Editing Terminator (character) (section)

==Reception==
===Critical response===
The first ''Terminator'' film was an unexpected success, and Schwarzenegger's eponymous character would go on to become his best-known role.<ref name=Yamato>{{Cite news |last=Yamato |first=Jen |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2019-10-25/o-j-simpson-terminator-james-cameron-arnold-schwarzenegger |title=James Cameron debunks that O.J. Simpson 'Terminator' painting myth: 'Arnold is wrong' |date=October 25, 2019 |access-date=May 6, 2024|work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://movies.tvguide.com/terminator/review/119990 |work=[[TV Guide]] |title=The Terminator: Review |archive-date=February 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202121540/http://movies.tvguide.com/terminator/review/119990 |url-status=dead }}</ref> According to Clark Collis of ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'', mainstream audiences had previously viewed Schwarzenegger as "little more than a joke, a mumbling behemoth whose grasp of both acting and the English language, appeared minimal at best."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=132648 |work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |title=Empire Essay: The Terminator |access-date=September 19, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927235924/http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=132648 |archive-date=September 27, 2007}}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' found the character to be "perfectly cast",<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117795542.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&query=the+terminator&display=the+terminator |title=The Terminator Review |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=December 31, 1983 |archive-date=August 29, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100829021737/http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117795542.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&query=the+terminator&display=the+terminator |url-status=live }}</ref> while [[Colin Greenland]] of ''[[Imagine (game magazine)|Imagine]]'' called Schwarzenegger "eerily wonderful as the unstoppable cyborg."<ref>{{cite journal | last = Greenland|first = Colin |author-link=Colin Greenland| title =Fantasy Media  | type = review | journal = [[Imagine (AD&D magazine)|Imagine]] | issue = 25| pages =47 | publisher = TSR Hobbies (UK), Ltd. |date=April 1985| issn = }}</ref> Marc Weinberg of ''[[Orange Coast (magazine)|Orange Coast]]'' wrote that it was "great to see such a pure, unstoppable villain [...]. The filmmakers make no attempt to humanize him with weaknesses or emotions."<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EBYEAAAAMBAJ&q=The+Terminator |journal=[[Orange Coast Magazine]] |publisher=Emmis Communications |volume=10 |issue=11 |date=November 1984 |title=Brian DePalma's Sleaze Factor |last=Weinberg |first=Marc |page=141 |archive-date=November 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114044531/https://books.google.com/books?id=EBYEAAAAMBAJ&dq=The+Terminator&hl=en |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[David Ansen]] of ''[[Newsweek]]'' felt that Schwarzenegger was "born to play a machine," writing about ''Terminator 2'', "Here, as an emotionless cyborg acting out the part of a foster father, he's impressive, hilarious, almost touching."<ref>{{cite web|first=David |last=Ansen |authorlink=David Ansen |title=Conan The Humanitarian |url=https://www.newsweek.com/conan-humanitarian-205026 |website=[[Newsweek]] |date=July 7, 1991 |archive-date=June 29, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160629084118/https://www.newsweek.com/conan-humanitarian-205026 |url-status=live}}</ref> Likewise, [[Hal Hinson]] of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' found his "wooden" performance ideal for the role: "It's comical, perhaps, but Schwarzenegger expresses more of his own humanity when playing a machine than he does when playing real people. [...] For once, he's ideally cast, and he brings the kind of delicacy of feeling that [[Boris Karloff]] showed as the [[Frankenstein monster]]. As a machine, he has soul."<ref name=Hinson>{{cite news|first=Hal |last=Hinson |authorlink=Hal Hinson |title=''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' (R) |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/terminator2judgmentdayrhinson_a0a6c4.htm |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date= July 3, 1991 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908014620/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/terminator2judgmentdayrhinson_a0a6c4.htm |archive-date=September 8, 2017 |url-status=live |url-access=limited}}</ref>

In his review of ''Terminator 3'', [[Mike Clark (critic)|Mike Clark]] of ''[[USA Today]]'' wrote that Schwarzenegger "still looks spectacular, but the script is short on deadpan zingers, and his heart doesn't seem in it."<ref>{{cite news |last=Clark |first=Mike |title=Schwarzenegger is back, barely, in 'Terminator 3' |url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2003-07-01-terminator_x.htm |work=USA Today |date=July 3, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030704024708/http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2003-07-01-terminator_x.htm |archive-date=July 4, 2003}}</ref> [[Nathan Rabin]] of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' wrote: "Like [[Anthony Hopkins]]' [[Hannibal Lecter]], Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator has been spoofed, ripped off, and paid homage far too often to retain much of its original menace. Refreshingly, Mostow and company seem to understand that, and smartly use him as a comic figure".<ref>{{cite web |last=Rabin |first=Nathan |title=Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines |url=https://www.avclub.com/terminator-3-rise-of-the-machines-1798198763 |website=The A.V. Club |access-date=May 9, 2024 |date=30 June 2003}}</ref> [[Todd McCarthy]] of ''Variety'' felt that this Terminator's "physical inferiority to his opponent [the T-X] invests Schwarzenegger with an unaccustomed underdog status that brings him closer to the viewer."<ref>{{cite web |last=McCarthy |first=Todd |title=Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines |url=https://variety.com/2003/film/awards/terminator-3-rise-of-the-machines-1200540754/ |website=Variety |access-date=May 9, 2024 |date=June 30, 2003}}</ref>

Some critics considered ''Terminator Salvation'' to be disappointing, citing Schwarzenegger's absence.<ref>{{cite news |last=Puig |first=Claudia |title=There's little to salvage from this 'Terminator' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2009-05-19-terminator-salvation_N.htm |work=USA Today |date=May 19, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090523161936/https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2009-05-19-terminator-salvation_N.htm |archive-date=May 23, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Rechtshaffen |first=Michael |title=Film Review: 'Terminator Salvation' |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=May 17, 2009 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film-reviews/film-review-terminator-salvation-1003973886.story |archive-date=May 21, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090521080714/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film-reviews/film-review-terminator-salvation-1003973886.story |url-status=dead }}</ref> Critic [[James Berardinelli]] found that it lacks a strong antagonist until the T-800's brief appearance near the end, calling it the film's high point.<ref>{{cite web |last=Berardinelli |first=James |title=Terminator: Salvation |url=http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_template.php?identifier=1642 |website=Reelviews |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111013190725/http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_template.php?identifier=1642 |archive-date=October 13, 2011 |date=May 19, 2009}}</ref> ''Terminator Genisys'' received generally negative reviews, although Schwarzenegger's return was praised.<ref>{{cite web |last=Nakamura |first=Reid |title='Terminator Genisys' Reviews: Critics Nostalgic, Bored Over Reboot |url=https://www.thewrap.com/terminator-genisys-reviews-critics-nostalgic-bored-over-reboot/ |website=TheWrap |access-date=May 11, 2024 |date=June 30, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Gettell |first=Oliver |title='Terminator Genisys': Schwarzenegger can't save messy sequel, reviews say |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-terminator-genisys-arnold-schwarzenegger-movie-reviews-critics-20150630-story.html |access-date=May 11, 2024 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=July 1, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Lawson |first=Richard |title=Terminator Genisys Makes a Surprisingly Compelling Case for Itself |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/06/terminator-genisys-review |magazine=Vanity Fair |access-date=May 11, 2024 |date=June 30, 2015}}</ref>

Reviewing ''Terminator: Dark Fate'', Angie Han of ''[[Mashable]]'' found Schwarzenegger to be the film's best aspect: "His deadpan delivery makes him distinctive, while the performance beneath it suggests an interiority deeper and more complicated than even the character himself seems able to comprehend."<ref>{{cite web |last=Han |first=Angie |title=''Terminator: Dark Fate'' is a robotic rehash of familiar beats |url=https://mashable.com/article/terminator-dark-fate-movie-review/ |work=[[Mashable]] |date=November 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101145912/https://mashable.com/article/terminator-dark-fate-movie-review/ |archive-date=November 1, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> David Ehrlich of ''[[IndieWire]]'' wrote that the character "is smartly written, funny in a way 'Dark Fate' struggles to be without him, and perhaps the most fundamentally human character the franchise has ever seen."<ref>{{cite web |last=Ehrlich |first=David |title=''Terminator: Dark Fate'' Review: This Isn't the Worst ''Terminator'' Movie, but It Should Definitely Be the Last One |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2019/10/terminator-dark-fate-review-1202183832/ |work=[[IndieWire]] |date=October 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024072542/https://www.indiewire.com/2019/10/terminator-dark-fate-review-1202183832/ |archive-date=October 24, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Richard Roeper]], writing for the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', stated, "It's impossible not to laugh at some of the Terminator's one-liners, but now it's as if he's in on the joke."<ref name="Roeper">{{cite web |last=Roeper |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Roeper |title=Too much deja vu makes ''Terminator: Dark Fate'' a boring retread |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/30/20940088/terminator-dark-fate-review-boring-retread-of-previous-plots-arnold-schwarzenegger |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |access-date=November 1, 2019 |date=October 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031143426/https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/10/30/20940088/terminator-dark-fate-review-boring-retread-of-previous-plots-arnold-schwarzenegger |archive-date=October 31, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Peter Bradshaw]] of ''[[The Guardian]]'' felt that Schwarzenegger was reprising "a character I always thought was fundamentally wrong: the nice Terminator, the Terminator on the side of the angels".<ref>{{cite web |author1=Peter Bradshaw |author1-link=Peter Bradshaw |title=Terminator: Dark Fate review – Arnie's back, and it's never going to stop |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/oct/23/terminator-dark-fate-review-james-cameron-linda-hamilton-arnold-schwarzenegger-cyborg |website=[[The Guardian]] |date=October 23, 2019 |archive-date=November 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127052652/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/oct/23/terminator-dark-fate-review-james-cameron-linda-hamilton-arnold-schwarzenegger-cyborg |url-status=live }}</ref> Likewise, Cathal Gunning of ''[[Screen Rant]]'' believed that the character, once a threatening antagonist, had been "ruined" by repeated humanization attempts throughout the film series.<ref name=Ruined>{{cite web |last=Gunning |first=Cathal |title=The Evolution Of The T-800: How Terminator Movies Ruined An Icon |url=https://screenrant.com/terminator-t800-arnie-franchise-devolution-genisys-salvation-explained/ |website=ScreenRant |access-date=May 11, 2024 |date=October 10, 2021}}</ref>

===Accolades===
Schwarzenegger was nominated twice for the [[Saturn Award for Best Actor]], for his characters in ''The Terminator'' and ''Terminator 2''.<ref>{{cite news |title=1984 12th Saturn Awards |url=http://theenvelope.latimes.com/extras/lostmind/year/1984/1984sat.htm |work=Los Angeles Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061017175629/http://theenvelope.latimes.com/extras/lostmind/year/1984/1984sat.htm |archive-date=October 17, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=1991 18th Saturn Awards |url=http://theenvelope.latimes.com/extras/lostmind/year/1991/1991sat.htm |work=Los Angeles Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060213004457/http://theenvelope.latimes.com/extras/lostmind/year/1991/1991sat.htm |archive-date=February 13, 2006}}</ref> For the latter film, he also won Best Male Performance at the [[1992 MTV Movie Awards]].<ref>{{cite web |title=A look back at 1992 and the first annual MTV Movie Awards |url=https://uproxx.com/hitfix/with-tonights-mtv-movie-awards-on-the-way-a-look-back-at-1992-and-the-first-annual/ |website=Uproxx |access-date=May 11, 2024 |date=June 3, 2012}}</ref>

In a 2003 list of [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains|100 Heroes & Villains]] by the [[American Film Institute]], the Terminator took two positions — number 48 as the hero and number 22 as the villain.<ref>{{cite web |title=AFI's 100 Years…100 Heroes & Villains |url=https://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-heroes-villians/ |website=American Film Institute |access-date=May 5, 2024}}</ref> Schwarzenegger himself presented the list on television, and said about his rankings, "I am absolutely ecstatic about it. To say you are one of the 50 favorite villains and one of the 50 favorite heroes in the history of American motion pictures, that is unbelievable, and I felt very honored."<ref>{{cite news |title=Filmdom's Top Goodies, Baddies |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/filmdoms-top-goodies-baddies/ |access-date=May 5, 2024 |work=CBS News |date=June 4, 2003}}</ref>

In 2015, the Terminator ranked 28th in ''Empire'''s rating of 100 Greatest Film Characters.<ref>{{cite web |title=The 100 Greatest Movie Characters |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/100-greatest-movie-characters/ |website=Empire |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101035743/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/100-greatest-movie-characters/ |archive-date=January 1, 2016 |date=November 4, 2015}}</ref>