Terminator Movies Ranked
6. Terminator: Salvation (2007)
This film feels like a massive waste of an amazing setting. A post-judgment day Terminator film sounds amazing, giving us an extended look at the brief flash-forwards of the first 3 entries. However, the execution is far from good. I hate when action films manage to be boring, and my word this is so boring. The first two Terminators were built on strong characters and emotional simplicity. That is nowhere here and is a real bad omen for the rest of the series. Salvation doesn't feel like it gets anything right, with the action sequences feeling unsatisfying and the lack of strong characters leaving the supposedly emotional scenes feeling flat and uninteresting. Overall an absolute mess that adds absolutely nothing to the series.
5. Terminator: Genisys (2015)
What a mess. In fairness, Genisys starts off really well, with the opening in 2029 is really interesting, luring the viewer into thinking this will be a worthy entry to the series. However, this is where the positives stop. The film falls apart the moment we are transported back to 1984, with an incredibly confusing plot that completely messes up the already confusing timeline of the series. Like Salvation, the characters are a massive low point, with Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese being completely ruined by their characters being changed so drastically, The film's big twist doesnt have the desired effect, with it instead just raises more and more obvious questions that the filmmakers clearly ignored.
4. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
This just feels like a bit of a nothing film. While it does show us Judgement Day, there isn't anything else in this film to justify it's existence. Like the previous entries on this list, there is nothing to any of the characters, and we spend so much time with them. There are a few cool moments sprinkled in, like the T-800 defending the coffin of weapons that Sarah Connor left behind, but there isn't much else to shout about here. It is definitley not a confusing mess like Genysis, but it feels quite boring and a massive step down from the quality of the first two films in the series.
3. Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
To be honest, this feels very generous. Dark Fate being at number 3 speaks more about the poor quality of the previous 3 entries, rather than being high praise for this film. To be fair, Dark Fate does have the best visual effects of the entire series, with the Rev-9 being an incredibly creative and scary antagonist, almost calling back to the T-1000 that we saw in Judgement Day. Bringing Linda Hamilton back as Sarah Connor was another highlight, however the same cannot be said for her fellow main protagonists, as both Grace and Dani felt extremely one-dimensional, acting like very obvious stand-ins for Kyle Reese and John Connor. We also get further confusion of the already confusing timeline, with the effects of Genysis being very clearly felt here (don't even try to piece the timeline together now it makes absolutely zero sense).
2. Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
Just to be absolutely clear. There is a massive gap between entries two and three on this list. The original two Terminators still hold up to this day as some of the greatest films of all time. A lot of people put Judgement Day at number one and that's fair enough. It is a phenomenal action movie complete with a great story, compelling characters, and emotional beats that truly land with the viewer. Most of the effects still hold up today, and the one-liners have aged so well that they are still iconic after multiple viewings, instead of feeling cheesy and generic. The T-1000 is truly terrifying, and our emotional connection to Arnolds' T-800 makes for a thrilling cat-and-mouse game between our two main combatants.
1. The Terminator (1984)
It's a hard choice between this and Judgement Day, but I am just about shading the original Terminator. My love of slasher films probably helps this, as The Terminator has many horror elements within it, and Arnold's seemingly unstoppable T-800 is perfect for the film. There are so many iconic scenes and lines within the film, as well as an incredible soundtrack that keeps on piling the suspense on. Arnold Schwarzenegger is perfect for the Terminator, in the only film in the series where he plays the villain. This is where I believe the Terminators are at their most scary. We truly care about our protagonists, with Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese being extremely likeable heroes, making us actually care about them and wish for their survival. The film does an excellent job of explaining its story, with every action feeling like it contributes to helping the humans win the future war against the machines. To be honest, if you are planning to watch the Terminator series, I'd stop bothering after Judgment Day, as it only goes downhill after that.