I didn't know it was THIS GOOD! The Terminator (1984) Movie Reaction & Commentary

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I was hesitant to rewatch a movie, but I was shocked at how little I remembered of this film! That final crawl is one of the most suspenseful moments ever. I can’t wait to watch the second one. I hope you enjoyed my The Terminator movie reaction & commentary.
Hi, I'm Chris! Welcome to my channel. I react to movies & tv shows hoping to represent what it's really like to experience them for the first time. If you enjoy, you can support me by liking the video, subscribing to the channel, and letting me know your thoughts in the comments.
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Original Movie: The Terminator (1984)
*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. All rights belong to their respective owners.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

What's your favorite moment from this film? I had such a great time watching this one! I also had a great time watching these upcoming reactions: Gosford Park, Arrival, A League of Their Own, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and Terminator 2!

[@scottlette]

I will say that we studied the Tech Noir scene in film school. That says something.

[@LordVolkov]

Probably the entire police station sequence, from "I'll be back" to Sarah's escape. Arnie's methodically unstoppable two long-gun rampage is the terminator at his most terrifying.

[@TerryNationB7]

I love the reveal about the photograph, There's a similar moment in the Christopher Reeve/Jane Seymour time travel romance Somewhere in Time (1980).

[@namelessjedi2242]

It really is a solid film, and shows you how someone could take a small budget and still produce something brilliant and iconic. Speaking of, have you ever seen Highlander (1986)?

[@karlmoles6530]

When I saw this in the theater as a kid I was like OMG when he demolished the entire Police Station.

[@paratus04]

I’ll point out one amusing thing. Sarah’s answering machine says, “Ha ha ha, you got fooled you are talking to a machine”. Later she calls her “mom” and gets fooled talking to a machine.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

haha That's so clever!

[@pepperwilliams4303]

Movie mistake: When Ginger gets shot, you can hear the phone get knocked over. Moments later, it rings.

[@flaysol7719]

@@CasualNerdReactions Wrong T3 is actually great.

[@1993MovieMan]

@@flaysol7719 It`s not as bad as it`s made out to be."Salvation" and "Sarah Connor Chronicles" are better,though.

[@CrownlessKing88]

It hits even harder when you remember Kyle said “I used to always wonder what you were thinking about in that moment”

[@alfredstimoli2590]

Did you notice one of the punks Arnold encountered at the beginning was Bill Paxton? This gives him the dubious honor of being the only actor to be killed by a Terminator, Alien and Predator.

[@Gurra88]

What exactly was his cause of death in Aliens? Was he cocooned or was he blown up? If he was killed on the spot why bother dragging him away? There's some deleted footage showing Burke cocooned and Ripley handing him a grenade so Burke wasn't killed by the alien as it seems after all

[@coreymason7017]

@@Gurra88 he’s dragged through the floor grate and later when the atmosphere processors explodes it would have killed him if he wasn’t already dead.

[@Tedra64]

Lance Henriksen has also been killed by all three. He was killed in this movie in the police station, in Aliens at the end of the movie and in AvP in the pyramid. 😃

[@billolsen4360]

But he survived the Apollo mission

[@StCerberusEngel]

@@Tedra64 He survived in Aliens. As an android, he was torn in two, but was still functional.

[@richardb6260]

John knew Reese was his father. So, he made a point of telling him about his mother and gave him her picture. He purposely cultivated the love Reese had for Sarah.

[@hildajensen6263]

Yeah, John knew what to do to ensure his own existence. - But Kyle clearly has no idea. Guess John didn't want to risk messing too much with his head.

[@BrocksOnix956]

We know

[@albertmeier2425]

Dude, your enthusiasm and sheer joy at watching a fun movie is great. You truly are a nerd in the absolute best sense of the word. Thanks for letting us come along for the ride.

[@nealsterling8151]

24:32 "Why is this metal-beast-climbing-metal-stairs somehow terrifying?" That's because in the closeups we see an actual physical model, which is 100 times more effective and realistic than the usual CGI-crap we are used to see in modern movies.

[@AB2B]

You are the only reactor I have seen who realized what an impactful moment it was when the little boy took her picture. I *always* tear up, knowing Kyle fell in love with an image of her *while she was thinking of him* . This story is legendary. I cracked up when you pointed out The Terminator and Alien only had one good sequel film. lol Very, very true.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

I can't believe other people don't realize that, by FAR the most impactful part of the movie.

[@kevinburton3948]

The scene in which Sarah gives away her location to The Terminator over the answering machine encapsulates the main theme of the film- "Machines built to assist us will ultimately betray us."

[@ericanderson8886]

this one made james cameron a superstar director, no word for how good this movie is.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

100% in agreement. 👏

[@TheMarcHicks]

I think he did this movie right after doing Piranha 2.....what a change of pace 😉

[@DMovieman]

What I love most about this film and Alien is how they're both spectacular science fiction films with an intense horror vibe and a frighteningly memorable antagonist. To top it off, both sequels dive deeper into the action genre, and are both revered as two of the best sequels of all time, even topping the original films. I love that you noticed the full circle of the picture scene at the end, and even got emotional. Awesome reaction overall! 👏👏👏

[@PungiFungi]

Still debatable if Aliens topped Alien.

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

"I'll be back." was SO iconic, that Arnold went on to repeat it as a catch phrase in many other films.

[@wwoods66]

23:45 This -- metal man rising from fire -- is the nightmare image that Cameron started with. He worked out the story from there. Kyle, speaking of the picture, says he'd always wondered what Sarah was thinking about when it was taken. Turns out, she was thinking about _him._ Aww!

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Love that he started with such an image! And yes, that line made that moment SO powerful.

[@pouletnoir4441]

There's no plot hole it's a temporal-loop paradox... Kyle was sent back in time therefore he was there from the get-go! Yes it messes with your brain! My favourite part is when Kyle tries to convince Sarah that she's in real danger: "It can't be reasoned with, it can't be bargained with and it absolutely will not stop until you are dead"...

[@Rmlohner]

This is made clearer in a deleted scene which reveals the factory where Sarah killed the Terminator (and where its chip and intact arm are waiting to be found) belongs to Skynet.

[@piggyintheshadows]

The sequels are the main reason people can't grasp that. The first movie was obviously going with the "what has happened always has and always will happen". They of course had to change that though just to make a sequel possible. I give T2 plenty of credit it's one of the best action movies ever made and one of the best sequels. But it definitely retcons some things.

[@fiveoctaves]

@@piggyintheshadows What did they change? Believing the future is not set? The third movie proved that the timeline can't be changed. Skynet is online and World War III starts.

[@ligeiaztomb2755]

The Terminator and T2 are arguably some of the best movies ever....like Alien and Aliens. Can we also give it up for Michael Biehn, who was THE man to earn both Sarah Conner's AND Ripley's affection. THAT is a serious man right there. We always credit (as we should) Bill Paxton for his trinity of iconic deaths, but never call out the singular man who was man enough to be with the MOST ICONIC badass female characters of all time. All he needed was Princess Leia for the 80s hattrick.

[@karlmoles6530]

I saw this in the theater in 1984. I was 18. It blew my mind. I liked the sequel so much it hold my personal record for film seen most times in a theater at 7.

[@jasonm8017]

Impressive, you’re pretty old 😀I’m 52 saw Raiders & Star Wars 4 times in the theatre (and dozens after incl. this one)

[@karlmoles6530]

@@jasonm8017 Well I'm 4 years older than you lol

[@traceyreid4585]

The photo moment at the end is so loaded with emotion, because of Kyle earlier saying "I always wondered what you were thinking at that moment" and sadly she was thinking about him, brilliant call back! Loved the high energy reaction too 🔥😂👏

[@TheHumanFly516]

Always loved that, real tear jerker.

[@dongilleo9743]

The same idea is done in the movie "Somewhere in Time". A man sees an old picture of an actress from the past in a hotel, and quickly becomes infatuated with her, and falls in love. When he travels back in time, he discovers that she was looking at him, filled with romantic emotions, when the picture was taken.

[@Serai3]

There is no timeline before Kyle was sent back. This is the type of time travel story that treats time as an intricate puzzle, where every piece is necessary to the whole. In stories like this, the past unfolds as it does precisely _because_ of the influence of the future, and the two cannot be extricated - it happened that way because it happened that way. Considering that time travel is itself impossible, any time travel story is as likely as any other. This one is particularly good.

[@tommc3622]

Time travel is not only possible, humans have already done it. The faster one moves, the more time slows relative to a stationary observer. Astronauts return home tiny fractions of a second ahead in time from when they left. This is basic physics. Nothing in physics actually precludes moving backwards in time either.

[@Serai3]

@@tommc3622 No, sorry. Time travel _as portrayed in fiction_ is not possible. Yeah, if you travel faster than light, you'll skip time. BUT YOU CAN'T COME BACK. And that jump forward is the ONLY kind of "time travel" that is even remotely possible, and it isn't really "time travel" at all, since what you're doing is traversing SPACE and the time aspect is just incidental. And all of this is contingent on the idea that we could ever travel faster than light, which we can't. So your nitpicking about difference of a quarter of a second is really no difference at all.

[@tommc3622]

@@Serai3 You continue to assert it's impossibility. I'm not nitpicking, I'm stating fact. Time is not independent of space, it's the same thing. Just because we don't know how to travel at (or near) the speed of light does not make it impossible. Likewise, we have no concept of how to reverse the process, but physics, and the math, says it's NOT impossible.

[@Serai3]

@@tommc3622 It's so cute when internet "experts" try to explain things they've only read about on Wikipedia. Endlessly amusing. * popcorn *

[@tommc3622]

@@Serai3 OK, then please... Explain where in the mathematics travel through time (in either direction) is impossible. Not improbable, not really really hard, but impossible.

[@Rmlohner]

That weird "Acknowledgement to Harlan Ellison" credit at the end is because Ellison sued the movie for using material from two of his stories. Cameron denies to this day that it was deliberate theft, but settled for putting that credit in to spare the whole production from a costly trial.

[@jessharvell1022]

it's funny because other than "supercomputer gets smart, destroys humanity" the terminator shares almost nothing with ellison's i have no mouth and i must scream. in 1984 i guess rogue artificial intelligences were hardly the same cliche they are now, but even that same year william gibson wrote one into neuromancer and i never heard ellison complain about that.

[@Ceractucus]

Ellison and James Cameron were friends. He told Ellison that he wanted to be the John Ford or Science Fiction, and he was for a while, then he sold out and made Titanic and the brain dead Avatar. Oh well.

[@anthonymunn8633]

The story he borrowed material from were "Soldier",which had been adapted fot The Outer Limits TV series.It probably didn't help Cameron that in a Starlog interview at the time he admitted borrowing from some Outer Limits episodes.

[@dongilleo9743]

"It will never be over, will it?" "No, the franchise will go on and on." So painfully true.

[@tree6787]

I got emotional too when I realized she was thinking about him when the picture was taken!🥺

[@Rmlohner]

Bill Paxton holds the honor of being the only actor killed onscreen by a Terminator, an Alien, and a Predator. Technically Lance Henrickson also did it, but his death in this film is only implied with the rest of the cops.

[@Rmlohner]

Cameron's first casting choice for the Terminator was a hugely popular football player who'd been dabbling in acting for a decade already, but the studio wouldn't let him take the role as they figured no one could believe just a nice, beloved guy as a remorseless killer. His name? OJ Simpson.

[@michaelceraso1977]

yes thats wild, OJ now has become a PAriah and just gets ego stroked by BIMBOS. I saw that entire sham of trial in summer of 95. SO happy his racist lawyer suffered a painful ending to his life

[@simonoleary9264]

Really enjoyed your reaction, and also that you spotted that Sarah was thinking about Kyle in the photo (not often noted by others). One of the movies/stories that inspired Skynet is the 1970 movie "Colossus: The Forbin Project", about the creation of a massive supercomputer.

[@MyraJean1951]

I once watched this film with a friend, who had never seen it before. Every time she thought Terminator was dead and then he would come back to life, she would whack my arm - like it was my fault she got so scared. I always think of that when I watch it now, and it makes me laugh so hard!

[@CasualNerdReactions]

haha I love that!

[@thatpatrickguy3446]

I still tear up at the photograph at the end too. Such a damn good touch!!!

[@thatpatrickguy3446]

And John Connor already existed because Kyle had already been sent back. John had no choice BUT to send him because he already had.

[@CEngelbrecht]

7:10 "What you call one of them big lizards?" An *iguana.*

[@evanwakelin7944]

Can't wait for T2. Might have to join the patreon for that one. Easily one of the best 10 Films ever. (and you were right or lucky to watch the Theatrical).

[@pollynicklas5220]

23:50 reality really came crashing down for Sarah! She believed Kyle, but probably not all the way to the bottom of her heart, until she saw the terminator rise up from the wreckage!

[@maddwitch]

When Kyle told Sarah that John gave him the picture, he said he "didn't know why at the time" and that makes me think that he had probably come to realize that Sarah had to have told John about Kyle and that it probably meant that he was John's father.

[@jimtatro6550]

Before this came out in 1984 Arnold was famous for being a bodybuilder who played Conan. This movie made him a star. The line “I’ll be back.” became so popular that Arnold says it in about a dozen movies afterwards.

[@donaldseale2700]

Kind of funny that 'I'll be back' became Arnolds catch phrase when originally he didn't want to say it in this movie. With his accent, he had a bit of difficulty using contractions. He wanted to say 'I will be back' and even used the reasoning that it would sound more machine not using the contraction, but James Cameron was adamant about the line and an iconic line was born. Another fun fact. The cop that Arnold knocks out against the police car was one of the co-writers of the script. I can't remember his name and he also makes an appearance in T2.

[@solezeta1314]

I think it's really the pure lack of expression or emotion on Arnie's face that makes his Terminator so damn scary. I remember watching this movie with my mom and my grandma, it was such a tense experience!

[@ridleysaria]

You're usually always quick to catch on to things so it's no surprise you realized that Sarah was thinking about Kyle when the photo was taken. That's my favorite moment of the movie and it always chokes me up a bit. I'm usually not the type to get emotional during movies, especially sappy romance things. But that combination of romantic and tragic just hits me the right way.

[@terryv2006]

The remake of The Time Machine explained it well. Some aspects of time are pivotal and can’t be changed. HG Wells invented the time machine to save his murdered wife but she must always die or he would not have invented the time machine to save her. John must always send Kyle back or he would not exist.

[@eddietucker7005]

I love that Kyle said he always wondered what she was thinking about at that very moment when the picture was taken. Now we know it was of him. The question of did John send Kyle to save Sarah, knowing Kyle would be his dad is easy to explain. Space time continuum. Circle. Cycle. Cycle. Circle. Endless loop until one minute change happen in the chain of events, like he had to stop and tie his shoe. The time that would take could change the course of their histories. (see “Run, Lola, Run.)

[@MiguelLopez-is9te]

Enjoyed your reaction. I was 12 when this movie came out. My older siblings snuck me into the theater to watch it. Linda Hamilton also starred in the 1980s television series, Beauty and the Beast.

[@E_l_l_i_e]

Lol. Loved that show!

[@PedroCastillo_1980]

Amazing classic The Terminator written and directed by James Cameron starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen and Paul Winfield. The line "I'll be back" was ranked number 37 in the list of the American Film Institute (AFI) 100 Years....100 Movie Quotes. Thank you bro great reaction don't forget reacts Terminator 2: Judgement Day👍👍👍👍

[@Eatpeople]

Always thought it was funny how the LAPD immediately starts chasing after Kyle and how they just had a loaded 12 gauge in an unsecured cruiser. Then I remember it was the LAPD.

[@maxmaven398]

Yes, cops do sometimes have a shotgun in the front seat. But they're supposed to lock the doors everytime they leave their car, so that was their own damn fault. Somebody had to explain a missing shotgun to their captain.

[@PipRLagenta]

Thank you for including the acknowledgement 27:33 to Harlan Ellison.

[@jessharvell1022]

your enthusiasm here is infectious, nearly 40 years later this movie still goes very hard. the terminator, halloween, and a few other 70s/80s flicks are perfect examples of how b-movies by small studios become instant classics when made by a supremely talented director. it also makes for an interesting contrast with the first alien movie, which was given a sizeable budget by 20th c fox and marketed as a serious "A" picture, whereas nobody (except probably jim cameron) had any expectations of the terminator becoming a phenomenon.

[@shredd5705]

10:46 "Come with me if you wanna live" The line, as in the best pickup line

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Thanks! First time I ever messed with those settings, but it made me happy haha.

[@shredd5705]

@@CasualNerdReactions Yeah pretty good one, made me chuckle. Reese is terrible with women actually, first he uses that, and later confesses love within first 24h. But I guess if you look like him and save her life, it might work. But what always bothers me, he uses the same trousers from the hobo

[@JeffersonMills]

“It sounds like even the composer thinks they’re safe.” LOL 😆

[@bobriemersma]

Poor old Dick Miller (gun shop owner). I remember when he played leading men in 1950s sci-fi movies early in his career. Somehow he quickly became a well-used character actor playing bit parts. Some say his height (5' 5") counted against him as times changed.

[@vickenator]

He was great in Gremlins!

[@dewey70]

That Terminator impression at 21:21 killed me.

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

"I haven't seen too many legit chase scenes so far, on the channel." Allow me to introduce you to the 1994 action-comedy "The Chase."

[@dabe1971]

23:55 Because with a face you forget it's a machine and subconsciously you still think a human can be reasoned with.

[@paulhelberg5269]

I remember nearly 40 years ago watching this in the theater. I knew nothing about the plot, but saw the poster of Arnold with gargoyle sunglasses holding a long slide .45 automatic and just knew this was a film for me. There are several cringe moments like the quick repair in the hotel room. There are also touching moments like the photograph. Good reaction, as always.

[@jnieto237]

When you mentioned chase scenes my mind immediately shrieked WHAT THE BLUES BROTHERS!!!! I promise you a profoundly good time.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

I'll have to look into it!

[@Deathbird_Mitch]

Called the best chase scene of all time, The opening of "The French Connection." The "Bourne" movies have a few good chase scenes too. "Run Lola Run" is basically one epic chase scene.

[@someonesane]

“They have that big gun just sitting in the front seat of an unlocked cruiser?” Yep… They actually do. In fact, if you search KZbin for “Woman Escapes Handcuffs while detained”, you’ll find some videos that when up just a few days ago, where a woman slips her cuffs and grabs an AR-15 from the front seat of the cop car she’s in and fires it, hitting two people.

[@chelotobar5258]

About Terminator 2; There are 3 editions: -theatrical -special edition -extended special edition (the one you watched) To me, the perfect one is the middle one and I’d recommend you that one… All the important extra scenes are in it, but not the cheesy future ending of the 3rd cut… Also, I have this weird watch order that consists of: T1 T Salvation T2 special edition There’s a logic behind of course, if anyone is interested in learning about it!

[@Overlord0011]

In regards to John's original conception, I'd say it is an example of a bootstrap paradox.

[@xcellent-records]

Time Theory - In Timeline #1, Sarah meets somebody, falls in love, gets married, and has a son, John Connor. The machines get self aware and the war happens. (like to think John's father was a military type that taught John stuff). The humans are near winning when a terminator is sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor (because they cannot locate John Connor in history), and John sends his second in command, Kyle Reese, to protect her. In Timeline #2, Kyle saves Sarah II and becomes John II's father. Sarah II learns about survival and military stuff and raises her son, John II, to be a military leader, growing up John II knows that Kyle Reese will be his father which is how/why he chooses Kyle to become his second in command and John gives Reese the photo of Sarah. The humans are near winning when a terminator is sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor (because in this timeline, Kyle was sent back in time and became the father, then Sarah went off the grid and the terminators have no location for John Connor in history). The movie The Terminator (1984) is about Timeline #3. John Connor II trains Kyle Reese II, gives him a photo of Sarah, and sends him back in time to protect her, knowing Kyle will become his father.

[@frugalseverin2282]

Excellent reaction, sir. My favorite bits were the cameos by people such as Lance Henriksen (in "Aliens" he was the android), Paul Winfield ("Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan") and Bill Paxton ("Twister") as the Punk Leader. And the Terminator eventually became governor of California. Weird.

[@LoneWolfeMedia]

There are some interesting parallels between The Terminator and Halloween; both feature remorseless killing machines who target a specific woman to follow and attempt to kill, both feature a male lead who acts as a protector and doomsayer, both feature scenes displaying sexuality followed up immediately by death, and both end with the hero emerging triumphant but the evil is not defeated.

[@fday1964]

As a curiosity, check out Soldier, an Outer Limits episode from 1964 as it's referenced in the end credits...and that could be an older tv series to react to at some point.

[@lashlarue59]

Time travel paradoxes will drive you crazy if you think about them too much.

[@artvankampen8993]

Thank you so much for another fun insightful reaction. This is one of those movies, I’ll never forget the night that I saw it. I was too young to drive so I walked several miles to the mall in my small town to see this. It was raining which perfectly set the tone for the movie. When I walked back home in the dark and rain afterwards, as much as I enjoyed everything in the movie I couldn’t get the photo from the end out of my mind. So good! Thanks again!!!

[@gerardcote8391]

If you watch Aliens, you'll probably notice 3 members of that cast were in this film. Also the head cop was in Star Trek Wrath of Khan and was in an episode of The Next Generation as well.

[@fointnikfraudulant]

I have had, few blown, shouting, fighting, screaming, arguments with my friends about the concept of time travel in this movie. And when we finally did all the research about it, at the time it was called a “Predestination Paradox”. Which means: Somewhere within the timeline in the Terminator universe, an event triggered a paradoxal “loop” where all things continue to happen over and over again. And, after many many hours of debate, my friends and I concluded that John Connor HAS TO BE aware of this loop he is on. And one could be even so bold to called this loop a “Destiny” In closing: I LOVE TIME TRAVEL AND ANYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH TIME TRAVEL! haha. It’s the only thing I have in common with Stephen Hawking hahaha (he wrote a book a time travel)

[@GregInHouston2]

"Who could he possibly have to call?" Ghostbusters

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

Originally, Cameron concieved the Terminator to be a very typical, unremarkable-looking human shape -- He'd had Lance Henrickson earmarked for the role (he's the cop giving Ed the report at 6:53 ). I guess the studio wanted a big-name star, and after "Conan The Barbarian," Arnold was it.

[@MinecraftAedda]

20:57 is one of my favorite moments, I'm obsessed with this song. That and the ending when the man says "he said there's a storm comin' in" and it ends with her driving into the mountains. I always got chills from that, still do. Great reaction as usual, so glad to be a subscriber. Cheers o/

[@patrickorourke2369]

Thanks man! Another thing about the pic. Kyle said when John gave him the picture, he always wondered what Sarah was thinking about at that exact time. Then at the end they provide the exact answer.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Yes! That’s exactly why it was so moving ☺️

[@angelavalentino5146]

“Why are all the phone lines busy (for the police?” Uh, yeah, 1980’s in L.A. were rough. You should see Predator 2, or “Colors”, good examples of rampant gang violence.

[@benjimlem1284]

@ 24:20 - you don't get du-dun, DUN, du-dun until second movie. First one goes du-dun, du-dun, du-dun. Check out the soundtrack :3

[@vickenator]

Michael Biehn was one of my first childhood crushes, hoo boy. He was so intense in this flick. I don't remember how old I was when I first watched it but I must have been like 9 or 10 which is pretty young for this!

[@bespectacledheroine7292]

Oh but it IS. Neither did I for the record. But similar to Rocky it seems that sometimes the most macho looking movies have the best love stories. This is my favorite weird subgenre. My favorite moment has to be, naturally, "You're terminated fucker." People who say Sarah "became strong" in T2 clearly ignore her most badass moment at the end of this one.

[@6li8storm40]

Agreed. She’s strong in both movies, but in T2, she knows how to *use* her strength, and she’s acquired serious skills.

[@chimpinaneckbrace]

It’s too bad Kyle’s Polaroid of Sarah didn’t survive. That would have been useful. “Check it out, I have a picture of you from the future,. Good news! You’re getting a dog.”

[@gojiberry7201]

Thanks for the great reaction! I'm not sure what my favorite moment is, so many of them. Looking forward to T2!

[@bobbrown200]

"The first second time." Not to be confused with the second second time, which would actually be the third time 😁

[@TangentOmega]

You can deduce that Kyle Reese is about 18 yrs younger than his son. John born in 85, Kyle born about 03. I was always fascinated by the fact that the Terminator skull looks like Arnold.

[@michaellavine4324]

I saw this in the theater when it was released and it still brings goosebumps every time I watch it.

[@hippiechic6772]

In the beginning where the timeline is at 2029 AD and you said "That looks unfortunate" I could not help but nervously laugh. Ah.... My favorite scene in "The Terminator" is when Kyle is explaining to Sarah that he loved her before he met her. Chris you are right about Kyle being in love with the idea of Sarah but when he got to meet her.... his idea of her became his reality and she loved him as well . In basic ordinary life I am not sure if their love would have lasted their life time but throw in a futuristic "shared trauma" and it's a futuristic whirlwind romance . Arnold was absolutely more terrifying as a plain metal robot.... his movements took on a more ominous gait . I really appreciate your reactions and comments for Terminator very much and added this one to my favorites list . Thank you Chris

[@ferallion3546]

Just discovered your channel. Loved your reaction. Your funny comments throughout were genuine and made it fun to watch.

[@TheRomansReact]

I can’t believe we just now found your channel! Love it

[@Lowclef]

My theory comes from the line “one possible future.” Kyle says in the beginning. My thought is that John’s initial father is someone else, possibly Sarah’s initial date that evening. Who knows? Perhaps he cancelled because his brother was punched to death in the Hollywood Hills by a giant naked man. As the story goes on and different terminators are sent back, they’re sent back to alternate, ever splintering versions of the past which explains why the T1000 exists in the T2 universe and why there are no laser guns in the T4 universe. They’re all a glimpse at “one possible future.”

[@tomyoung9049]

nice theory on alternate timelines. Many 'time travel' movies address the multiple future possibilities. The only common thread through these seem that there is no stopping the machine evolution that results in the war. It can be delayed perhaps but seems unstoppable.

[@williamjackson6705]

Your theory is pretty much My own. I think that T1 & T2 are canon. I can enjoy the others because they are alternate timelines. That would explain the inconsistencies in the T-3, Salvation, Genisys & Dark Fate. They're what-ifs.

[@boqndimitrov8693]

Even in the series, the Time War is shown to have an effect on the future. John Connor's popularity is the only reason many fans dislike the later films, and especially the last one.For them, it is unforgivable that their idol is killed, changed, or banished from existence, along with his heroic future.

[@Henrik_Holst]

@@boqndimitrov8693 "John Connor's popularity is the only reason many fans dislike the later films" - While I cannot speak for every other fan out there, this is definitively not true for me , every single movie made after T2 is pure trash, not because of anything John Connor, but because they are just unnecessary cash grabs that basically just rehashes the same story over and over (e.g T3 is basically just a rehashed T2).

[@xcellent-records]

Timeline 1 - Sarah falls in love, gets married (to somebody military), has a son (John), machines become aware, a war starts, John becomes a leader (being trained by his father, who is not Kyle) and almost defeats the machines. The machines want to send a unit back in time to kill John but cannot find him in Timeline 2 using Timeline 1 records, so they send a unit back in time to kill Sarah, just before John was born (the last record from Timeline 1 that matches Timeline 2). John Connor sends his best soldier, his second in command, Kyle Reese, back in time to protect Sarah 2 (Sarah in Timeline 2). Sarah 2 now falls in love with Kyle, has John 2, and goes off grid. John 2 grows up knowing Kyle will become his father (in Timeline 3) and recruits, teaches and trains younger Kyle to become his second in command. When Kyle was sent back in time (from Timeline 1 to Timeline 2) it was because Kyle was the most capable solider and it was a spur of the moment thing. When Kyle was sent back in time (from Timeline 2 to Timeline 3) it was because John 2 had realized that they were in a time loop and Kyle would become his father. He gave Kyle 2 the photo of Sarah and had Kyle memorize a message to say to Sarah (this was planned because John 2 knew they were in a loop and Kyle would eventually be sent back in time to Sarah). Timeline 3 = The Terminator (1984). John 2 grew up knowing he was in a time loop and that he would eventually meet a younger version of his father, which he trained and sent back in time to protect Sarah.

[@waterbeauty85]

In the the Block Universe theory, past, present and future exist simultaneously as a 4 dimensional "block" rather than a sequence of events, and a time trip like Reese and the Terminator's is already built into the "block." The attempt to go back and alter the "future" actually resulting in fulfilling the future is perfectly consistent with this concept. By the way, my family are such fans of this movie that one of my nephews was named after Reese. I would often paraphrase his "It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear" speech when I had to take care of the kids when they were little.

[@philiphamel8504]

I low-key love that you've also watched Chuck. I remember when that show first came out

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Me too! I discovered chuck, live, journeyman, and bionic woman, on some pre release dvd we found at blockbuster before it aired. It was a good year.

[@bronzewand]

The absolute king of b movies.. the sequel is great but this one right here is a god damn masterpiece

[@jessm.porthos]

The Alien comment got me laughing too hard lol

[@MrGpschmidt]

One of your best reactions - a true bonafide classic and game-changing sci-fi action thriller with iconic turns by Arnold/Biehn & Hamilton - Cameron always delivers the big-screen event films with aplomb. You're in for a treat with the first sequel.

[@benjiarehart2878]

Saw it at the movie theater, and new it was going to win awards for the special effects. Which it did. React to Smokey and the Bandit if you haven't already.

[@007sMoneyPenny]

15:54 did you recognze the 2nd detective? Mr. Lance Henriksen aka C. Bishop from Aliens and Alien III. he definitely had his appearances at that time in movies.. 😀

[@benrositas8068]

Awesome reaction video, CNR! I could tell you were _really_ into it! This is one of my all-time favorite sci-fi/horror films. I say horror because it so much resembles the classic Frankenstein. That, and when I saw this at around age 8, it totally scared the crap out of me, which in turn made me afraid of the future. "OMG, we're going to build robots that wind up killing us all!" lol

[@sergiogonzalez1295]

"Why are the police chasing him?" Well, when they saw him he was pulling up some pants.Most likely they thought he was using the alleyway as a toilet. They tell him to stop and he runs, only to find out he also stole from someone else? Yeah, I'd say they would be chasing him.

[@brandonreed09]

This first film is a bootstrap paradox. John Connor knew Kyle was his father and sent him back to become his father. This was always how he was born.

[@namelessjedi2242]

There really isn’t the concept of other timelines yet, the war _will_ happen, and Kyle _did_ come back. Nothing has changed, and there wasn’t some original timeline where Sarah never met a man from the future. You can’t think about it in a linear way. 😁

[@shainewhite2781]

Before Schwarzenegger was cast as the titular character, James Cameron originally wanted OJ Simpson to play the role, but changed his mind saying "He's too much of a nice guy to play the role of a ruthless killer."😳🤦 Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone, Tom Selleck and Lance Henriksen were considered as well. Sting, Treat Williams, Christopher Reeve, Scott Glenn, Michael O'Keefe, Bruce Springsteen, Kurt Russell, and Matt Dillon were considered for Kyle Reese. Lea Thompson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jessica Harper, Melissa Sue Anderson, Rosanna Arquette and Lisa Langolis were considered for Sarah Connor.

[@phoenixowl2010]

While obviously Schwarzenegger defined the role forever, I always felt Henrikson would have been the better casting. His slim build, unremarkable features and deadpan presentation lent itself to the role of an infiltration machine and would have made the feats of strength that much more effective. Arnold, in my view, injected too much emotion into the role.

[@rescuetweak]

A piece of viewer trivia, the terminator that infiltrated Kyle’s building in the future was my chiropractor for a short time in California. Franco Columbu, also he was Arnold’s absolutely best friend and training partner and was once Mr. Olympia himself.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

That is pretty awesome!!

[@AwkwardKyle]

I'm actually named after this movie. If you do T2, ABSOLUTELY do the theatrical cut.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

DONE. ✅

[@skkahl3400]

2029 is in 6 six years. The film came out 39 years ago. We are far closer to the future of this film than we are to the making a film and that makes me feel old. I was born in 1984.

[@robertcartier5088]

No, there is no indication that Kyle knew he was John's father... Yes, we saw you well-up at the picture... we all did. ;-]

[@scouseofhorror104]

Mate I actually got a cold sweat along with you AGAIN! Love your reactions 🤍🤍🤍

[@kentmont]

My all time favorite movie

[@GrouchyMarx]

If you're in for a couple more scifi time, war and dystopian type movies, two I haven't seen any reactors do so far, consider "The Philadelphia Experiment" (1984) and its creepy sequel "The Philadelphia Experiment 2" (1993). The first one is special because way before it came out, in conspiracy theory circles, the Philadelphia Experiment actually happened in the middle of WWII, but was covered up for obvious reasons. Hearing all this it was intriguing to see a movie based on that back in '84. So whether it really happened or is just a fantastical tale it's still a good scifi movie and one science fiction fans would enjoy. Part 2 was made 9 years later and is not part of the conspiracy theory, but it's a very interesting and creepy sequel about timelines. Made 9 years later they had different actors playing two main characters from the first one. Enjoyed the Terminator reaction and will be looking for your T2, too! ✌😁

[@sykesknife5739]

I was lucky enough to see this in the Theatre. I remember when the cop said, He’s Rabbiting someone in the theatre said, oh come on, I laughed so hard. While lines like that ruin good movies, I quickly forgot about it but it still makes me chuckle when I hear it today.

[@BuffaloC305]

I hope you'll move into T3, too. It's got one of the great Big Vehicle Chases and Dr. Silverman makes another fun appearance.