Summary

TheTerminatorfranchise began with two of the most influential and well - executed action movies of the 20th century , but the series has always struggled to recapture the quality for the first pic for a smorgasbord of ground . Based off a febricity dream in which visionary manager James Cameron see a metal skull haunting him , the first Terminator movie blew audience away in 1984 with its jittery horror and sci - fi stylings , skyrocketingthe career of Arnold Schwarzeneggeralong the way . Terminator 2 : Judgmentday somehow improved upon the formula , create one of the good subsequence of all time .

Unfortunately , it ’s been a battle for the franchise to return to the idealistic top of critical and boxwood billet success it once sit on . For a while , the serial ' conflict could ’ve been attributed to the absence of James Cameron ’s participation , with the legendary sci - fi theater director and writer stimulate no involvement with the first three subsequence toTerminator 2 : Judgment Day . However , this assumption was confute with Cameron ’s narration course credit inTerminator : Dark Fate , which received a similarly sundry reception . Theupcoming seventh Terminator filmwill have plenty of challenges to overcome in ordering to finally make a satisfying subsequence .

8Terminator 2 Was Too Good Of An Ending

Picking Up Where Judgment Day Left Off Just Doesn’t Work

Ironically , part of what makesTerminator 2 : Judgment Daysuch a perfect action celluloid injure up hurting the enfranchisement in the long run . Skynet ’s plan have always go around around sending Terminators back in time to eliminate the leadership of the human immunity . When killing Sarah Connor did n’t work , it makes sense that John Connor as a tike would be considered an leisurely target . But with John Connor saved , it ’s hard to manufacture further conflict for the serial to survive off of . Not only that , but T2 ends with Skynet ’s takeover altogether prevented , something future films had to immediately retcon in Holy Order to proceed the franchise .

As a outcome , next films have had to go out of their way to explicate how Skynet bring off to take over anyway , such as inTerminator 3 : Rise of the Machines . Alternatively , an exclusively new artifical intelligence had to be introduced simply so the fib could cover inTerminator : Dark Fate , which created Legion as a stand - in villain for Skynet . The conclusive ending of Terminator 2 was simply too utter a means to close out the story of Terminator , giving any potential subsequence too much of a barrier to entry .

7The Canon Was Redone Too Many Times

The Multiple Timelines Have Confused General Audiences

The head - spinning result is three separate timelines that delicately pick and choose which films are connected and which are n’t , confusing world-wide audiences to the point of spiritlessness .

Since the nonstarter ofTerminator : Salvation , each subsequent Terminator continuation has established an independent timeline that ignore select films . exterminator : Dark Fateis a requel that attempts to break up up the tale after the 2d film once again , whereasTerminator : Genisyseven ignored Judgment Day , marketing itself as a direct sequel to onlyThe Terminator . The head - birl issue is three freestanding timelines that delicately pluck and prefer which photographic film are connect and which are n’t , confusing general interview to the distributor point of apathy . If the series had simply perplex with one persistence , even including weaker entries , it could ’ve stood a sound prospect .

6James Cameron Never Came Back To Direct

There’s Something To Be Said About Cameron’s Personal Touch

While James Cameron did return as a manufacturer and tarradiddle author onTerminator : Dark Fate , he never lent his directoral abilities to the franchise afterTerminator 2 : Judgment Day . Beyond the complaint around the canyon and disconnection of the cinema fromTerminator 3onward , each subsequent entry has suffer from an unimistakable lack of heart within its independent cast . The humanisation and part work Cameron was able-bodied to pull back from a comparatively square action flick is an underrated part of the first two picture the follow entranceway have but lacked . Even if it is n’t Cameron himself , future Terminator movies are in desperate need of more solid performances .

5The Terminator Franchise Is Now Too True To Life

Killer A.I. Might Be Hitting Too Close To Home

In the late 80s and early 90s , the early Terminator films ' dark portent of the future of engineering such as robotics and A.I. seemed like an omen of distant time . Yet as engineering has age alongside the enfranchisement , Skynet has become less and less fantastical , with artificial intelligence service creeping into more and more aspects of everyday living . This do create films centering around killer golem harder to get citizenry excited for , with audiences possibly seeing the well - worn territory as being too obvious or too true to lifetime to get invested in .

4The Terminator Was Only Meant To Be A Stand-Alone Movie

Terminator Sequels Are Built On A Shaky Foundation

James Cameron had manage to catch lighting in a feeding bottle doubly with the first two Terminator films , but it ’s vindicated the original duology was never meant to be sustainable as a franchise . The creative mind behind the motion-picture show is mindful of this , Cameron himself state thatTerminator 3wasn’t plannedfor at the time of writingTerminator 2 : Judgment Day . Even the second film ’s existence is a fluke , Terminator only ever having been intended to come along in a unmarried sci - fi thriller . It ’s absolved that the popularity of the first two movies has far outgrown their capabilities to sustain a franchise .

3The Terminator Movies Hinge On Arnold’s Involvement

There’s Simply No Elegant Solution To Terminator’s Leading Roles

Being the face of the T-800 , Arnold Schwarzenegger ’s alikeness has been authoritative for every subsequent motion picture to recapture . Some motion picture were capable to get the 80s action whiz back , butTerminator : Salvationcaught flack for recreate his face with movie conjuring trick without having him physically present . But his reunion with Linda Hamilton ’s Sarah Connor inTerminator : Dark Fatepresented a yoke clearly too old to carry an action flick . Now , the virtually 80 - year - oldSchwarzenegger has confirmed he wo n’t be the T-800 in future films , leave the franchise so reliant on a undivided man ’s boldness with no promiscuous solution .

2John Connor Always Dies In The Sequels

Humanity’s Savior Has Never Survived

Though the three timeline that have spawned as a result of the multiple continuities established by various Terminator film , the only consistent element is John Connor ’s eventual end . This decision has only function to alienate returning sports fan – After John ’s selection was identify as being so important in the earlier film , the repeated determination to belt down him only undermines the original story . Terminator : Dark Fatewas a particularly egregious offender , remove John within the first ten minutes of the movie . The allegations that John Connor was killed for cheap shock note value are backbreaking to fight in the brass of his original grandness to the human resistance .

James Cameron ’s The Terminator launched an action sci - fi enfranchisement in 1984 , but its end left fan with a confusing fourth dimension - travel paradox .

1Every Film Since T2 Has Had The Opposite Message

Terminator 1 And 2 Fight Fate Where The Sequels Give In

Perhaps more egregiously than misunderstand what made the plot of the first two Terminator motion picture work is the fundamental misunderstanding of the movies ' themes and electronic messaging . The TerminatorandTerminator 2emphasized the idea that there was no fate but what we make for ourselves , practicing what it preach as Sarah Connor ferociously hold up her fortune as a notch on Skynet ’s weaponry . But the films since have systematically made the opposite point , dooming their character to changeless lot .

InTerminator 3andTerminator : Salvation , John Connor lives to see Judgment Day happen , hint that even if Skynet ’s development was concisely stunted in 1997 , it was always fate to chance . Terminator : Genisyshas Kyle Reese employ a vaticination to save the 24-hour interval , andTerminator : Dark Fate ’s very title betrays its clashing message with the first two movies , have the man fated to fall at the hand of an A.I. , even if it is n’t Skynet . IfThe Terminatorfranchise is ever going to be successful again , political orientation consistent with the first two films will be a must to let in .

A composite image of the T-800 and Sarah Connor from The Terminator

A collage image of Luke Skywalker in A New Hope

Ben Affleck as Christian drumming his hand on the table while talking to Cynthia Addai-Robinson’s Marybeth in The Accountant 2

10 Worst Things Terminator Sequels Did To James Cameron’s Franchise After 1991’s Judgement Day

The T-800 Terminator being lowered into lava in Terminator 2

Terminator Genysis image of robot terminator on fire

James Cameron and the Terminator

Edward Furlong as John Connor, Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor, and Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

John Connor on his motorbike in Terminator 2

Linda Hamilton as Sarah Conner in Terminator Dark Fate and T800 Terminator in Judgment Day