's running out of time to keep up the charade of trying to blend in with humans since it just got into a car accident and then got RAN OVER BY A FUCKING TRUCK. That moment is funny because of what's happening, NOT because Arnold said it.
Another Film Series that Would be Awesome if Matt Did an Anthology Video on ''Robocop''!!!
Such a sin we didn't get a Terminator Salvation in the original apocalypse setting.
The first two Terminator films are apocalyptic cyberpunk sci-fi masterpieces
The future of the Terminator universe is 7 years from now.
Any chance you could do a video on RoboCop and the Rocketeer
Not sure about Rocketeer (although I love it) but I really want to cover Robocop!
3:19 Dude, you forgot the true inspiration: La Jete
#1 The Terminator/T2
#2 Salvation
#3 T3
#4 Dark Fate
#5 Gynysys
what are your thoughts on Tertminator: Dark Fate ? Do you think it revive the Terminator franchise ?
It’s funny they Cameron did this to his own films (follow an slasher film with an action sequel) since he did the same with Alien/Aliens.
The Alien franchise also feels disconnected from the first film.
Imagine synthwave on the track
The correct ranking is:
1. Either T1 or T2, no wrong answer
2. Salvation
3. T3
4. Genisys
5. Dark Fate, which only ranks lower for the opening scene.
T2
T
Salvation, wish they kept that going. Did it do bad in box office or something?
8:16 - How exactly is Kyle "man-splaining"?
Protecting her apparently🤣
Terminator 2 was my entry point and I love it to this day. Loved the ending of T3. Wish they showed off John Connor a bit more in Salvation. I was somewhat intrigued with the direction they were going in in GeniSyS. Thought Dark Fate was a watchable mid tier movie.
I think my main problems with the sequels is the lack of progression and over-reliance on Arnie's T-800. I feel like at this point they should stop making movies and make another tv series. Like a 24 episode anime or 3-4 season live action show. This way they'll be forced to progress through the overall story and not just rehash the same plot over and over again
I have absolutely NO ISSUE with anything people say this film have as a flaw...the low budget FX, only enhanced the creepiness of a bloody cold killing machine walking direct to you and you are shitting your pants (or panties in this situation) just running away from it. The Scene of the T-800 performing a surgery on himself is still one of my all time favorites scenes in film and I don't care how fake the head looks, the arm and the rest just creep me out and I love it. Also James Cameron is probably the best director capturing strong female leads without forcing agendas or making them mary sues, they always human, vulnerable and determine survivors that will do anything to protect their love ones even when they face death itself, from Ellen Ripley, Sarah Connor, Lindsey Brigman (watch the Abyss people a true underrated GEM), Helen Tasker, Rose DeWitt and Neytiri (and I will put Alita in that list, despite he didn't direct Battle Angel it was his baby and his Fingerprints are all over that film), James knows how to make you care about his leads, no matter if they are men or women, I wish many current directors and sadly FEMALE DIRECTORS knew how to write female characters as great as Cameron does. T1 and T2 for me are both masterpieces I love them equally, neither for me is better, both complement each other a beautiful dance of Horror and Action, but overall humanity at its very core (Salvation been the only one of the sequels that...I like, not canon to me, but is the one that at least TRY), love these films to death and T1 is just an unique film, the music, the look, the despair and dread, I just love it, can complain this is anyone's favorite, it totally deserved, I never have watch T2 without play first T1, those movies truly go together for me.
Finally, some more love for my personal fave. Let's all realize, whether you like it or not, T2 is what led to the creation of the rest of the franchise, so perhaps this should've remained a solo affair.
That being said, I'll divert from popular opinion (as most should) & give GENISYS some credit, because despite its misplaced aspirations to "Marvelize" Terminator, it does A LOT right by the love story element of T1. Plus, it & SALVATION were the only subsequent entries that seemed to remember that T1 & KYLE REESE were actually things that existed.
My ranking of all six, at this current point in time:
THE TERMINATOR
GENISYS (yeah, I said it)
T2
SALVATION (I technically like this conceptually more than T2, but T2 is objectively a better made film)
DARK FATE (too little too late, but tonally probably the third best if you're interested in a trilogy)
T3 (a fun yarn, but pretty much a shining example of what not to do right after T2)
It’s ironic that it’s the very first Terminator, made with a paltry budget and arguably the least powerful villain in the franchise is also the one that is scariest. All the other films ramp up the action, spectacle, and (to their detriment) camp value and lose varying degrees of the horror element as a result.
For all the advancements in filmmaking techniques, larger budgets and more advanced terminator models that followed none quite compare to the original.
praise the omnissiah
How would rank Terminator Salvation? That was my first terminator movie and my 3rd bale film.
So it would be wild if T2 and Aliens are in the same universe, Skynet actually being an early attempt by The Weiland Corporation to take over the world
????
Good starting point, actually, making them a slightly more competent Umbrella Corporation. What would be fun would be going beyond just Terminators and Aliens and seeing what other horrors they could cook up.