The Terminator

Movie review by Ken Feil, Common Sense Media
The Terminator Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 15+

Terrific sci-fi action, but too violent for some.

R 1984 108 minutes
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Parents say

age 14+

Based on 59 reviews

Kids say

age 13+

Based on 243 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that kids will want to see The Terminator due to its reputation as a "classic" action film and the fact that it stars Arnold Schwarzenegger. But this isn't the sweet, exasperated Arnold of Kindergarten Cop or the comedic action hero of True Lies -- or even the huggable father stand-in of Terminator 2 and 3. This is a relentless, shark-eyed killer Arnold. His systematic destruction of the inhabitants of Los Angeles is unsettling even for adults. Expect virtually nonstop tension and violence, as well as swearing (including "f--k"), some partial nudity, drinking, and smoking.

Community Reviews

quigleaa2028
quigleaa2028 Adult
May 22, 2021
age 12+

Great Movie, and if you get scared easily, wait till your 12

I watched this when I was 10, because I wasn't too easily scared, and nothing really bothered me. There is a sex scene at 81 minutes, but it contributes to the storyline, so don't skip it. It's violent, sure, but not too bad. The Terminator shoots a lot of people and rips a mans heart out (not too violent in my opinion). The profanity. Maybe a bit more swearing then you'd expect. In the beginning, there is three punks that pull a knife on The Terminator, and say: F**k you a**hole. The sex in it is everything a 12 year old could handle. The sex scene does show a very brief shot of breasts, and The Terminator walks around naked until he steals some clothes (Butt seen). Some cigarettes, but not much Overall, I think the violence is 4/5, the sex is a 3/5, the drinking, drugs and smoking is a 2/5 and profanity is a 3/5.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
2 people found this helpful.
Watchfulmother
Watchfulmother Adult
April 10, 2021
age 18+

Watch out for nudity and sex scene

Other reviews haven’t mentioned this, but soon after Arnold first manifests, naked, and right after we see the punks, Arnold approaches them and we see ***full frontal nudity on Arnold*** (his privates swinging, somewhat shadowed but clearly visible). Then a sex scene at 81 minutes that’s about a minute and a half to two minutes long. If you can skip these parts and don’t mind cursing and violence, a child could watch it, depending on your morals. As others have mentioned, each time the two men appear right after time travel, you see their buttocks. But I hadn’t seen mention of full frontal nudity on The Terminator (again, the movie shows the punks, and right after that Arnold approaches them naked, then camera pans to their reaction and they make fun of him). After they start making fun of him you don’t see his front privates anymore.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
1 person found this helpful.
See all 59 parent reviews

What's the Story?

The story of THE TERMINATOR begins with the arrival of a pumped-up, naked Arnold Schwarzenegger. He is "The Terminator," a cyborg sent from the post-apocalyptic future where machines have taken over the world via nuclear Armageddon. His mission is to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), the woman who will eventually become the mother of the leader of the future resistance. Soldier Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) is sent back as well; in this case to prevent the Terminator from carrying out his mission. Reese must protect Sarah long enough for her to give birth to her son, John, who will lead the fight against the machines.

Is It Any Good?

Co-written and directed by James Cameron, this is an excellent vehicle for his facility with sci-fi action and spectacle. It also highlights themes like humans versus machines, the destructiveness of war, capitalism, and the questioning traditional gender roles that are common in his films.

The Terminator is more serious than the second two movies in the series. Schwarzenegger's character bears none of the playful ambiguity of the sequels; he simply kills. True, he does utter the infamous phrase, "I'll be back," a promise that the character utterly fulfills, but the effect is less ironic than horrifying.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the conventions of action movies like The Terminator and director James Cameron's statements regarding corporate culture, unchecked technological development, and nuclear war.

  • What do you think of Sarah Connor's transformation from sweet, defenseless damsel-in-distress to strong and independent action hero?

Movie Details

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