25. Batman & Robin (1997)
At this point, saying Batman & Robin is one of the “worst superhero movies ever made” is a pretty cold take. It had a chilling effect on the entire franchise. Twenty-five years later, though, it can be enjoyed the same way we might watch The Room or Hard Ticket to Hawaii.
Casting Arnold as Mr. Freeze was a baffling decision, but he is clearly having the time of his life covered head to toe in white glitter and firing off dozens of terrible ice puns. Grab a bunch of friends, set expectations to below zero, and enjoy one of the most insane feature-length toy commercials you’ll ever see.
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24. End of Days (1999)
There’s just something about this movie that doesn’t work. It is one of the darkest films Arnold has ever made. We don’t typically see him play characters at or near rock bottom in quite this way. The Christian horror elements feel incongruous with the Schwarzenegger-style action. One gets the impression that the script began as a thriller with horror elements. When they cast Arnold, it was hastily rewritten to insert a handful of set pieces to meet audience expectations.
It isn’t unwatchable, but something is just…off.
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23. Collateral Damage (2002)
Collateral Damage’s bad reputation comes from the fact audiences and critics weren’t thrilled to watch a film about terrorism this soon after 9/11. I don’t blame them at all. With distance, though, the movie can now be viewed for what it is: A totally serviceable if not aggressively average action revenge picture. Arnold is sleepwalking his way through this movie, but he’s helped by a stellar supporting cast. The ’90’s-style action is predictable but fun. Collateral Damage isn’t doing anything new, but it isn’t doing anything that bad either.
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22. Jingle All The Way (1996)
Jingle All the Way is by no means a great movie. It’s arguably not even a good one. The tone is all over the place and the film doesn’t really know what it’s trying to say about the commercialization of Christmas. However, there are a couple of really fun scenes here, and watching Arnold struggle for 89 minutes to coherently say “Turbo Man” is worth the price of admission alone.
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21. The Last Stand (2013)
The only notable thing about this movie is that it was Arnold’s first starring role since his foray into politics. Johnny Knoxville surprises with an enjoyable performance, channeling his Jackass goofiness in his turn as a vintage arms collector. He actually has the highlight kill of the film, exploding a thug into pieces with a flare gun. Arnold is in “everyman” mode here playing a humble sheriff with a tragic past doing his best to protect his small town. It’s all rather boilerplate, and feels like a remake of a B movie from the ’70’s that doesn’t exist.
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20. Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
Give this movie credit for at least trying to take the sagging franchise into a different direction — even if it was one that long time fans of the Terminator may not have liked. Arnold once again gets to revisit the character that made him famous. Here the T-800 has more humanity than ever, and it suits an aging Arnold to play a world-weary machine trying to make up for the sins of its past.
This movie also has some of the best de-aging effects I’ve ever seen — showing us T2-era Sarah and John Connor as the T-800.
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19. Raw Deal (1986)
One of the lesser Arnold ’80’s action flicks, but still a great time for anyone who loves squibs. This time, Arnold is tasked with infiltrating and then decimating a mob family (thankfully he’s never asked to pretend to be Italian). The body count is high, and Arnold has some decent one liners. The issue here is that the movie really wants you to take its mafia revenge story seriously. It’s a big ask when that story is played out between constant scenes of repetitive violence, and anchored by a leading man still trying to figure out how to act like a human being on camera.
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18. The 6th Day (2000)
There’s a lot to like about The 6th Day. Its “not too distant future” is well thought out, and the film plays with the concept of cloning technology in clever ways. Tony Goldwyn and Michael Rooker are always enjoyable, especially when hamming it up as villains. Getting to see Arnold act against himself is quite fun. Unfortunately, the movie isn’t nearly as smart as it thinks it is. Minority Report or Total Recall this is not. The elements are there, but for whatever reason this movie never gets into that next gear to elevate this to classic action sci-fi.
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17. Conan The Destroyer (1984)
Conan The Destroyer follows the epic fantasy quest formula established in the first film, but the tone has slightly changed. This is a sillier adventure than the first one, and the violence has been dialed back a bit so it could secure a PG rating. There’s still plenty of action here, but you can’t help but feel like something of what made the original special has been lost in an attempt to appeal to a wider audience. Destroyer is not nearly as good as Conan the Barbarian, but fans of sword and sorcery films will still want to seek it out.
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16. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
Of all the Terminator movies that have been released since T2, this is still the best of them. The filmmakers seem keenly aware that they will not be able to hit the same highs as Judgment Day, and instead lean in on campiness and self reference. There’s some solid action here, too. The standout sequence being a jaw-dropping chase involving a fire truck and an enormous crane. It all builds to a satisfying ending where our reluctant savior finally comes face to face with his destiny. T3 isn’t perfect, but it gets the job done.
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15. Pumping Iron (1977)
Pumping Iron has to be included on this list because it is as important to understanding Arnold Schwarzenegger’s rising star in Hollywood as Conan the Barbarian or The Terminator. While the film has other subjects, the majority of the film is dominated by the rivalry between Schwarzenegger and future The Incredible Hulk star Lou Ferrigno. Arnold is dominant in the sport of bodybuilding, and the confidence he exudes is tangible. From moment one when he first appears, you can see that he is bigger than the sport. He has that it factor, whether he is posing on stage or pontificating on how much he lives for “the pump.” It leaps off the screen.
It also helps that this doc is an interesting look into what was, at the time, a niche sport. With a sub-90 minute runtime, it is worth seeing at least once.
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14. Eraser (1996)
Eraser held up better than I expected. The movie is completely absurd. Thankfully, everyone involved is completely aware of this. This time, Arnold is a U.S. Marshall who specializes in “erasing” people for Witness Protection. Turns out he’s also an expert at erasing people from this mortal coil. There are great action sequences throughout, including an absurd shootout at a Reptile house. Arnold has an all-timer as he shoots an alligator: “You’re luggage.” Very dumb, very fun.
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13. Red Heat (1988)
Red Heat is one of two movies in 1988 that showed Arnold’s true comedic range outside of quips and one-liners. Here, he dips his toe into the buddy cop genre, paired with Jim Belushi as unlikely partners trying to catch a fugitive. You’d think Belushi would carry most of the comedy, but Arnold’s fish-out-of-water Russian gets plenty of laughs. It doesn’t quite capture the same magic as Director Walter Hill’s other buddy cop film 48 Hours, but it’s still charming enough in its own right.
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12. Maggie (2015)
Arnold has played it pretty safe since he returned to taking leading roles in 2013, which is exactly why his performance in Maggie turned so many heads. Arnold is completely out of his comfort zone here, both in budget and genre. However, he turns in an understated and touching performance. The film itself is good but not great. The zombie genre is running out of stories to tell, and it is difficult for any of them to feel fresh. Still, Schwarzenegger and Abigail Breslin are good enough to elevate the movie.
I feel like Arnold has more performances like this in him. I’m hopeful he takes some more chances like this before he calls it a career.
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11. Twins (1988)
Twins is the other 1988 film that showed off Arnold’s comedic range. Again, he’s a fish out of water. Instead of a tough and relentless Russian detective, we get a sheltered, naïve man child. The character, and honestly the entire movie, should not work. The premise is absurd and essentially one-note. In spite of that, the natural chemistry between Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito keeps everything afloat. This is not the funniest comedy of all-time, and it occasionally veers into the territory of schmaltz. With that said, it is charming as hell and highly enjoyable.
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10. Kindergarten Cop (1990)
Kindergarten Cop is a tonal hodgepodge. Hard action, light romance, classroom comedy and family melodrama. It’s held together entirely by Schwarzenegger’s charm and charisma. Credit to director Ivan Reitman as well, but few other actors could pull off a film that asks them to be a shotgun-toting macho cop in one scene and a compassionate friend to five year olds in another.
It gets too mushy at times, but Kindergarten Cop is genuinely sweet and funny.
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9. Conan The Barbarian (1982)
A sword and sorcery classic, this is the movie that put Arnold on the map. He was born to play Conan, a muscle-bound warrior of few words but great violence. The movie is deliberately uncomplicated, playing out like an ancient story from some forgotten mythology. The visual effects are quite dated now, but are still charming in their own way (save for one snake-transformation sequence that is laughable by today’s standards). If you’re a fan of Arnold, you need to see this at least once. If you’re reading this list, you’ve likely seen it many times.
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8. Last Action Hero (1993)
Probably the most underrated movie on this list. Not perfect by any means, but if you squint long enough and stare at it slightly sideways, you can see the faint outline of a great film. Schwarzenegger knows the assignment and is game to lampoon not only the characters that he portrays, but also himself. Charles Dance is having the time of his life as a secondary villain who muscles his way to becoming the main antagonist.
The movie does drag in the middle, especially in the last couple scenes set inside Slater IV. But once this movie pulls the fictional characters out into the “real world” it finds its stride. For example, the breakfast scene with Jack Slater and Danny’s mother is one of Arnold’s best pieces of acting. He taps into that charming, naïve fish out of water character that has become the foundation of all his great performances. This is a cult classic that deserves a bigger cult.
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7. Commando (1985)
Commando is the platonic ideal of the dumb ’80’s action movie. The plot is both thin and irrelevant. Colonel John Matrix must rescue his daughter and punish the men who took her. The action is completely over the top. Arnold flips both a car and a phone booth with his bare hands. Countless mercenaries are dispatched with bullets, knives and grenades. And don’t worry, Matrix has a quip or joke for every situation. It’s all absurdly entertaining and one of the most rewatchable movies in Arnold’s filmography.
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6. The Running Man (1987)
The craziest thing about The Running Man is the way that its critique of American culture is more relevant today than it was back in 1987. One could imagine someone pitching the show in 2022 as a way to monetize the criminal justice system and lower the deficit or some such nonsense. It’s not quite a satire on the level of something like Network, but it’s at least making an attempt to say something. It doesn’t quite stick the landing (the third act seems rushed and missing scenes), but what a ride this movie is.
Arnold does his job here, but it’s Richard Dawkins who steals the show as the sleazy producer and host of The Running Man. His sleazy smugness is a great foil to Arnold’s earnest charm. His ultimate fate in the climax of the film is immensely satisfying.
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5. True Lies (1994)
Marriage therapy by way of spycraft…who knew it could be so effective? True Lies is the final team up between James Cameron and Schwarzenegger. Unquestionably, it is an absolute crowd pleaser. The brilliance of the film is in the way it takes scenes that are completely normal in a Schwarzenegger movie and highlights their absurdity by dropping Jamie Lee Curtis’ non-combatant civilian woman into the middle of them. Cameron is clever in how he continuously mines these moments for comedy without letting the joke get stale.
The final act of the movie goes on just slightly too long (it should have ended after the Overseas Highway chase), but otherwise this is a stellar romcom Arnold action mashup.
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4. The Terminator (1984)
If Conan The Barbarian put Arnold on peoples’ radar, The Terminator made him a star. James Cameron perfectly cast the Austrian muscle man. Who better to portray an emotionless single-minded cyborg killing machine than a former bodybuilder who is still working out this whole “acting” thing. This performance was so instantly iconic that Arnold would famously adopt the signature line of the film, “I’ll be back” as a personal catch phrase (carried throughout his career).
The Terminator is classic sci-fi horror, and one of the best films of the decade. Like Alien, it is a small and nearly perfect film that often gets overshadowed by its more bombastic sequel.
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3. Total Recall (1990)
A Schwarzenegger film typically doesn’t ask much of its audience, nor do they really have that much to say. Thankfully, Director Paul Verhoeven is a master of combining action schlock with high-minded science fiction. It is a shame that they did not work together more, because Schwarzenegger fits so well within Verhoeven’s cynical, satirical style of filmmaking.
There’s everything you want from an Arnold vehicle, with a high body count and some choice one-liners, but also larger themes concerning things like corporatization or the way we interpret reality. This is just a good Arnold action film spliced together with science fiction.
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2. Predator (1987)
Predator is testosterone: the motion picture. Arguably the greatest action film of the 1980’s, it is a loud, violent, and sweaty affair with a simple narrative and one of cinema’s most ingenious monsters. Arnold stars as Dutch, who heads up a special forces unit that seems as obsessed with “the pump” as anyone in Pumping Iron.
Director John McTiernan has perfectly paced the film. As Dutch’s unit is whittled down a man at a time, the tension and paranoia ratchet up — all building to a climactic one-on-one battle between Schwarzenegger and the Predator. This is about as good as action sci-fi gets.
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1. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
This is as good as action sci-fi gets.
Arguably the greatest sequel of all time, it takes everything the original impressively pulled off on its small budget and blows it out with $100 million splashed on every frame. The visual effects still hold up today. Through a mix of early CGI and practical effects, James Cameron creates yet another iconic villain in the liquid metal T-1000.
Arnold famously returns as a reformed T-800. He gets to show off how far he’s come as an actor since the original, as the machine learns and grows as a character thanks to the influence of John Connor. In a brilliant decision by the filmmakers, this Terminator explicitly does not kill (again thanks to John). This choice sets it apart from Schwarzenegger’s other films by responding to some of the criticisms of action films of its era.
A relentless thrill ride, this is the best film of Schwarzenegger’s career.
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