Arnold Schwarzenegger. Certainly one of the most famous names in the World. Arnold Made his fame through bodybuilding, becoming Mr Universe, then 7 time Mr Olympia (the most prestigious of all the bodybuilding titles). Then he moved into making movies, and is arguably the most well known and successful actor ever. Now retired from acting, Arnold has moved into politics. This article serves as a summary of the film career of this icon, with some brief information about each of the films.
Hercules in New York (1970) was Arnold's first appearance where he was credited as Arnold Strong. The film is light-hearted with Greek Legend Hercules being thrown forward in time into modern day New York. A comedy, which is still popular with Arnie fans today.
Following Hercules in New York, Arnold had a couple of minor roles including The Long Goodbye (1973) and Happy Anniversary and Goodbye (1974 – TV) before playing a role perfectly suited to him in Stay Hungry (1976) starring acclaimed actor Jeff Bridges where Arnold played a gym instructor called Joe Santo.
Arnold was the main focus of the documentary film Pumping Iron (1975). Pumping Iron was to bring bodybuilding to the World, and who better to charismise the sport than Arnold Schwarzenegger simply playing himself. The film includes Arnold winning his 6th Mr Olympia title in 1975.
After a couple of minor TV shows The Streets of San Francisco (1977) and The San Pedro Beach Bums (1977), Arnold was supporting actor as Handsome Stranger to Kirk Douglas in The Villain aka Cactus Jack (1979). In 1979 he had a small role in Scavenger Hunt playing a gym instructor called Lars, and then appeared on the TV movie The Jane Mansfield Story in 1980.
In 1980 another bodybuilding documentary film was released called The Comeback; a follow up to Pumping Iron, covering Arnolds triumph of the 1980 Mr Olympia after 5 years of retirement. The Comeback was then re-released in 1990 as Total Rebuild.
Despite these performances, the film which first shot Arnold into acclaimed fame was Conan the Barbarian in 1982, which was a huge box office success. The character Conan was a strong mythical warrior, a heroic role perfect for Arnold. Conan the Destroyer was released in 1984, a follow up to the blockbuster with Arnold playing the same character.
Now Arnold had reached the big league and was a recognised Hollywood name, which lead him to play another title role in The Terminator (1984), which to date remains Arnold's most well known character. The Terminator was an evil mechanical being surrounded by living tissue, sent back in time to kill the mother (Sarah Connor, played by Linda Hamilton) of the leader of the future rebellion (John Connor), before he was even born. To protect Sarah, John Connor sent back Kyle Reese, the hero played by Michael Biehn. Originally Arnold auditioned for the role of Reese, but during his audition director, James Cameron and the casting crew knew he was perfect for the Terminator, a role which has immortalised the actor.
1985 saw Arnold back in the fantasy theme as supporting actor to Brigitte Nielson (his then girlfriend) who played the title role Red Sonja. Arnold's character Kalidor was like Conan, a strong heroic warrior.
'85 also had Arnold starring in Commando, a full blooded action packed film, where his ex-commando character, John Matrix, has to rescue his daughter. The film is Arnie at his action-hero best with non-stop shooting and fighting from start to finish. Commando was a box office hit and came at a time when this style of move was very much in favour.
Raw Deal was released in 1986 where Arnold plays an FBI agent Mark Kaminsky who adopts an alias called Joseph P. Brenner. Again Arnold plays the action hero.
Another success was Predator in 1987. An alien predator is killing people deep inside the jungles of Latin America and a team of elite commandos lead by Dutch, Arnold's character, is sent to investigate.
The Running Man (1987) is a vague adaptation of a Stephen King novel in ultra-conservative futuristic America, where his character Ben Richards is a wrongly accused convict, sent into a murderous television game to fight for his pardon.
Red Heat in 1988 Has Arnold playing a Russian, Captain Ivan Danko, sent to the USA to pick up a Russian drug dealer. He teams up with US cop Ridzik, played by James Belushi to track down the felons.
Arnold's first starring comedy role was in Twins in 1988 where an ambitious genetic experiment takes the wrong turn when two twins, Arnold and Danny De Vito, who look nothing alike, are born and then separated. Years later, the unlikely siblings meet: Julius (Arnold), a highly educated but sheltered giant with a big heart, and Vincent (DeVito), a pint-sized hustler with an insatiable lust for women and money.
In 1990, after a couple of TV roles, Arnold starred in another box office smash, Total Recall. In a futuristic world, construction worker Doug Quaid opts to have an artificial memory of a Martian holiday implanted into his mind and discovers his mind has already been wiped. Total Recall combines, science-fiction and action with a unique storyline producing a brilliant film.
Arnold starred in another comedy role in 1990 as Detective John Kimble in Kindergarten Cop. Kimble is sent as an undercover cop / teacher in the kindergarten class of a school. The film shows Kimble initially struggling with the toddlers and then forming a caring relationship with them.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day in 1991 is arguably Arnold's best film ever. Directed by James Cameron, the movie was ahead of its time in respect of special effects. Arnold returns as the Terminator, but a different Terminator to the first film. This time his character is sent back in time to protect 10 year old John Connor from the evil liquid metal T-1000 Terminator played by Robert Patrick. Patrick's Terminator is indestructible, so which will triumph? Terminator 2: Judgement Day (often referred to as T2) was later released as Director's Cut Extreme Edition with a large amount of previously cut re-added by Cameron, who had to make edits to the original cinema presentation he wasn't happy about. Later it was released as T2: Ultimate Edition with some more scenes added.
Last Action Hero in 1993 had Arnold playing a film action hero called Jack Slater who is blasted from the film world into our world. The inevitable happens, and Slater meets the actor who plays him, i.e. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Last Action Hero is a light hearted action film.
True Lies in 1994 was Arnold playing a James Bond style secret agent whose family think he's just a boring computer salesman. This film is very enjoyable, action packed but also light hearted. It was followed shortly by Junior where Arnold stars alongside DeVito again in a comedy where he takes an experimental drug and becomes pregnant.
In 1996 he was featured in a mini-film spin off of The Terminator films, called Terminator 2 3-D: Battle Across Time, where he again, played The Terminator.
His next hard action movie was Eraser in 1996 where he played U.S. Marshal John Kruger, who 'erases' the lives and identities of people entering the Witness Protection Program.
Jingle all the Way was a Christmas family comedy released in 1996 where Arnold played a father, Howard Langston, who'll do anything to make up for the neglect of his son by getting him a Turbo Man action figure, but getting hold of one of these figures is not as easy as you'd think!
The Batman films have different villains in each movie, and who better to play Mr Freeze in Batman & Robin (1997) but Arnold? After an experiment goes wrong Dr Victor Fries has to have coldness to stay alive, and with this he becomes pure evil and only Batman (George Clooney) and Robin (Chris O'Donnell) can save the Gotham City and the World from him and his accomplice Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman).
End of Days was released in 1999 just before the millennium and is Arnold staring as Jericho Cane in his only horror flick. Satan himself is about to end the World at the millennium and it's up to cane to stop him.
The 6th Day (2000) is a futuristic sci-fi thriller about cloning, where Arnold plays Adam Gibson who has an identity crisis.
Arnold was uncredited in 2001 for his minor role in Dr Doolittle 2 where he provides the voice of a white wolf in this family comedy film.
In Collateral Damage (2002) Arnold returns to his action hero role as a fire-fighter who is plunged into the complex and dangerous world of international terrorism after he loses his wife and child in a bombing.
Arnold returned in his final film starring role as The Terminator again in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines in 2003, this time playing another Terminator sent to protect the now grown up John Connor (Nick Stahl), however there's a new Terminator out to get him, the T-X (Kristanna Loken).
Also in 2003 Arnold was again uncredited as a bar patron in The Rundown aka Welcome to the Jungle. Then in 2004 Arnold had a modest role in Around the World in 80 Days starring Steve Coogan and Jackie Chan as Prince Hapi. He also appeared as himself in the film The Kid & I in 2005.
Now a politician as The Governor of California, does this mean Arnold has ended his film career? Known for his unpredictability, it's not unlikely that we'll see the big man cropping up in some minor roles, but it's doubtful we'll see him in a starring role again. Love him or loathe him, you've got to admit he's had some career and made some cracking films; I wonder how many include his catchphrase 'I'll be back'?