James Cameron Critiques The Terminator's Legacy

James Cameron first rose to fame with The Terminator in 1984, but he doesn't regard it as an untouchable classic. In a recent interview with Empire celebrating the film's 40th anniversary, Cameron stated, "I don’t think of it as some Holy Grail." He acknowledged that while some aspects are "pretty cringeworthy," others show they did well given their limited resources.

Cameron’s primary concern with the film revolves around its "production value," which was affected by its low budget. However, he stands firmly behind his dialogue, despite frequent critiques. "I don’t cringe on any of the dialogue," he noted, suggesting that his tolerance for criticism differs from that of many viewers.

He believes that the success of his films should provide some defense against criticism. "You know what? Let me see your three-out-of-the-four-highest-grossing films — then we’ll talk about dialogue effectiveness," he challenged. His 2009 film, Avatar, is currently the highest-grossing film worldwide, with its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, at No. 3, and Titanic at No. 4.

In the interview, Cameron also discussed the decision to cast Arnold Schwarzenegger as the iconic robot, which he described as a brilliant choice, even though Schwarzenegger didn’t match his initial vision. "I’m proud of the fact that we weren’t stuck enough to not see how it could work with Arnold," he said, reflecting on how that decision helped shape the film's success.

Cameron recounted his initial hesitance in meeting Schwarzenegger, who was originally considered for the role of Kyle Reese. "I went to lunch to pull 'creative differences,' but I actually liked him," Cameron shared. He was struck by Schwarzenegger's presence and quickly realized he would be a perfect Terminator instead.

Although Schwarzenegger had his own ideas for enhancing the character, he was reluctant to play a villain. He shared that he clearly visualized what the Terminator should be like but preferred not to take on such a limited role. Cameron reassured him that audiences would find the character compelling.

Once Schwarzenegger joined the cast, Cameron didn’t need to change much of the original plan. "We didn’t change a line of dialogue," he stated. The actor's imposing presence added unexpected power to the film, transforming the Terminator from an anonymous killer into a standout character.