Arnold Schwarzeneggerhas appeared in a number of franchises throughout his career, but some of his sequel movies are better than others. Schwarzenegger’s career as one of thebiggest action stars of all timecertainly delivered on some big movies, but includes fewer sequels than you might assume. For instance, whilethePredatorfranchiseis still ongoing, Schwarzenegger only appeared in the first movie, while other big films, likeTotal RecallandThe Running Man, led to remakes rather than sequels.
However, Schwarzenegger has found certain characters that he enjoys playing again just as much as fans enjoy watching them. His role as the T-800 intheTerminatorfranchisehas become iconic, whileConan the Barbarianwas also a pivotal movie in building his career. Schwarzenegger has also stepped into franchises in which he is not the lead, as well as joined some ongoing franchises, including a popular superhero series. This has resulted in eight sequels that Schwarzenegger has appeared in over the course of his career, varying considerably in quality.
Following the disappointing reception ofTerminator: Salvation,which was the firstTerminatormovie in which Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t appear, he returned as the T-800 inTerminator: Genysis. However,despite bringing back the face of the franchise, the movie cemented the feeling that the filmmakers truly didn’t know what fans wanted from aTerminatormovie.Terminator: Genysisretconned much of the franchise, establishing anewTerminatortimelinein which Sarah Connor and her protector Terminator (Schwarzenegger) seek to rewrite history and the future.
Worst of all, the movie fails to deliver any memorable action sequences, focusing instead on fan-service moments that end up falling flat.
Terminator: Genysisattempts to tie various aspects of the previous movies together, resulting in a messy and confused story that loses sight of what worked in those beloved early movies. Schwarzenegger is the highlight of the film, but this version of the T-800 is made too comedic at times. Worst of all, the movie fails to deliver any memorable action sequences, focusing instead on fan-service moments that end up falling flat.
Batman & Robinis considered by many to be one of the worst movies ever made. While that reputation might be slightly hyperbolic, there is no question that it is a bad movie. In fact,Batman & RobintankedtheBatmanfilmfranchisefor nearly a decade before Christopher Nolan resurrected it withBatman Begins.It is not a coincidence that Nolan’s gritty and dark take on the superhero was the exact opposite of the cartoonishBatman & Robin.
WhileBatman & Robinis a direct sequel toBatman Forever, George Clooney stepped in as Batman, replacing Val Kilmer. It was also Arnold Schwarzenegger’s firstBatmanmovie, playing the villainous Mr. Freeze. While the villain is notoriously stoic and hardened in the most beloved interpretations, Schwarzenegger’s goofy performance is a testament to how off-target this movie was.There is some charm to the vibrancy of the whole thing, but it doesn’t suit Batman at all. Schwarzenegger’s ice puns are also a prime example of the movie’s misguided humor, too cheesy for even younger audiences.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s legacy as one of the biggest action stars of all time made him a must-have addition toThe Expendablesfranchise. While Sylvester Stallone was at the head of the first three movies as Barney Ross, Schwarzenegger made appearances in three installments as Trench, an ally/rival to Ross.The Expendables 3sees Ross facing off with an old nemesis (Mel Gibson) and assembling a new crew of younger soldiers to save the day.
The Expendablesmovies have never fully followed through on the promise of assembling the greatest action heroes of all time, as all the films have been fairly disappointing in terms of throwback fun. Even with exciting new additions, including Harrison Ford, Antonio Banderas, and Wesley Snipes,The Expendables 3unwisely brings in a new cast of fairly forgettable characters.The PG-13 rating and the over-reliance on bad CGI also felt in direct contrast to what the franchise was initially going for.
It had often been noted that theTerminatorseries drastically diminished followingTerminator 2: Judgment Day. That is likely the reason whyTerminator: Dark Fatesought to ignore everything else, make a direct sequel to the second movie, and bring back one of the key elements of the franchise that had been missing since that 1991 sequel. Sadly, Linda Hamilton’s return as Sarah Connor did little to turn around the franchise’s decline.Terminator: Dark Fatesees Sarah returning from her life in hiding to help protect a new chosen savior of humanity who has been targeted by a Terminator.
Had he and Hamilton been leading this new movie, it could have worked better, but the new storyline is dull and didn’t engage fans enough to want more.
The movie quickly turned off a lot of fans with its controversial decision to kill off John Connor early on, which marred the thrill of seeing Hamilton back in action. There are also some interesting things done with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800, giving him the most to do since the second movie. Had he and Hamilton been leading this new movie, it could have worked better, but the new storyline is dull and didn’t engage fans enough to want more.
Conan the Barbarianis not talked about quite as often as some ofArnold Schwarzenegger’s other classics, but it was a huge movie for establishing him as a lead actor.Conan the Destroyeris a step down in quality and has not held up as well as the original, but it still delivers on the pulpy fun of the swords and sorcery adventure. There is a campy, low-budget quality to the sequel that works well, especially in comparison to the overblown CGI fantasy movies that come out now.
However, whileConan the Destroyercan be enjoyed as a fun time, it really pales in comparison to the original movie.A big problem is thatConan the Destroyerattempts to be a much more tame story compared to the first movie, toning down the violence and embracing a sillier tone. Schwarzenegger shows glimpses of his comedic skills that would be used more effectively in later movies, but it is a disappointment that his character doesn’t get to be quite the animalistic hero that he was in the first movie.
Terminator: Rise of the Machineshas always had a worse reputation than it deserves. Coming out afterTerminator 2and marking the firstTerminatormovie without James Cameronat the helm, it was always going to be seen as a disappointment. However, despite its many flaws, it is still the best of theTerminatorsequels post-Judgment Day.Not surprisingly, it is Arnold Schwarzenegger who is the highlight of the movie, returning to the role he plays so well and bringing a battle-weary quality that surprisingly works.
It also builds to a bleak and intriguing ending that boldly sets up the future of the franchise.
The movie also features some great action set pieces, including the wild highway chase. It also builds to a bleak and intriguing ending that boldly sets up the future of the franchise. However, Cameron’s direction and writing are sorely missing. In particular,the movie lacks any of the emotional layers of the second film, while the chemistry between Nick Stahl’s John Connor and Schwarzenegger’s Terminator is severely lacking compared to the previous movie. However, it is still a fun ride and a serviceable Terminator sequel.
Following his one-scene cameo inThe Expendables, Arnold Schwarzenegger returns as Trench inThe Expendables 2, finally getting in on the action of the franchise. The sequel follows Barney Ross and his team facing off with a villainous mercenary (Jean-Claude Van Damme) who is trying to acquire a nuclear weapon. Once again, it is not a subtle movie, relying on the fact that the audience isn’t going to care about the story and the dialogue so long as there’s good action.
The Expendables 2is thankfully the most action-packed entry of the franchise, delivering some really fun moments.The highlight of the movie is seeing Schwarzenegger sharing the screen with fellow action legends, Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis, in the climactic shootout. Chuck Norris also has an entertaining cameo, and while the film gets a little carried away with its jokey references to the stars' other movies, it is still a mindless thrill ride.
Terminator 2: Judgment Dayis not only Arnold Schwarzenegger’s best sequel, but it is one of the best sequels ever made. James Cameron repeated what he did withAliens, making a sequel that honors the first movie but takes it in a completely new direction. As much asTerminator 2delivers on being a hugely entertaining big-budget action movie,Cameron’s boldness should not be overlooked, as he took one of the most effective villains in movie history and succeeded in turning him into the hero for the sequel.
Schwarzenegger is just as iconic as this new version of the Terminator, acting as the protector of young John Connor. He is in full action hero mode, and his deadpan delivery of the sequel’s jokes delivers big laughs. Linda Hamilton also transforms, becoming an action hero in her own right as the survivalist version of Sarah Connor. The characters are richer and develop real connections, making for a surprisingly emotional conclusion.
It is easy to forget that the firstTerminatormovie was a fairly small-scale thriller. While that worked quite well,Cameron turned the franchise into a massive action blockbuster and created one of thebest action movies of all time. From the LA River chase scene to the T-800’s barroom brawl to the factory climax, it is an exciting and boundary-pushing genre movie that still holds up today.
