Arnold Schwarzenegger names the worst Terminator movie, and reveals the very understandable reason why it isn’t good. On the opposite end of the quality spectrum lies the original Terminator, a seminal 1980s sci-fi classic, and its sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day, a film often ranked among the greatest action movies of all-time.

James Cameron’s directorial hand was present for both those movies, but would be absent for all subsequent Terminator sequels, his creative input only returning with the most recent sequel Dark Fate, for which he received producer and story credit. Schwarzenegger himself would make appearances in all four of those post-Judgment Day sequels, though in one of them he only makes a cameo via CGI, as he was unavailable to physically be on the set.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Names Terminator Salvation The Worst Movie In The Series

It’s Also The One He Wasn’t Really In

Schwarzenegger seems to have no doubt about which Terminator movie is the franchise’s worst. That same question may stir debate among fans, however, as each franchise entry after Judgment Day has its glaring flaws. The most recent Terminator film, 2019’s Dark Fate, tried again to pump new life into the fading series, but came away as a disappointment, grossing just $261 million worldwide.

Schwarzenegger spared Dark Fate when asked recently to name the worst Terminator movie, but did not spare Terminator Salvation, which he declared to be the series’ low-point. That film also happens to be the one the actor had the least involvement in, because he was too busy running the state of California at the time (via Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen):

I would say the worst was probably the number four [Terminator Salvation]. Because that was done during the time I was governor and I was not in it. How do you make a Terminator movie without me being in the Terminator movie? It doesn’t make any sense.

Our Take On Terminator Salvation Being The Worst Movie In The Series

It Was The Series’ Riskiest Film

The first three Terminator movies follow the same rough template laid out in the original film: A time-traveling cyborg seeks to kill the leader of the future rebellion against the machines, and someone else is sent back to protect that person. Terminator Salvation wildly deviates from that formula, however. An origin story set after the events of the previous three films, the fourth installment depicts rebel leader John Connor (Christian Bale) and his rag-tag band as they do battle with machines unleashed by a self-aware AI.

Schwarzenegger makes only a brief appearance in Salvation, via CGI, as the series attempts a genuine reboot. The effort was in vain, however, as the movie was slammed by critics, landing a 33% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences were scarcely more enthusiastic, as the film went on to gross just $371 million worldwide.

The absence of Schwarzenegger is indeed just one of the many things that make Terminator Salvation arguably the series’ nadir. Veering away from the classic formula may have been a bold-yet-necessary move after three movies with the same basic plot, but the post-apocalyptic story whipped up by John Brancato and Michael Ferris, and brought to life by director McG, fails to establish engaging new characters or a compelling world.

Terminator Salvation is ultimately little more than a routine post-apocalyptic action movie that happens to be connected to the Terminator universe. Producers may have thought they could continue the series without Schwarzenegger, but the move indeed made no sense, as the star himself appears to believe.

Source: Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen