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The Rise of the Machines in the Mid-80s

Ts

(Romanian)

1984… Continues the “streak” of “memorable” releases with “The Terminator”, considered to be another “cornerstone” of science fiction, revolutionizing the science fiction genre, and leaving an indelible mark on popular culture.

Movie “critics” say that this film (directed by James Cameron, who is already asserting himself as a real value in “Science Fiction”) introduced the concept of time travel, hostile artificial intelligence, and cyborgs in such a convincing way that it became a reference point for many subsequent productions.

Correct! But was this concept so new?

Concerning time travel, literature already “had” Edward Page Mitchell with “The Clock That Went Backward” (1881 — one of the first stories about time travel), H.G. Wells with “The Time Machine” (1895), Mark Twain with “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” (1889), Jack London with “The Scarlet Plague” (1913), Olaf Stapleton with “Last and First Men: A Story of the Future” (1930), Poul Anderson with “Time Patrol” (1949), or various works by Robert A. Heinlein and others, and the movie already “had” “The Time Machine” (1949), or “The Time Machine” (1960) and many other “manifestations” (including in the world of television series)…

Concerning cyborgs, literature already “had” various works of science fiction, including the works of Isaac Asimov with I, Robot (1950), and others, or the film world already “had” Metropolis (1927 — although it is not exactly a cyborg, the robot Maria shows elements of this concept), including “multiple manifestations” in the world of the television series, various episodes of “The Twilight Zone”, of “Doctor Who”, not forgetting “Star Trek” (The Original Series) or “relatively 100%” robotic likeness from “Westworld” (1973).

But, the geniuses that were combined with Cameron’s intuition did their job and the plot was considered innovative, Arnold Schwarzenegger in the role of Terminator “came” with iconic lines like “I’ll be back”, and became a symbol of the genre, Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor presented a strong and vulnerable heroine at the same time, the special effects were revolutionary for the time (especially those related to the Terminator transformation and the endoskeleton scene), making Terminator a benchmark of the science fiction genre, and “The Terminator” spawned a successful franchise with numerous sequels, prequels, and spin-offs, and influenced an entire generation of filmmakers and writers such as:

• Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991),
• Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003),
• Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (TV Series 2008–2009),
• Terminator Salvation (2009),
• Terminator Genesys (2015),
• Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
• and others, not forgetting the animation „Terminator Zero” (2024) or the announced (at the end of 2024) Terminator: Skynet Rising, which will continue the story of the “line” “Legion” (“opened” in Dark Fate).

The “gains” offered to the whole world by this universe can be palpably “felt” by the fact that the “Terminator” “series” has raised the bar in terms of action sequences and special effects, the films of this franchise being true pioneers in the use of digital technologies for to create spectacular visual effects, inspiring future generations of filmmakers.

Then, we are not “discussing” just a franchise but a real universe that will also be “developed” through the novels, such as:

• Terminator 2: Judgment Day (novel) (an adaptation of the movie, but with additional details about characters and events).
• T2: Extreme Conditions (a sequel to the previous novel, which explores the adventures of John Connor after the events of the film).
• Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (novel) (a film adaptation with some differences from the theatrical version).
• and various comics (such as “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” that expanded and deepened the film’s story, offered new perspectives on characters and events, or explored different periods of war between humans and machines).

The “Terminator” franchise has also found an important place in the world of video games, offering fans interactive experiences in this post-apocalyptic universe, over the years various video games inspired by the films have been released, each with its style of gameplay and story.

Among the most notable games in the “The Terminator” universe, I can mention:

• Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991, action platformer on Sega Genesis, NES, and Game Boy, one of the first games based on the franchise, a title that captured the atmosphere of the film, giving players the ability to control both the T-800 and John Connor),
• The Terminator: Future Shock (1995 PC FPS that allowed players to experience a post-apocalyptic future by controlling a human resistance soldier),
• Terminator 3: The Redemption (2003, TPS type on PS2, Xbox, GameCube, and PC, based on the third film in the series, offering an intense action experience with a story that ran parallel to the events of the film),
• Terminator: Dawn of Fate (2004, an action game for mobile phones),
• Terminator: Salvation (2009, TPS type on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, a video game released the same year as the movie “Terminator Salvation”, featuring an original story that intertwines with the events of the movie),
• Terminator: Genisys (2015, another mobile game based on the cinematic reboot), and
• Terminator: Resistance (2019, FPS on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, which focuses on the events that take place before “Judgment Day”, allowing players the opportunity to experience a dystopian Los Angeles and fight against machines).

This universe brought to the fore topics such as artificial consciousness, machine revolt, and the danger of technology getting out of control, themes that became ubiquitous in science fiction and generated numerous philosophical and ethical discussions (the cyborg “Terminator” archetype influencing the design and the behavior of other cybernetic characters in films, series, and video games).

Another “gain” would be represented by bringing time travel back to the “public’s” attention as a narrative tool, a concept that was taken up and developed in numerous other works of science fiction, becoming a basic element of the genre.

In a kind of final “analysis” of the Terminator universe, of the significant influence on the science fiction genre, via the later works that took up and developed the ideas presented in this franchise, there are some notable “correlations”…

RoboCop (1987), a part-human, part-machine protagonist struggling to regain his humanity in a dystopian future, can be considered either inspired by “The Terminator” or a “precursor” to the idea of ​​the “good, protective Terminator “ (what will follow in 1991 by Judgment Day)?

What do you think would be the “iconic” title in which artificial intelligence rebels against humans, simulating reality, causing humans to fight for their freedom? Does the series started by The Matrix (1999) sound similar to you?

Then the line of questioning can continue through the evolution of the Cylons in the series “Battlestar Galactica” (2004–2009) and their “interactions” with humanity…

Then, I previously mentioned, as a possible “source of inspiration” for the Terminator, the movie Westworld (from 1973). Can any new ideas from the Terminator universe be “assimilated” to the “characters” of the return of the “theme” through the television series Westworld (made between 2016 and 2022)?

And if I am still a dedicated “gamer” who has experienced the evolution of video games, especially on the “science fiction” theme, I can suggest that many video games, such as the Deus Ex or Mass Effect series, were influenced by Terminator, exploring themes such as cybernetic augmentations, artificial intelligence and the struggle for survival in a technological future?

Well, there would be a lot more to “say” in terms of the interrelationship of ideas and developments of the world of “science fiction” but… In future episodes…

Oh yeah, and I’m not done with 1984 yet…

Merticaru Dorin Nicolae

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