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The Terminator (1984) - This film, directed by James Cameron, introduced the world to the Terminator, a cyborg assassin sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor, a woman whose unborn child will one day lead the human resistance against the machines in a future war. The film also introduced Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator and Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor. It was a critical and commercial success and spawned a franchise that includes several sequels, spin-offs, and TV shows.
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Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) - This sequel, also directed by Cameron, picks up where the first film left off, with the Terminator being reprogrammed to protect Sarah Connor and her son, John, from a new, advanced Terminator who has been sent back in time to kill them. The film features groundbreaking special effects and action sequences, and further solidified Schwarzenegger's status as a action movie icon. It was a huge box office hit and is widely regarded as one of the greatest sequels of all time.
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Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) - This film, directed by Jonathan Mostow, is set several years after the events of Judgment Day and follows John Connor (Nick Stahl) as he tries to prevent a new Terminator, the T-X (Kristanna Loken), from killing him and his future lieutenants in order to prevent the rise of the human resistance. The film received mixed reviews but was a commercial success.
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Terminator Salvation (2009) - This film, directed by McG, is set in the post-apocalyptic future and follows John Connor (Christian Bale) as he leads the human resistance against the machines. The film also introduces the character of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a human who has been reprogrammed by the machines. The film was a commercial success but received mixed reviews.
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Terminator Genisys (2015) - This film, directed by Alan Taylor, is a "reset" of the franchise that combines elements from the first four films and introduces a new timeline in which Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) is raised by a reprogrammed T-800 (Schwarzenegger). The film received mixed reviews and was a box office disappointment.
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Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) - This film, directed by Tim Miller, is a direct sequel to Judgment Day and ignores the events of the other films in the franchise. It follows Sarah Connor (Hamilton) and a new character, Grace (Mackenzie Davis), as they team up with an aged T-800 (Schwarzenegger) to protect a young woman (Natalia Reyes) from a new Terminator (Gabriel Luna). The film received mixed reviews and underperformed at the box office.