Two beings sent from the future seek out unsuspecting Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), one (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to kill her and one (Michael Biehn) to protect her. Connor learns from her human savior, Reese, that her unborn son John will grow up to lead a vital revolution against the machines in the year 2024. In an attempt to prevent John’s uprising, evil forces send a ruthless machine, the T-800 Terminator cyborg, back in time to eliminate Sarah before she can get pregnant and give birth.
Despite turns in the bodybuilding documentary “”Pumping Iron”” and two “”Conan”” vehicles, it was Schwarzenegger’s performance as the relentless Terminator that put him on the map. In comparison to today’s digital fare, director James Cameron’s futuristic thriller seems rudimentary. His visionary blend of special-effects, science-fiction and fear wasn’t truly realized until the superior “”T2: Judgement Day”” in 1991. But Cameron still injects plenty of violent action sequences, rousing chase scenes, and a horror villain-intensity and durability that makes “”Terminator”” a nail-biting affair.Grade: B+THE EXTRASMGM cleans up “”Terminator”” for this extras-laden Special Edition DVD, a decent find for collectors. Unlike other “”Terminator”” releases, Cameron get involved with this release, providing interviews for a brand-new documentary “”Other Voices,”” as well as commentary on seven “”terminated”” scenes (which are very short).In addition, MGM includes the “”Terminator: A Retrospective”” documentary previously found on the film’s laser disc release. It features interviews with Cameron, producer Gale Anne Hurd, cinematographer Adam Greenberg and special effects members of Fantasy II. Fans of the film should be happy to have any sort of input from Cameron, a talented director who’s been missing since picking up his Best Picture statuette for “”Titanic”” and sailing off into the L.A. sunset. Since he hasn’t worked a day on original material, we have to assume he’s spending his time scavenging his past works for DVD releases like this. A technical wizard, Cameron rarely gets credit for his script work. However, if you’re a fanof his words, MGM also includes the original treatment for “”Terminator,”” though by the time you scroll through the entire screenplay on your monitor, it just might be the year 2024.Final Grade: C By Peter J. HannahOct. 20, 2001