This bad man is no man at all. He’s a machine: sturdier than a tall building, able to break supporting players in his bare hands, shooting middle-aged ladies on sight, laying waste to entire police stations. He has taken a trip back through time, landing in 1984 (a favorite year for dystopian science fiction) on a mission to reverse the history of the 21st century, to perform a “retroactive abortion” on a woman destined to give birth to the next millennium’s Savior. With his choppy hair, cryptic shades and state-of-the-80s leather ensemble, the cyborg looks like the Incredible Hulk gone punk in this lean, smart, wonderful thriller. In two sequels the creature became the heroine’s helpmate, and almost cute — call him Termie. That’s a little tragedy for connoisseurs of movie villainy. Nothing worse than when a bad guy goes good.
