Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Greatest Sci-Fi Movies

Arnold Schwarzenegger made a name for himself in Hollywood thanks to science fiction. It is also the genre that allowed him to shine in other types of films and build the great career he has today. We all remember him as the haunting and impressive Terminator, a role he returned to four more times in his career, with various stories and reboots that put him front and center. However, he created some of the best genre classics of the 80s and 90s, such as Total Recall and Predator. In the sci-fi film, Schwarzenegger shows off his larger-than-life personality while delivering many one-liners and even making fun of himself. Let’s look at all his roles in the genre and remember these wonderful films.

10. Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

Only James Cameron could bring Arnold back to his most iconic role in one final round. Although Cameron acted as a producer this time, it was enough for Schwarzenegger to play the T-800 again. Terminator: The combination of talents should have made him a winner. However, the disappointing story left fans disappointed, especially after Arnold announced that he was retiring from playing the character. With Arnold on board we also get back Linda Hamilton and Edward Furlong as John, but he only makes a cameo appearance as he is killed off within the first five minutes of the film. The film is expected to be a direct sequel to Terminator 2. However, it essentially undoes everything that happened in the second installment of the franchise at the beginning, which was not well received by some of the actors and Cameron himself. .

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9. Terminato Genisys (2015)

Arnold was pretty sure he was done with the character after the stunning results of Terminator 3. Warner thought they had a chance to make a film without Arnold by making Terminator Salvation, but the film didn’t live up to expectations (the film still has Arnold’s cameo, but it was created using CGI). After some controversy over the rights of the characters, Skydance Productions retained the rights and released Terminator Genisys. This soft reboot builds on the premise of The Terminator and introduces a new timeline: Schwarzenegger’s T-800 Terminator is sent back to protect Sarah Connor and her allies from Skynet’s genocide.

8. Escape Plan (2013)

After two terms as governor of California, Arnold returned to the big screen. The aging star finally gave fans the movie collaboration they were all rooting for when he teamed up with Stallone to make Escape Plan, an action thriller in which both men must escape from a futuristic maximum-security prison. Schwarzenegger plays Emil Rottmayer, a prisoner who helps a top civil engineer devise a plan to escape from a high-tech maximum security prison without being caught. Although the film appears to be set in real life, much of the technology used in the film has a futuristic feel to it. The strong action and suspenseful plot make it one of the best offerings from both actors since their work together in The Expendables.

7. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

In this new adventure we see Schwarzenegger as another repurposed T-800, with Nick Stahl taking on the role of John Connor and Claire Danes as Kate Brewster. The action takes place years after the events of Terminator 2. We follow John Connor as he lives out of sight, without a digital footprint, and faces the future with uncertainty. A new model of the Terminator is sent to the present to kill him after Judgment Day. The TX, played by Kristanna Loken, has a mission to kill Connor, his future wife and all his generals, while the T-800 has a mission to ensure his safety before disaster strikes. The film deals with one fixed fate, since all the events of T2 only delay the inevitable.

6. The 6th Day (2000)

The sixth day was Arnold’s first offering of the new millennium. The film was directed by Roger Spottiswoode from a script by Cormac and Marianne Wibberley. The story takes place in the not-too-distant future, where we follow Schwarzenegger as Adam Gibson, a helicopter pilot who discovers that he has been cloned after an assassination attempt goes wrong. In the film, Arnold must figure out what happened to him, why his clone is running around with his family and, more importantly, who wants him dead. The solid cast also includes Michael Rapaport and Tony Goldwyn. Gibson must fight an evil corporation to restore his identity and uncover the truth.

5. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

It took James Cameron seven years to get Arnold back in the T-800 saddle. The script, written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr., reunites Arnold with Linda Hamilton, this time as allies to protect John. Connor, played by Edward Furlong. The widely acclaimed sequel was the most expensive film ever made, and it paid off handsomely. In Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Schwarzenegger plays a reprogrammed T-800 with a mission to protect John Connor from the more advanced and deadly T-1000, a liquid cyborg sent back in time to complete the mission. The larger scope of the script explores various themes such as the fate of humanity, the search for redemption, and the ethical implications of the development of artificial intelligence. A film that still resonates today, despite being 32 years old.

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4. Total Recall (1990)

Total Recall was the next amazing film we got from Schwarzenegger in 1990. This ultra-violent film was directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Ronald Shusett, Dan O’Bannon and Gary Goldman. In this sci-fi thriller, Schwarzenegger portrays Doug Quaid, a man leading a seemingly everyday life who undergoes a memory implant procedure that goes awry. Upon awakening, a series of events occur that cause him to question his identity and reality. Like most of Verhoeven’s films, this one is a scathing critique of consumerism and corporations, while also exploring themes of memory manipulation, conspiracy, and the nature of reality.

3. The Running Man (1987)

If there’s one important thing about the ’80s, it’s that every futuristic film painted a doomed picture of humanity. The Running Man is set in a dystopian future where all prisoners are forced to play a survival game that is broadcast to the entire audience. Criminals must fight for their lives as runners, escaping armed mercenaries known as stalkers. The main reward is a pardon from the government and a vacation in the tropics. The Running Man was produced on a modest budget of $27 million. This sci-fi action film is a thrilling story that caused more trouble in real life than in the film itself, as the production was sued for plagiarism.

2. Predator (1987)

Many problems arose during the production of the first Predator film, but one of the most notable setbacks was the final design of the creature. Jean-Claude Van Damme was hired to play the role of the Predator, and a costume was made for him. When it came time to shoot, John McTiernan realized it wasn’t working and went back to the drawing board. Arnold headlines as Dutch, the field leader of operatives attempting to recover lost assets in the Val Verde jungle. Carl Weathers, Bill Duke and Jesse Ventura play supporting roles. Dutch witnesses each member of his team being hunted and killed by a cunning alien creature in the jungle.

1. The Terminator (1984)

The first film in the Terminator franchise was written and directed by Cameron with the help of Gale Anne Hurd. This is Arnold’s first time playing the T-800, alongside Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor and Michael Biehn as Private Kyle Reese. In this classic sci-fi film, Schwarzenegger plays a cyborg assassin sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor, the woman who will become John Connor’s mother. Made on a shoestring budget of $6.4 million, the film manages to explore themes involving the paradoxes of time travel, artificial intelligence, and the dangerous potential of technology.