(Photo by Orion / courtesy Everett Collection. THE TERMINATOR)

All Arnold Schwarzenegger Movies Ranked

The Terminator is celebrating its 40th anniversary!

Much like his breakthrough role Conan the Barbarian, Arnold Schwarzenegger transcended a childhood of neglect and poverty in 1950s Austria, pushing his body over over the top, to become one day the king of the Hyborian Age governor of California. Schwarzenegger’s bodybuilding career, begun at age 14, was enough to take him abroad in competitions, and eventually into the viewfinder of Hollywood agents. On this list of Schwarzenegger’s best movies ranked by Tomatometer (alongside the worst), we’re including the 1976 Pumping Iron documentary that helped him land Conan the Barbarian – even though he’s not playing a character, Iron was vital in crafting Arnie’s on-screen image.

Also included, of course, are his star-making ’80s action films, ranging from sci-fi (The Terminator) to horror (Predator) to practically comedy (Commando). He started the ’90s with a bang with mega-violent mind-bender Total Recall, which was followed by the legendary Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The rest of the decade saw him mixing action with more overt comedies (Jingle All the Way, Junior, Kindergarten Cop) to varying success. Schwarzenegger’s side gig as governor kept him off-screen during most of the 2000s, but since then it’s drama (Aftermath, Maggie) that’s he mixed in with minor-comeback vehicles, like The Last Stand or Stallone team-up Escape Plan. And speaking of Stallone projects, we’ve included all three Expendables on this list; Schwarzenegger went uncredited in the first, but was upgraded to a side character in the next two. Considering the Expendables‘ proudly-worn mantle of throwback action, we felt it was right to have them. Otherwise, his cameos (like in The Rundown, in which he officially passed the action torch to Dwayne Johnson) and bit parts, however memorable (watch Robert Altman’s The Long Goodbye!), were excluded. So, put that cookie down, NOW, as we rank all Arnold Schwarzenegger movies! —Alex Vo

#1

The Terminator (1984)
100%

#1

Adjusted Score: 106266%

Critics Consensus: With its impressive action sequences, taut economic direction, and relentlessly fast pace, it's clear why The Terminator continues to be an influence on sci-fi and action flicks.

Synopsis: Disguised as a human, a cyborg assassin known as a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) travels from 2029 to 1984 to kill... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Paul Winfield

Directed By: James Cameron

#2

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
91%

#2

Adjusted Score: 98969%

Critics Consensus: T2 features thrilling action sequences and eye-popping visual effects, but what takes this sci-fi/ action landmark to the next level is the depth of the human (and cyborg) characters.

Synopsis: In this sequel set eleven years after "The Terminator," young John Connor (Edward Furlong), the key to civilization's victory over... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick

Directed By: James Cameron

#3

Total Recall (1990)
82%

#3

Adjusted Score: 88145%

Critics Consensus: Under Paul Verhoeven's frenetic direction, Total Recall is a fast-paced rush of violence, gore, and humor that never slacks.

Synopsis: Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a bored construction worker in the year 2084 who dreams of visiting the colonized Mars.... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Ronny Cox

Directed By: Paul Verhoeven

#4

Predator (1987)
80%

#4

Adjusted Score: 85373%

Critics Consensus: Predator: Part sci-fi, part horror, part action -- all muscle.

Synopsis: Dutch, a soldier of fortune, is hired by the U.S. government to secretly rescue a group of politicians trapped in... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura, Elpidia Carrillo

Directed By: John McTiernan

#5

Pumping Iron (1977)
92%

#5

Adjusted Score: 95458%

Critics Consensus: In addition to offering an enlightening early look into the world of future star/politician Arnold Schwarzenegger, Pumping Iron provides a witty and insightful overview of competitive bodybuilding.

Synopsis: This partly real and partly scripted film documents what many consider to be the golden age of bodybuilding that occurred... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, Roger Callard, Franco Columbu

Directed By: George Butler, Robert Fiore

#6

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
70%

#6

Adjusted Score: 88597%

Critics Consensus: Terminator: Dark Fate represents a significant upgrade over its immediate predecessors, even if it lacks the thrilling firepower of the franchise's best installments.

Synopsis: In Mexico City, a newly modified liquid Terminator -- the Rev-9 model -- arrives from the future to kill a... [More]

Starring: Linda Hamilton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mackenzie Davis, Natalia Reyes

Directed By: Tim Miller

#7

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
70%

#7

Adjusted Score: 77227%

Critics Consensus: Although T3 never reaches the heights of the second movie, it is a welcome addition to the Terminator franchise.

Synopsis: Now 25, Connor (Nick Stahl) lives with no record of his existence -- no way he can be traced by... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes, David Andrews

Directed By: Jonathan Mostow

#8

True Lies (1994)
70%

#8

Adjusted Score: 73738%

Critics Consensus: If it doesn't reach the heights of director James Cameron's and star Arnold Schwarzenegger's previous collaborations, True Lies still packs enough action and humor into its sometimes absurd plot to entertain.

Synopsis: Secretly a spy but thought by his family to be a dull salesman, Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is tracking down... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Bill Paxton

Directed By: James Cameron

#9

Commando (1985)
67%

#9

Adjusted Score: 69818%

Critics Consensus: The ultimate '80s Schwarzenegger movie, replete with a threadbare plot, outsized action, and endless one-liners.

Synopsis: Retired Special Forces soldier John Matrix (Arnold Schwarzenegger) lives with daughter Jenny (Alyssa Milano) in isolation, but his privacy is... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rae Dawn Chong, Dan Hedaya, Vernon Wells

Directed By: Mark L. Lester

#10

The Expendables 2 (2012)
67%

#10

Adjusted Score: 72972%

Critics Consensus: Taut, violent, and suitably self-deprecating, The Expendables 2 gives classic action fans everything they can reasonably expect from a star-studded shoot-'em-up -- for better and for worse.

Synopsis: Mercenary leader Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham) and the rest of the Expendables team reunite when Mr.... [More]

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren

Directed By: Simon West

#11

Red Heat (1988)
69%

#11

Adjusted Score: 70605%

Critics Consensus: Red Heat's overreliance on genre formula is bolstered by Walter Hill's rugged direction and a strong touch of humor.

Synopsis: A Moscow detective (Arnold Schwarzenegger) shows his local police escort (James Belushi) how to hunt a Soviet drug smuggler in... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Belushi, Peter Boyle, Ed O'Ross

Directed By: Walter Hill

#12

Stay Hungry (1976)
69%

#12

Adjusted Score: 70242%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A dishonest businessman asks rich layabout Craig Blake (Jeff Bridges) to help him buy a gym, which will be demolished... [More]

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Sally Field, Arnold Schwarzenegger, R. G. Armstrong

Directed By: Bob Rafelson

#13

The Running Man (1987)
67%

#13

Adjusted Score: 71015%

Critics Consensus: The Running Man is winking sci-fi satire with ridiculous clothes and workmanlike direction.

Synopsis: In the year 2019, America is a totalitarian state where the favorite television program is "The Running Man" -- a... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Conchita Alonso, Richard Dawson, Yaphet Kotto

Directed By: Paul Michael Glaser

#14

Conan the Barbarian (1982)
67%

#14

Adjusted Score: 70752%

Critics Consensus: Though Conan may take itself too seriously for some, this adventure film about a former slave seeking vengeance is full of quotable Schwarzenegger lines and gritty action.

Synopsis: Orphaned boy Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is enslaved after his village is destroyed by the forces of vicious necromancer Thulsa Doom... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Sandahl Bergman, Gerry Lopez

Directed By: John Milius

#15

The Last Stand (2013)
61%

#15

Adjusted Score: 68520%

Critics Consensus: There's nothing particularly distinguished about it, but for Schwarzenegger fans The Last Stand provides perfectly undemanding entertainment.

Synopsis: Once a narcotics officer in the LAPD, Ray Owens (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has settled into a peaceful life as sheriff of... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forest Whitaker, Johnny Knoxville, Rodrigo Santoro

Directed By: Kim Jee-woon

#16

Maggie (2015)
61%

#16

Adjusted Score: 67162%

Critics Consensus: Maggie lurches a bit clumsily at times, but is partially redeemed by strong performances and an unexpectedly thoughtful tone.

Synopsis: When a deadly zombie virus sweeps the nation, a father stops at nothing to save his infected daughter.... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Abigail Breslin, Joely Richardson, Douglas M. Griffin

Directed By: Henry Hobson

#17

Kindergarten Cop (1990)
54%

#17

Adjusted Score: 56667%

Critics Consensus: Arnold Schwarzenegger substitutes his action brio with some refreshingly adept comedic timing, but Kindergarten Cop is too grim for children and too cloying for adults.

Synopsis: In this action-comedy, unusual circumstances find big, brawny cop John Kimble (Arnold Schwarzenegger) posing as a kindergarten teacher in order... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Penelope Ann Miller, Pamela Reed, Linda Hunt

Directed By: Ivan Reitman

#18

Escape Plan (2013)
50%

#18

Adjusted Score: 54949%

Critics Consensus: As much fun as it is to see Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger team up onscreen, Escape Plan fails to offer much more than a pale imitation of 1980s popcorn thrills.

Synopsis: Tough and chiseled Ray Breslin (Sylvester Stallone) knows how to infiltrate a prison -- and bust out of one. His... [More]

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Caviezel, 50 Cent

Directed By: Mikael Håfström

#19

Killing Gunther (2017)
46%

#19

Adjusted Score: 46407%

Critics Consensus: Despite a game cast led by an enjoyably over the top Arnold Schwarzenegger, Killing Gunther feels like a sketch overstretched to feature length.

Synopsis: Professional assassins join forces to try and kill the world's best hit man.... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bobby Moynihan, Hannah Simone, Cobie Smulders

Directed By: Taran Killam

#20

The Expendables (2010)
42%

#20

Adjusted Score: 50444%

Critics Consensus: It makes good on the old-school action it promises, but given all the talent on display, The Expendables should hit harder.

Synopsis: Mercenary leader Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and his loyal men take on what they think is a routine assignment: a... [More]

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Terry Crews

Directed By: Sylvester Stallone

#21

Aftermath (2017)
40%

#21

Adjusted Score: 42341%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Two strangers' lives become inextricably bound together after an error by an air traffic controller (Scoot McNairy) causes the death... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Scoot McNairy, Maggie Grace, Judah Nelson

Directed By: Elliott Lester

#22

Twins (1988)
42%

#22

Adjusted Score: 45314%

Critics Consensus: Though it offers a few modest pleasures for undemanding viewers, Twins leans too heavily on the wackiness of its premise to overcome its narrative shortcomings.

Synopsis: The products of a genetic experiment, fraternal twins Julius (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Vincent (Danny DeVito) are separated at birth. Their... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito, Kelly Preston, Chloe Webb

Directed By: Ivan Reitman

#23

The 6th Day (2000)
40%

#23

Adjusted Score: 44378%

Critics Consensus: This offering from Arnold Schwarzenegger contains an intriguing, disturbing premise, but the film's execution is too routine and formulaic to make good use of it.

Synopsis: A world of the very near future in which cattle, fish and even family pet can be cloned. But cloning... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tony Goldwyn, Michael Rapaport, Michael Rooker

Directed By: Roger Spottiswoode

#24

Last Action Hero (1993)
42%

#24

Adjusted Score: 46956%

Critics Consensus: Last Action Hero has most of the right ingredients for a big-budget action spoof, but its scattershot tone and uneven structure only add up to a confused, chaotic mess.

Synopsis: Following the death of his father, young Danny Madigan (Austin O'Brien) takes comfort in watching action movies featuring the indestructible... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Austin O'Brien, Charles Dance, F. Murray Abraham

Directed By: John McTiernan

#25

Eraser (1996)
43%

#25

Adjusted Score: 46462%

Critics Consensus: Eraser's shoot-'em-up action might show off some cutting edge weaponry, but its rote story is embarrassingly obsolete.

Synopsis: John "The Eraser" Kruger is the top gun in the US Marshall Witness Protection scheme; he erases their past and... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Caan, Vanessa Williams, James Coburn

Directed By: Chuck Russell

#26

Junior (1994)
39%

#26

Adjusted Score: 40992%

Critics Consensus: Even with an abundance of talent behind and in front of the camera, Junior doesn't quite deliver enough laughs to nurse its zany high-concept idea.

Synopsis: A research scientist becomes the world's first pregnant man in order to test a drug he and a colleague have... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito, Emma Thompson, Frank Langella

Directed By: Ivan Reitman

#27

The Expendables 3 (2014)
32%

#27

Adjusted Score: 40057%

Critics Consensus: Like its predecessors, Expendables 3 offers a modicum of all-star thrills for old-school action thriller aficionados -- but given all the talent assembled, it should have been a lot more fun.

Synopsis: Years ago, Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) co-founded the Expendables with Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson). After Stonebanks became an arms dealer,... [More]

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Antonio Banderas, Jet Li

Directed By: Patrick Hughes

#28

Raw Deal (1986)
31%

#28

Adjusted Score: 31806%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: When efforts to prosecute mob boss Luigi Patrovita (Sam Wanamaker) are repeatedly derailed thanks to a mole in the FBI,... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kathryn Harrold, Sam Wanamaker, Paul Shenar

Directed By: John Irvin

#29

Terminator Genisys (2015)
26%

#29

Adjusted Score: 39533%

Critics Consensus: Mired in its muddled mythology, Terminator: Genisys is a lurching retread that lacks the thematic depth, conceptual intelligence, or visual thrills that launched this once-mighty franchise.

Synopsis: When John Connor (Jason Clarke), leader of the human resistance against Skynet, sends Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) back to 1984... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney

Directed By: Alan Taylor

#30

Conan the Destroyer (1984)
29%

#30

Adjusted Score: 30866%

Critics Consensus: Conan the Destroyer softens the edges that gave its predecessor gravitas, resulting in a campy sequel without the comparative thrills.

Synopsis: In his second cinematic adventure, the mighty warrior Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is tricked into working for the scheming Queen Taramis... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Grace Jones, Wilt Chamberlain, Mako

Directed By: Richard Fleischer

#31

Jingle All the Way (1996)
21%

#31

Adjusted Score: 23745%

Critics Consensus: Arnold Schwarzenegger tries his best, but Jingle All the Way suffers from an uneven tone, shifting wildly from a would-be satire on materialism to an antic, slapstick yuk-fest.

Synopsis: Workaholic Howard Langston (Arnold Schwarzenegger) wants to make things up to his son, Jamie (Jake Lloyd), and wife, Liz (Rita... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Phil Hartman, Rita Wilson

Directed By: Brian Levant

#32

Iron Mask (2019)
21%

#32

Adjusted Score: 21837%

Critics Consensus: Iron Mask unites Jackie Chan and Arnold Schwarzenegger for a bizarrely misguided adventure that aims for epic fantasy with unintentionally hilarious results.

Synopsis: To save his homeland from certain doom, a kung fu master must escape from the maniacal James Hook in order... [More]

Starring: Jackie Chan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Flemyng, Xingtong Yao

Directed By: Oleg Stepchenko

#33

Collateral Damage (2002)
19%

#33

Adjusted Score: 23519%

Critics Consensus: Despite its timely subject matter, Collateral Damage is an unexceptional and formulaic action thriller.

Synopsis: A family man (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is plunged into the complex and dangerous world of international terrorism after he loses his... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Elias Koteas, Francesca Neri, Cliff Curtis

Directed By: Andrew Davis

#34

Red Sonja (1985)
21%

#34

Adjusted Score: 22970%

Critics Consensus: Dull, poorly directed, and badly miscast, Red Sonja is an uninspired conclusion to Schwarzenegger's barbarian trilogy.

Synopsis: Power-hungry Queen Gedren (Sandahl Bergman) captures the priestesses guarding the Talisman, a mystical orb that created and can destroy the... [More]

Starring: Brigitte Nielsen, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sandahl Bergman, Paul L. Smith

Directed By: Richard Fleischer

#35

Hercules in New York (1970)
14%

#35

Adjusted Score: 14053%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Banished Hercules (Arnold Schwarzenegger) catches an escaped bear, cruises Broadway and wrestles professionally.... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Arnold Stang, Deborah Loomis, Taina Elg

Directed By: Arthur Allan Seidelman

#36

Batman & Robin (1997)
12%

#36

Adjusted Score: 18470%

Critics Consensus: Joel Schumacher's tongue-in-cheek attitude hits an unbearable limit in Batman & Robin resulting in a frantic and mindless movie that's too jokey to care much for.

Synopsis: This superhero adventure finds Batman (George Clooney) and his partner, Robin (Chris O'Donnell), attempting to the foil the sinister schemes... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, Chris O'Donnell, Uma Thurman

Directed By: Joel Schumacher

#37

End of Days (1999)
11%

#37

Adjusted Score: 15885%

Critics Consensus: An overblown thriller with formulaic action scenes and poor acting.

Synopsis: With the millennium approaching, a series of disturbing signs suggests that Satan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has returned to Earth and is... [More]

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Pollak, Robin Tunney

Directed By: Peter Hyams