Tuesday, January 29, 2013

How I Knew Arnold Was One of the Good Guys

(#17) Watch 25 Classic Movies

1. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
2. A Streetcar Named Desire
3. It's a Wonderful Life
4. Some Like it Hot
5. The Terminator
6.  Terminator 2: Judgement Day

My first thought as the movie started was, I wonder if there has been a noticeable change in graphic quality between 1984 (first movie) and 1991 (this movie). While 1991 graphics were still mildly laughable to us today, there had clearly been an upgrade- it was even sort of part of the story line.


Arnold Schwarzenegger played the same "model" Terminator that he played in the first movie, only this time John Connor from the future converted him to be a force of good. The new model of terminators, the "T-1000," is a cyborg made out of liquid metal, so he can change into the shape of anything that he touches, and the can pass himself through metal gates, etc. He is quite literally a new model- they didn't have the technology to portray him on film back in 1984. The perfect marriage of form and function.


A little more convincing, right?

Secondly, upon realizing that Arnold plays a good guy in this movie (this had not been ruined for me so I had a genuine reaction of fear when Arnold grabbed John Connor. Sorry if I am now ruining it for the next person) I wondered if it had anything to do with the actor himself.

Schwarzenegger was a relatively new actor in Hollywood at the time, though he had his big break a few years before, and perhaps the character's number of lines and robotic demeanor were developed in part to accommodate his level of comfort. Then by 1991 he was a more popular actor and wanted to play the part of the hero and show off his skills a bit more.

I also noticed that 1984 Schwarzenegger had no qualms about full frontal nudity, while 1991 Schwarzenegger, though naked in a scene, was carefully edited for modest. Coincidence?

Structurally I thought this movie was well developed. As in the first movie, the time travel is not too confusing. Potential logical slip-ups are addressed directly. For example, Ronnie and I wondered aloud why the T-1000 didn't just liquid himself up some clothes when he showed up naked, only to have the Terminator immediately say in the movie that he has to touch things in order to mimic their properties. 

As I mentioned in my first review, I chose to watch Terminator 2 also because many people have said that it is better than the first one.

I feel I can validate that this movie is more important in pop culture than the first for two reasons: 1) I had always thought that the Terminator was a good guy and was surprised when he was the villain in the first, meaning that the Terminator as good guy is the more prevalent image. And 2) many of the Terminator's famous lines including "Come with me if you want to live" (said by Kyle Reese in the first movie, not Arnold) and "Hasta la vista, baby" were said in this movie and not the first. The most famous line from the first movie- "I'll be back"- is featured here again. Meaning, again, this is the movie that is better remembered by the masses.

Not to mention the graphics are better, Arnold is more hilarious, and there is more action and less weird time travel romance. 
 
So yeah I'd say this one definitely deserves its own place on my list.


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