The Terminator series is a media franchise based on the popular 1984 scince fiction movie The Terminator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton. Directed by James Cameron, the movie has resulted in four sequels, a TV series, lines of novels and comic books, video games, and more. The series focuses on a timeline where a genocidal artificial intelligence has wiped out almost all of the human race, and sends a killer robot (Schwarzenegger) back in time to kill Sarah Conner (Hamilton), the mother of the man who leads the human resistance. Though the robot, called a Terminator, is virtually indestructible, Conner manages to wear it down and eventually escape its clutches, giving birth to humanity’s hope for salvation.
In 1991, the first sequel to The Terminator was released. Called Terminator 2: Judgment Day, it featured the return of Schwarzenegger and Hamilton to the roles they had played seven years before, though this time Schwarzenegger’s Terminator was a different model–one sent back in time to protect Sarah’s son John from another Terminator. Though powerful, Schwarzenegger as the T-800 is outclassed by the newer T-1000 model, which can shapeshift and regenerate damage. As the Conners flee their time-traveling enemy, young John begins to develop a strange friendship with the T-800, teaching it the value of human life–a lesson the robot takes to heart.
Judgment Day was a box office success, with critics praising both its visual effects (the largest use of CGI technology since 1982’s Tron) and the depth of its characters. It also set records for highest box office profits for a film sequel. Though creator and director James Cameron was not involved in the series after the second movie, the series’ success continued with films like Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and comics legend Frank Miller’s 1992 miniseries Robocop Vs. Terminator. It remains one of the most popular sci-fi franchises of all time.
Series Cast
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Linda Hamilton
Robert Patrick
Edward Furlong
Claire Danes
Christian Bale
Sam Worthington
Pictures
Videos
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