How Schwarzenegger's Fame Killed the Terminator Franchise

I think the big elephant in the room is that the stories in the sequels were poorly written. Terminator 1 was a good story that has one reflect on killer machines acting like sentient beings. With the mundane life of the 1980's as a backdrop, there was a sharp contrast between a society that was technologically backwards compared to the present one, and the futuristic technology of the robot. The characters were completely unsuspecting of what they were facing, and of all the movies, it was by far the most realistic, which made it all the more immersive. The music was perfect, and one needs no special effects to feel captivated by the scene when the terminator hunts down his first victim while we're hearing the iconic drumbeat in the background.

Special effects has allowed filmmakers to toss any semblance of realism out the window. We see that already in Terminator 2, but it's not over the top, and it still works because of the lightheartedness of that movie. In the 1990's people wanted more humor in action movies, or, as Arnold himself put it: "In the 80's people wanted violence. This is the 90's. People want action. People want fun." So Terminator 2 was entertaining, but unlike the first one, it struck no deeper chord in me.

I think the idea of introducing female terminators was a good one, but one should have gone back to the roots and made a movie that was carried by psychology, not by special effects. Pick a female actress with memorable character traits. Use a genuine MMA figher, a former soldier in the special forces, or something like that. Someone who's credible in the role as a cold, determined killing machine. Arnold's characteristic, stone cold facial expression made him perfect for the role. Find a woman with equally recognizable facial features, and someone who's genuinely tough, rather picking a standard beauty and having her workout for some months to appear somewhat strong.