The Terminator (1984)- 10/10- In many ways, a perfect movie. With a wonderfully intriguing premise, it functions as action flick, sci-fi movie, and slasher film, all bound together by a surprisingly convincing love story. Arnold’s T-800 is one of the most menacing, unrelentless villains to grace the screen of cinema.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)- 8/10- An excellent action piece. Despite following the template set for it by the first film, it takes surprising directions and manages to remain an exhilarating movie today.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)- 2/10- Is there anything good about the movie? The action, though practical, is nowhere near as well staged as anything in Cameron’s films. Thematically, the movie shows among other things, a fundamental misunderstanding of the franchise’s adherence to ambiguity when it comes to time travel. But, perhaps where it most fails is its wholly unlikeable characters. Even with the central conceit that John is fleeing his destiny, the movie fails to deliver, instead offering us the whiniest version of the future war’s messiah (even moreso than Furlong).

Terminator Salvation (2008)- 5/10- Fine, though it reeks of studio intervention.

Terminator Genisys (2015)- 7/10- I still maintain that, while this movie is far from perfect, it is the only remotely worthy followup to the first two. Underneath the lackluster direction is a clear understanding, from a writing point of view, of the universe that James Cameron set up.