Of the following 3, which is your favorite performance by Arnie?
Conan the Barbarian
Total Recall
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Asked and answered:
I'll have to say Conan, but it's a very close 3-way call. Original Terminator is also quite the gem. The man has talents, to be sure.
Conan (5) Total Recall (7) T2 (9)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
shareWhat's your choice moment from the film?
shareThere are a lot of great moments. I will have to think about it and get back to you.
shareWhat I think of immediately is how choked up I get at the end. Specifically the thumbs up in the molten steel. Also I get a seriously exhilarating rush when the chopper goes under the overpass, which they did for real.
shareConan hands down but the other two are also great fun
shareYeah only after I posted did I realize how hard it is to choose. I think I like his performance in Conan the most because of how raw it is. He was so fresh to the acting game and didn't really have a developed style. Whether he did develop a style later on is a matter of debate, but his innocence in that movie appeals to me. I really love when he prays to Crom and tells Crom to go to hell if he doesn't hear his prayer.
shareGreat scene in a movie full of them👍
shareOf the three choices for performances, Total Recall is my fave.
But, The Terminator is my favorite film that he's been in.
Oh yeah, my guilty pleasure film of his is Twins with Danny DeVito.
And yes, Kelly Preston was scorching hot in that film (just in case she's ever put in a 'Hot or Not' thread).
The Movie vs. Role debate rages on with especially with Arnie. He turns in some great performances, and sometimes was in great movies, and occasionally they intersect. I picked these 3 because they are arguably his best performances and films.
I was always more of a Kindergarten Cop or Junior guy when it came to his more comedic roles, although I do like Twins a lot too.
T2
shareT2 is maybe the most nuanced of these three roles. He hasn't really transitioned out of his Action Star persona that defined his 80s roles, but he's not fully in his comedic mode yet either. He is very funny in the movie, and he also pulls out a great dramatic performance. He has a strong emotional core despite portraying an artificial being.
shareHe has alot more range than I ever expected. I saw little bits of Pumping Iron and Stay Hungry but didn't see a full length feature till Conan. I really liked Conan, he did a great job, but he was a body builder. He got lucky, right? When he did Twins and Kindergarten Cop I was impressed. His dramatic roles ain't bad either.
Like Governor of California.
If he was a natural citizen he might have been President. That would have been interesting.
I don't see you around much. You should hang out more.
shareTotal Recall, no doubt
shareI like how the movie plays in a couple ways depending on your perspective. You can watch it and never question the nature of the character's reality, or it can seem very suggestive of a deeper truth. Did he go to Mars at all? Was he dreaming the whole time? When does the dream start? Arnie does a great job of treading that subtle line.
shareT2
It was a perfect role for him.
How do you feel it compares with other James Cameron films? Aliens is also a beast of a good time, but I may put T2 at the top. I'm sort of a sucker for Cameron.
shareAliens and T2 are both great but I think I like Aliens slightly more. Abyss is great too. It's a shame it hasn't been released on bluray yet.
shareTotal Recall
share