Why do people like The Terminator so much?

[purbeast0]

He comes across just as a bratty kid, without the toughness nor the brains to fit the role he's destined for. He doesn't grow either during the movie. He seems the same at the beginning and the end, except for being less bratty cuz he's getting shot at. And yeah, lack of range.

However, like I said before, I think it's probably not just the actor. I think part of the reason is the character itself, as written.

As an aside, the Arnie thumbs up irked me to no end. Cheese. Molten cheese.

The worst kid role in recent memory for me though is Anakin Skywalker. But there I blame George Lucas above all.

whuuuutt? how can you hate that part? that part is awesome! also arnold had just said that he now knows why humans cry, so he was starting to understand human emotion a bit, which is why the thumbs up came out.

i also don't have a problem with the kid acting like a typical annoying teenager and not being tough or anything. part of the reason he became who he is in the future, leading the humans, is because the terminator came back to protect him. he had no reason to be tough or anything until this movie took place. but even discussing that, you start to get into the whole time traveling thing and how it isn't linear and can make for odd orders of events.

 

[Newell Steamer]

Because it's a great idea - we created something that backfires; it is a story/idea about rebellion.

Rebellion stories are pretty much timeless:
- the Bible (even the 'unofficial' Book of Enoch; which is about the actual rebellion in Heaven)
- Paradise Lost (the devil is seen as a hero - which is why Dante had to make him look like a sick being in Inferno)

It can be argued that the Terminators are to man, what man is to God.

The Matrix is similar to the Terminator universe, as well as the age old theme of rebellion - especially with the Animatrix (which explains how and why things got to the point they were in the 1st movie).

 

[Eug]

whuuuutt? how can you hate that part? that part is awesome! also arnold had just said that he now knows why humans cry, so he was starting to understand human emotion a bit, which is why the thumbs up came out.

We can agree to disagree here. I found it bloody irritating and much too cheesy.

i also don't have a problem with the kid acting like a typical annoying teenager and not being tough or anything. part of the reason he became who he is in the future, leading the humans, is because the terminator came back to protect him. he had no reason to be tough or anything until this movie took place.

Uh, the kid grew up with end-of-the-world types, socking away machine guns in desert caches, and then his mother was locked up in a looney bin when he was older, telling him the evil robots are coming. Yet, the kid comes across as a typical middle class teenager.

 

[zinfamous]

whuuuutt? how can you hate that part? that part is awesome! also arnold had just said that he now knows why humans cry, so he was starting to understand human emotion a bit, which is why the thumbs up came out.

i also don't have a problem with the kid acting like a typical annoying teenager and not being tough or anything. part of the reason he became who he is in the future, leading the humans, is because the terminator came back to protect him. he had no reason to be tough or anything until this movie took place. but even discussing that, you start to get into the whole time traveling thing and how it isn't linear and can make for odd orders of events.

yeah, I don't have a problem with Connor being a whiny brat at that point in his life, considering where he was at the time. The problem was Furlong forcing and overdoing everything.

way too much dishonest whine in the whining. His mannerisms were very unnatural, inflections and tone were way off.

It shows that he had no training; but he also had piss-poor direction because plenty of untrained actors--even kids--can nail roles with proper direction.

A few that had never acted a day before being cast in big roles:
Jason Schwartsman in Rushmore
That little girl in The Whale Rider (if she doesn't make you cry, then you have no soul! )

 

[zinfamous]

We can agree to disagree here. I found it bloody irritating and much too cheesy.


Uh, the kid grew up with end-of-the-world types, socking away machine guns in desert caches, and then his mother was locked up in a looney bin when he was older, telling him the evil robots are coming. Yet, the kid comes across as a typical middle class teenager.

He comes across as a typical middle class teenager running around on the street, with foster parents that don't give a dick about him, and generally hating life. He pretty much thinks his mom is nuts at that point. Doesn't really matter if end of world commandos are "training him," he's still a 15 year-old punk that is rebelling because life has pretty much shit on him at that point.

Suburban 15 year-old punks going through Foster care probably aren't going to be some seasoned leader-to-be. For many that age, it still "sucks" being a teenager, regardless of shitty upbringing.

 

[Eug]

He comes across as a typical middle class teenager running around on the street, with foster parents that don't give a dick about him, and generally hating life. He pretty much thinks his mom is nuts at that point. Doesn't really matter if end of world commandos are "training him," he's still a 15 year-old punk that is rebelling because life has pretty much shit on him at that point.

Suburban 15 year-old punks going through Foster care probably aren't going to be some seasoned leader-to-be. For many that age, it still "sucks" being a teenager, regardless of shitty upbringing.

I agree, but my point was he didn't seem tough at all. He seemed like a brat, not a rough delinquent with serious weapons training.

He may as well have been Logan from Veronica Mars, but with worse acting (and perhaps direction).

But then again, I never bought into the T1000 as a father-figure schtick either. Arnie seemed like more of a badass pet.

 

[Imp]

Now that you mentioned it, the part where him and T2 was at a phone booth and he's just learned his foster parents are dead, then he screamed for help... Well watch it and tell me if you don't want to slap the crap out of him.

He comes across just as a bratty kid, without the toughness nor the brains to fit the role he's destined for. He doesn't grow either during the movie. He seems the same at the beginning and the end, except for being less bratty cuz he's getting shot at. And yeah, lack of range.

However, like I said before, I think it's probably not just the actor. I think part of the reason is the character itself, as written.

As an aside, the Arnie thumbs up irked me to no end. Cheese. Molten cheese.

The worst kid role in recent memory for me though is Anakin Skywalker. But there I blame George Lucas above all.

I agree with you on Anakin... especially after trying to rewatch it in recent years.

But I'm still not with either of you on Edward Furlong. Think I saw it once in the past year when it was on TV. Nothing bugged me. I watched it a LOT as a kid to the point that I can probably remember every scene from start to finish. Maybe that's why.

 

[CZroe]

I actually never watched The Abyss.

For a Terminator/James Cameron fan, that is simply unacceptable.

 

[purbeast0]

We can agree to disagree here. I found it bloody irritating and much too cheesy.


Uh, the kid grew up with end-of-the-world types, socking away machine guns in desert caches, and then his mother was locked up in a looney bin when he was older, telling him the evil robots are coming. Yet, the kid comes across as a typical middle class teenager.

yeah but he, just like everyone else, thought his mom was crazy.

as far as the quality of him acting ... yeah, i can agree with you that it's bad in some parts. but i can forgive it because it doesn't take away from the movie at all for me. still one of the all time greats.

 

[Eug]

For a Terminator/James Cameron fan, that is simply unacceptable.

He also co-wrote Strange Days. I really liked that movie, despite the fact I felt Ralph Fiennes was a little too upscale for his role.

Cameron's ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty (which I haven't seen yet) and The Hurt Locker) directed it though.

yeah but he, just like everyone else, thought his mom was crazy.

as far as the quality of him acting ... yeah, i can agree with you that it's bad in some parts. but i can forgive it because it doesn't take away from the movie at all for me. still one of the all time greats.

I agree T2 is a very good movie. I just think overall T1 is better.

 

[zinfamous]

For a Terminator/James Cameron fan, that is simply unacceptable.

it didn't come with expectations of BOOM BAM SMASH CRASH BOOM BOOM BOOM!
what do you expect?

Or do you know a different AT John Connor than the rest of us?

:hmm:

 

[zinfamous]

I agree, but my point was he didn't seem tough at all. He seemed like a brat, not a rough delinquent with serious weapons training.

This was more of the older, T3 version of John Connor, which I thought was the best one yet. That flick gets shit on more than it deserves, imo.

SCC John Connor was also fairly decent. I think this one was the John between T2 and T3.

 

[Imp]

This was more of the older, T3 version of John Connor, which I thought was the best one yet. That flick gets shit on more than it deserves, imo.

SCC John Connor was also fairly decent. I think this one was the John between T2 and T3.

The T3 actor for John Connor did fine work as an actor... He just didn't look the part to me. His acting was fine -- movie was kind meh, especially because it was a bit of a parody of itself.

 

[Kadarin]

I thought the crane chase scene in T3 was pretty well done and entertaining. However, I didn't buy the female terminator with the adjustable boobs and the forearm that shoots plasma bolts. Kristanna Loken, though, always gets a big :thumbsup:

T1 had a great sinister feel, particularly for those of us who first saw the movie in the time in which it came out.

T2 is a near-perfect action scifi movie whose only real blemish is the casting of Edward Furlong. He's actually unpleasant to watch.

T4 was meh. It was watchable but nothing special. I liked the lead character, but didn't like Christian Bale as John Connor.

 

[rockfella79]

This. I damaged my Triple head VCR in the 90's watching T2 and Robocop 2 several times.

T2 was way ahead of its time

 

[BD231]

Because this

 

[zinfamous]

The T3 actor for John Connor did fine work as an actor... He just didn't look the part to me. His acting was fine -- movie was kind meh, especially because it was a bit of a parody of itself.

agreed. I think a lot of the bad taste is due to the lameness of the self-reflective jokes, that really didn't need to be there (Arnie's pink sunglasses)

I thought the crane chase scene in T3 was pretty well done and entertaining. However, I didn't buy the female terminator with the adjustable boobs and the forearm that shoots plasma bolts. Kristanna Loken, though, always gets a big :thumbsup:

I thought that crane scene was the best action sequence in the entire series. It was brilliantly done and still achieves a real visceral impact when watching it.

 

[Iron Woode]

Probably the same reason they like Robocop.

Robocop is a great action movie. Especially the full uncensored version that was released on DVD and Blu Ray.

 

[ControlD]

I actually like T3 quite a bit. I thought Nick Stahl was a good fit in the role (even with the inferior last name), and the ending of the movie was about perfect. It really ties the story up well for me. I don't think T4 really needed to be made story wise, and I have only seen it once but that's my least favorite movie in the series by a food amount.

 

[zinfamous]

I actually like T3 quite a bit. I thought Nick Stahl was a good fit in the role, and the ending if the movie was about perfect. It really ties the story up well for me. I don't think T4 really needed to be made story wise, and I have only seen it once bit that's my least favorite movie in the series by a food amount.

is that one of those nonsensical British units of measurement?

:hmm:

 

[ControlD]

is that one of those nonsensical British units of measurement?

:hmm:

LOL. Damn auto correct. Have to leave it for posterity now.

 

[zinfamous]

LOL. Damn auto correct. Have to leave it for posterity now.

I can buy it, though.

I would rate the difference between the quality of Salvation and T3, as 3 hedgehog pies and 2 boiled calf livers. ...and that is how bad Salvation is, compared to the 3rd best Terminator flick!

 

[ControlD]

I can buy it, though.

I would rate the difference between the quality of Salvation and T3, as 3 hedgehog pies and 2 boiled calf livers. ...and that is how bad Salvation is, compared to the 3rd best Terminator flick!

lmao. Well I have to think we have the series pretty well cyphered at this point.

 

[futurefields]

anybody that likes Terminator 2 more than The Terminator is a half steppin moist arsed beezy

 

[zinfamous]

anybody that likes Terminator 2 more than The Terminator is a half steppin moist arsed beezy