5. Terminator 2 Judgment Day (1991)
In 1984 a low budget sci-fi horror film changed the world of cinema. James Cameron went on to become the biggest director of all time and Arnie went on to become the Governator. The film itself is a taut, suspense filled actioner with enough sci-fi and horror beats to appeal to huge audiences across the globe. Seven years later, Arnie returned as the good Terminator trying to protect John Connor from a new threat with James Cameron pulling the strings of what was, at the time, the most expensive film ever made. It didn't disappoint. From the initial chase scene with John escaping on his bike, to the rescue of Sarah Connor from the psychiatric hospital, to the assault on Cyberdyne systems, or the explosive show down in a steel mill, T2 is one of the greatest action films of all time. At its centre is a strange yet effective family unit with a great hero, a fierce heroine and a likeable young boy. That sense of family is missing from the last in the trilogy Rise of the Machines (2003) which despite its best efforts cannot top Judgment Day. With so much potential in the story and characters, we can only hope Terminator Genesis can do what Salvation didn't, and kick-start a new trilogy that can live up to the original.
Trilogy Low Point: Terminator 3 had its moments but too much parody and no Linda Hamilton mean its everyones choice for worst in the trilogy.
Did you Know?... Arnie has something in common with Marlon Brando. They have both read lines from cue cards. When the Terminator is telling Sarah Connor about Miles Dyson and Skynet, Arnie is reading the lines from a card taped to the cars windshield.