10 Films That Should Never Have Become Franchises
9. The Terminator
The Terminator’s budget was low enough ($6 million) to give it a B-movie feel, and for all its car chases and cutting-edge technology, it’s the only film in the franchise that can be taken as a down and dirty exploitation picture. It’s also the one with the most heart and the best ideas, but if you want to see the same story mounted a $100 million budget, then Judgment Day is for you. Just don’t expect to see anything new.
T2 must also bear the brunt for convincing Arnie that Terminators could be funny. In the first sequel, he gets away with one quip (“I need a vacation!”), but by the time of Rise Of The Machine, he’s content to play off his old catchphrases every few minutes. Until near the end, there was more than a touch of déjà vu to the plot, which was basically a facsimile its predecessor.
The dour, humourless Terminator Salvation polarised audiences, but Terminator Genisys deserves credit for turning the franchise into a Mel Brooks movie, complete with “jokes” about how humanity won’t survive unless Kyle Reese and Sarah Connor get it on.