About

Terminator is an action science-fiction film franchise set in a future world where a human resistance force led by John Connor battles against the hostile artificial intelligence network Skynet and its army of war robots.

History

On October 26th, 1984, the film The Terminator was released, which starred actor Arnold Schwarzenegger as a cyborg assassin sent from the year 2029 to 1984 by Skynet to destroy the mother of John Connor, the leader of a human resistance force in the post apocalyptic future (shown below, left). On July 1st, 1991, the sequel Terminator 2: Judgement Day was released, in which Skynet sends a T-1000 cyborg back in time to eliminate an adolescent John Connor (shown below, right). The advanced model has the ability to shapeshift using liquid metal and is combated by an original Terminator model played by Schwarzenegger, which had been captured and reprogrammed by the resistance force.

On July 2nd, 2003, the film Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines was released, featuring a new T-X Terminator model sent back to destroy members of the future resistance force (shown below, left). Another reprogrammed Terminator model played by Schwarzenegger is sent back to protect the resistance force. On May 21st, 2009, the film Terminator Salvation was released, set in the year 2018 during a battle between Skynet machines and the human resistance force (shown below).

On July 1st, 2015, the film Termination Genisys was released, featuring the return of Schwarzenegger as reprogrammed Terminator model who has raised Sarah Connor in an alternate timeline past (shown below).

Reception

The original 1984 film The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgement Day were released to critical acclaim. Terminator 3: Rise of Machines has received positive reception but with lower scores than the first two movies. Termination Salvation received mixed reviews and Terminator Genisys has received mostly negative ratings from critics.

Online Presence

On December 4th, 2003, a page featuring memorable quotes from the franchise was created on Wikiquote.^[7] On September 25th, 2006, the Terminator Wiki^[4] was launched, which accumulated upwards of 1,100 pages over the next 10 years. On September 30th, 2009, YouTuber How It Should Have Ended uploaded an animated video featuring a Back to the Future-themed Terminator parody (shown below, left). In the next six years, the video gained over 14 million views and 28,100 comments. On January 27th, 2012, a Facebook^[5] page titled "The Terminator" was created, receiving upwards of 3.7 million likes in the following four years. On March 12th, YouTuber Ihugeny uploaded an animated Terminator parody music video, garnering more than 4.2 million views and 2,900 comments (shown below, right).

On August 7th, a page for the franchise was created on TV Tropes.^[6] On March 4th, 2014, YouTuber ScrewAttack! uploaded a video speculating whether the Terminator or Robocop cyborg would win in a battle to the death (shown below, left). In the next two years, the video gathered upwards of 9.8 million views and 31,600 comments. On June 22nd, 2015, the Epic Rap Battles YouTube channel released a rap battle parody video between the Terminator and Robocop (shown below, right).

Various Examples

I'll Be Back

"I'll Be Back" is a memorable quote uttered by Schwarzenegger when confronting with a police officer in original 1984 Terminator film (shown below), which has become catchphrase associated with the series and for Schwarzenegger himself.

Hasta La Vista, Baby

"Hasta La Vista, Baby" is a memorable quote uttered by Schwarzenegger in the 1991 sequel Terminator 2: Judgement Day immediately prior to shooting the advanced T-1000 cyborg (shown below).

Search Interest

External References