Film Analysis: The Terminator

The Terminator franchise is certainly a catalyst to the immense increase in popularity of science fiction in films as well as technology. Special effects were really revolutionized within the Terminator movies; which sets the franchise apart from other movies. The 1991 film Terminator 2: Judgement Day, directed by James Cameron, was and continues to be a popular movie today in 2018. The terminator franchise has inspired many movies that have been created since then. Along with this influence on the movie industry, the Terminator franchise has influenced the ways in which we as a society view technology and the morality of this technology. Terminator 2: Judgement Day, or T2, was a highly anticipated film following the massive success of the

This concept is further investigated in Ben Austen’s theoretical treatment, “The Terminator Scenario”. Austen examines ethics and morality of technology and whether machines or humans are more ethical in technological applications in combat. Technology in warfare is alarming in the sense that once these technologies are created, they can be programmed to however the creator would like. Philosophers and Ethicists as well as scientists and politicians have been faced with questioning the morality of the use of technology in warfare and it is nearly impossible to come to a unanimous decision among and within these groups. Ben Austen says of this, “I came to understand that we are at work on not one but two major projects, the first to give machines ever greater intelligence and autonomy, and the second to maintain control of those machines” (Austen 61). Losing control of technology at any degree is extremely stressful. Having a cell phone stolen or lost, a hacked social media account, or a compromised credit card are all situations I have experienced and it’s terrifying not having control of sensitive information or your own bank accounts. These examples are not even close to the magnitude and severity of what it would be like if/when AI becomes

I had never watched a Star Wars, Star Trek, or Terminator movie before this semester and I think opening my eyes to this genre has inspired me to understand the connections between science fiction and technology better than I may have perceived it before. This has allowed me to grasp a deeper appreciation for the two topics and what makes them interesting and the importance of acknowledging the two subjects when observing science fiction in writing or movies as well as when appreciating the new iPhone model or science