The Terminator is like the cool kid on the block of sci-fi films who got that time-travel swagger before time. This flick practically laid down the law for time travel tropes before they were even a glimmer in Hollywood's eye. But being ahead of the curve is not always a cakewalk. While it rocketed into legacy status, it also drew a whirlwind of criticism as its once-futuristic vibes started feeling a bit retro. Fast forward a few decades and director James Cameron finally decided to unleash the truth bomb, stepping into the ring and serving up a spicy rebuttal to those naysayers.

Cameron finally decided to spill the beans on the years of backlash that followed The Terminator, reflecting on the challenges he faced while filming it.

In a recent conversation with Empire magazine, James Cameron reminisced about The Terminator, which he affectionately calls his “first film”—since he got the boot from Piranha II before it could truly count. Though Cameron is all about the love for this flick, now that it is in its 40s, he has noticed some “cringe-worthy” moments. But the dialogue? Cameron is not ready to buy that cringe talk and feels his box office success is the ultimate mic drop for anyone who disagrees.

Cameron called out those critics who get all cringy about his dialogue, tossing them a challenge, saying, “let me see your three-out-of-four-highest-grossing films–then we’ll talk about dialogue effectiveness.” While he admits some moments in The Terminator might make one cringe, he also points out that there are plenty of mind-blowing scenes that worked wonders with the resources they had back in the day.

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While Cameron took aim at the critics, he also shared some solid advice for first-time filmmakers, drawing from his own experiences on The Terminator.

James Cameron, the mastermind behind The Terminator, is all set to bring the legendary franchise back to life, and he has a rather exciting nominee to star. However, in his chat with Empire Magazine, he admitted what he thinks has made the film stand the test of time: casting Arnie. Instead of the sneaky killer he originally envisioned, he ended up with a super-muscular robot tank. That is where his billion-dollar tip for first-time filmmakers comes in: never get stuck on a single vision.

Cameron believes many new filmmakers cling to a single vision out of “insecurity.” Luckily, he did not have to deal with that because it might have meant missing out on working with Arnold Schwarzenegger in such a unique way. He emphasizes that it is essential for creators to let go of rigid visions and tap into the audience's imagination because it is the secret sauce for achieving The Terminator-sized success.

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What do you think of James Cameron's disregard for the critics who slam his dialogues in The Terminator? Let us know in the comments below!