Last Updated on August 3, 2021
#1 – TRUE LIES
The absolute perfect blend of every Arnold Schwarzenegger movie comes together in TRUE LIES. You have violent deaths, witty one-liners, a sexy female, a goofy sidekick, brilliant action sequences, great comedy bits, an epic closing aequence, the villain is dispatched in a creatively violent way, a great cast, and James Cameron is directing. What else could you ask for? How about a damn sequel!
#2 – TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY
TERMINATOR 2 easily ranks at the very top of any number of lists because it is an achievement on numerous levels. From groundbreaking special effects, a powerful screenplay, amazing action sequences, and brilliant performances from the cast as a whole, TERMINATOR 2 will forever rank as the signature role from Schwarzenegger’s career as well as one of the best movies of all time. However, if I were to truly look at all of Arnold’s films, there is one I think is better…
#3 – PREDATOR
Could you imagine how awesome it would have been if we had gotten a whole series of PREDATOR movies with Arnold? What if he came back for the next one? While we can hope and dream that Schwarzenegger could go toe to toe with that ugly motherf*cker one more time, we at least can watch this kick ass action movie full of muscles, blood, and heat vision. What an awesome movie.
#4 – CONAN THE BARBARIAN
It is amazing to know that Arnold is coming back for another CONAN movie. While I still like CONAN THE DESTROYER, it is the original movie that sits in a class by itself. For years we never got a fantasy epic as enjoyable as John Milius’ amazing adventure. No matter what happens, we need the next movie to evoke the scope and ferocity of this movie, something sorely lacking in the 2011 version. Milius and Oliver Stone made a great movie here. Maybe they could do it again.
#5 – COMMANDO
Quite possibly one of Arnold’s most ridiculous and awful movies, but yet at the same time so perfect and so good. Everything about COMMANDO is poorly written and executed, but it comes together to represent the movies that hit theaters in the 1980s that would today be relegated to premiering on Redbox. COMMANDO is a perfect example of “turn of your brain” cinema and just watch the heads explode.
#6 – TOTAL RECALL
Paul Verhoeven’s science fiction movie was remade in 2012 and was missing the pulpy, over-the-top goodness that made the original so good. Right on the line between the 80s and 90s, TOTAL RECALL is very dated in terms of visual effects and fashion, but it still packs a mean kick to the Kuato. You could dedicate a top 10 list to just moments from this movie from memorable quotes, memorable kills, to even reasons to love the three-breasted hooker.
#7 – KINDERGARTEN COP
It’s not a tumor! Whether you are a Schwarzenegger fan or not, you probably quote a few lines from KINDERGARTEN COP. Going in, the movie seemed like it would be a standard Arnie action flick, but then it becomes a hilarious straight comedy. The opening and ending of the film are purely in the action category while the middle of the film is as funny as you can get.
#8 – RAW DEAL
Do you hear it? That beat? That pulsating guitar? Ooh, some keyboards? Wait for it….a f*cking saxophone! That’s right, this is the 1980s and what better testament to the excess of that decade’s action movies than Arnold equipping himself with enough firepower to arm a third world nation. Yeah, all the while he is wearing a white undershirt and dress pants. Only Arnold could make this scene look cool.
#9 – END OF DAYS
In the latter half of Arnold’s career before becoming Governor, his films seemed to all be rehashes of his prior projects: ERASER, The 6TH DAY, and COLLATERAL DAMAGE just felt redundant. But, in the middle of those, he made END OF DAYS. The rare horror film for Schwarzenegger boasted some crazy visuals and a scenery chewing performance from Gabriel Byrne. Arnold played one of his most flawed characters as he combated the Devil himself for the soul of a young girl. Maybe not his best movie, but a damn fun ride.
#10 – TWINS
Arnold’s comedy films have not always been his better movies, but TWINS somehow works when it really shouldn’t. Maybe it is because it is genuinely funny or maybe it is because of the complete polar opposite of Schwarzenegger versus Danny Devito. I believe it is because TWINS actually has a heart to it that transcends being a dumb comedy and makes it one of those lasting movies you want to watch decades later.
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