TheNorm's Ranking of the Terminator Movies

 

Art by Alex Pascenko 

    The Terminator franchise has become a high watermark for cinema (for the most part). The first two films by James Cameron are shining examples of high execution with minimal funding, innovative special effects, genre-fusing, quotable lines, and memorable action set pieces. Add to that some likable characters and spot-on commentary on the human condition; the Terminator series has earned its place among cinema royalty. 

    Terminator has enjoyed life all around the media landscape. From movies to comic books, video games, toys, and fan films, all with varying degrees of quality, there's no doubt that Terminator will remain an influential entity for generations to come. 

    Lately, a lot of people are talking about Terminator. With the upcoming release of a brand new video game, along with a Netflix Original Anime series, Terminator has once again entered the popular consciousness. As such, this seems like the perfect time for me to present and discuss my personal ranking of all six Terminator movies that have been produced thus far. For this list's purposes, I will not include any of the television spin-offs or fan films. 

    Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you TheNorm's ranking of The Terminator movies. 

    Ranked from worst to best. 

#6 - Terminator: Genisys (2015) 

    This film does everything wrong and in the most insulting way possible! The casting (save for Schwarzenegger) is misguided, the special-effects are outdated, the direction is non-existent, the editing is choppy and unfocused, and the writing is probably the stupidest I have ever seen in a movie, let alone a Terminator film! It is painfully obvious this movie was only produced to fill out a balance sheet. The Terminator rights owners wanted to relaunch the franchise for a younger generation and tried to create a blank slate to work with while attempting to weaponize nostalgia. In the process, they disregarded logic and common sense while spitting in the face of Terminator fans and general audiences alike. It has no tangible stakes, the plot makes no sense in any context, and none of the characters are memorable or even likable. It is the poster child for filmmaking by accountants and the lowest point in the entire Terminator franchise! The only thing preventing this movie from being a total dumpster fire is the entertainment value from Jason Clarke's over-the-top performance as the villain. And even then, his talent is still utterly wasted in this over-priced can of Mt.Dew soda masquerading as a movie! 

#5 - Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

    The film that first signaled the upcoming downfall of the franchise. While it is, at the very least, a bit more fun to watch for its insane action, it's almost as insulting as Genisys. It fails to provide a narratively sound reason for its existence and tries too hard to cheat its way into acceptance by pretending to be "cool." While I have never met Kristanna Loken, who plays the villain of the film, and cannot attest to her as a person, I have never found her to be a talented actress and despise how the only "clever" thing the filmmakers thought to do with her was a juvenile joke about her breast size. Despite these massive issues, however, I can agree that, at the very least, the film is primitively enjoyable. The action scenes are creative, Arnold still maintains his expected charisma as the main machine, and the T-X (Kristanna Loken) is a cool and clever concept of a new Terminator. If only the writing had been a bit more clever and not demanded that the audience simply accept its presence, it might have been a half-decent addition to the franchise. Sadly, whatever charm it might have otherwise had is lost and forgotten to the sands of time. 

#4 - Terminator: Salvation (2009) 

    While this may not be the most clever of the post-T2 films, at least it's not plain stupid. This entry into the franchise suffers from having lots of great ideas that are either never fully developed or spoiled in the trailers. It feels like a case where the writers wanted to dive deeper into the mythology and philosophical aspects of humanity within the machine while retaining the fun action the series is known for. Instead, it was stuck with director McG, a filmmaker who wouldn't know how to handle complex human stories if they bit him in the ass. Pieces of what might have made this film great are scattered through the runtime and succeed in making the film watchable. Not to mention the powerhouse talent of Sam Worthington, who carries the movie on his shoulders with conviction and ease. Had the film been handed to a more competent director, or at the very least one with a better sense of balance between narrative and action, the writers might have seen their true vision come to life. Instead, Terminator: Salvation is doomed to remain forever remembered as the little engine that tried. Not to mention the infamous audio recording of leading man Christian Bale screaming at cinematographer Shane Hurlbut for fiddling with his lights during a take. 

#3 - Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

    This is probably the most acceptable post-T2 entry into the franchise. While I still do not completely agree with aspects of the writing, I can confidently say that it at least didn't try to cheat its way into acceptance. Unlike the atrocities that are Genisys and Rise of the Machines, Dark Fate makes a genuine effort to justify its existence. It plays around with the essential foundations laid down by the original two films and ignores all the other sequels & spin-offs that came before it. Which already gives Dark Fate a leg up in terms of acceptable narrative justification. It is most impressive how it delves further into the relationship between humans and machines in the film's MVP, Grace (Mackenzie Davis). A human-machine hybrid who functions as the perfect embodiment of the film's overall theme. Also, Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger's return makes the film more entertaining and clever than it has any right to be. Their dynamic gives the story a much-needed sense of continuity, along with a shining example of the proper use of nostalgia. It may not be the absolute best of the franchise, but it is the most mature of the post-T2 films. 

#2 - The Terminator (1984) 

    The original. The film that started it all. The one that single-handedly put James Cameron on the map as a force to be reckoned with. It is a masterpiece that seamlessly combines film-noir, science fiction, action, drama, horror, and time travel. It's one of the best examples of making the most out of very little. With a minuscule budget of only six-million-dollars (and that's 1984 money), the film succeeded in utilizing every single cent. The action is top-notch, the music is appropriate and intense, the brief glimpses of the future are visceral, and the special effects are absolutely believable. Even when we see the Terminator in its full glory as a metallic skeleton chasing our heroes, and it's painfully obvious that certain sections of it are stop-motion animation, it's still one of the most terrifying moments ever caught on film. Best of all, all of the main characters are likable and worthy of our investment. This film became a shining example of making the most out of minimalistic resources and proper tangible storytelling. It's one of my favorites to this day. Although, it's not my absolute favorite. That distinction goes to...

#1 - Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) 

    This is not only a perfect example of how to do a proper sequel, but it's also just an astonishing movie in every way! James Cameron took everything he accomplished and learned from the first film and cranked it up to eleven (bonus points if you got that reference). My favorite aspect about this film is how Cameron worked with the idea of Arnold now being the hero as the machine, not necessarily because he planned it that way (at least not to my knowledge), but because it was Arnold's main demand for his return. Rather than argue, Cameron took the idea and used it to make the best story possible. Once again, the special effects are mindblowing, especially for the time. One of the first movies to utilize then-advanced computer graphics to create another iconic movie villain, the T-1,000 (Robert Partick). It expands on the ideas and themes presented in the first film. It develops the characters in a relatable way. Best of all, it provides some of the best explorations of humanity within the machine. Not to mention the action scenes are unquestionably awesome! Terminator 2: Judgement Day is my absolute favorite Terminator movie and my go-to example of how to make a great sequel to any other film. 

    Despite how many modern iterations of the Terminator tend to be mishandled and misunderstood, I think it's most important to remember that, no matter what, we will always have the first two films. Also, in these troubled times of terror and uncertainty, I think it's vital to remember the more optimistic and hopeful message of the franchise. After all, there is no fate but what we make for ourselves. 

"If a machine, a Terminator, can learn the value of human life, maybe we can too." 

-Sarah Connor 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading. 

I'll be back!