The Terminator Legacy: What makes the Arnold Schwarzenegger franchise so popular

Why are we getting a new Terminator movie this week? Is it because it is a franchise and those things automatically make money no matter how good or bad they are? Well, that’s kind of true; the Transformers movies all suck and they still make an obscene amount of money every time they curse our movie theaters. [caption id=“attachment_2319262” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator. Image from Facebook.[/caption] But Terminator isn’t like the Transformers brand. The latter is made specifically for teenage boys – the bane of mankind. The former was made originally with the spirit of a teenage boy, but with the know-how of a genius. Even the bad Terminator movies – the previous two installments – were made more with a distinct layer of fan-boyism than as an attempt by studios to milk the cash cow. So what makes Terminator this legendary figure in the history of cinema? Before the release of Terminator Genisys, here’s decoding a bit of the legacy: How the movies made Cinematic History While a lot of movies made money back in the 70’s and 80’s, none of them created a sensation the way 1984’s The Terminator did. This was kind of an adult horror movie with sex and a ton of violence that turned into a worldwide blockbuster. Kids and their parents showed up in hordes to see it. The second film took this to another level – it was kind of a watershed moment in cinema history. Pop culture began to take a turn and everyone was talking about Judgment Day. Posters and merchandise sold like hotcakes, the primary theme became ingrained in everyone’s memories, Robert Patrick became forever known as the T-1000 and Arnold Schwarzenegger became a household name. These weren’t just big movies that made money, these were big events in the history of cinema, much like the original Jurassic Park and The Matrix. Dawn of a new era of CGI Part of why the first two films became such raging successes is that nobody had ever seen anything like T1 and T2 before. The special effects blew everyone away. In an era where the CGI was becoming increasingly laughable Stan Winston’s FX studio created realistic enough robots to scare the crap out of you. Whether it was young kids or their parents or teenagers simply looking for a good time – everyone gasped when the T-800 stitched its robotic hand back to life and then chased Sarah Connor in the factory. Everyone freaked out when the T-1000 drove a sword shaped finger through a guy’s forehead. Twenty years on, the CGI of T2 still looks good. It’s so memorable not because of the technology fueling the CGI, but the detailing of it. Take for example the T-1000 turning into liquid metal to walk through the prison bars, and getting stuck because of the gun in his hand. It’s the little things that make these films iconic. The Marketing With great filmmaking came great marketing. Now that the Terminator bug had bitten audiences in the late 80’s, everyone was waiting for the sequel, but no one knew when it was going to be out. There was no internet then and cinema geeks only had dubious magazines to rely on for movie news. So when people went to the theaters to watch Total Recall, they got the biggest shock of their lives. The screen faded in and there were images of a robot being built in a factory, to be put in a skinning chamber, out of which Schwarzenegger emerged to look directly at the camera, with a sinister red eye. People went nuts! They just got to know a new Terminator movie was on its way and that it looked phenomenal. The teaser was directed by Stan Winston, and cleverly portrayed Arnold as the villain again. It made no allusion to the fact that he was the hero in the film. The main trailer did give away the role switcheroo, but ‘this time Arnie is a hero!’ became the most talked about thing for people waiting to see the film. It was epic.

Quotable Quotes One big reason why T1 and especially T2 have such high repeat value is that they are filled with a string of memorable moments and quotes. If you disassociate yourself the films, “I’ll be back” and “Hasta La Vista baby” are such lame lines, but they’re still referenced in films and TV shows post the Terminator series because they’re so unforgettable. Additionally, cheesy stuff like the T-800 asking John Connor why do humans cry is adorable. It just works, because it’s packaged so well. Perfect Casting of The Governator When Arnold enters a bar naked and politely asks someone for his clothes, his boots and his motorcycle, you believe this guy really is the Terminator, not an actor playing him. It’s like he was born to drive that Harley Davidson on the freeway while shooting a truck with a shotgun. Extending his hand and telling Connor “come with me if you want to live” is pure movie star power burning at its brightest. When he lowers himself on the chain, submerging in the lava, the final thumbs up is powerful enough to make your inner child reach out and pull him back out. When the end credits roll, you know you have seen something historic – a movie that is entertaining as hell and still leaves you heartbroken after it’s final scene. How could any sequel possibly outdo this feeling? We’ll only know this Friday.