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Arnold Schwarzenegger got his career’s signature role with the titular character in the 1984 film,The Terminator. The film was directed by James Cameron who conceived the idea for the film from a fever dream he experienced. The film spawned a hugely successful sequel,Terminator 2:Judgment Day,which grossed $519 million compared to the $78 million earned by the first movie.
The two films solidified Schwarzenegger’s position as a leading action star of his time in the industry. Cameron’s sci-fi venture provided great entertainment for audiences, however, scientific experts argue that the film was filled with logical inconsistencies, disguised as advanced scientific themes.
Also Read:“We owned a percentage of EVERYTHING”: Arnold Schwarzenegger Earned His Biggest Payday of $40,000,000 Without Doing Any Career Threatening Action Scenes
Neil deGrasse Tyson Discredited The Entire Plot Of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Movie
The age-old debate regarding scientific accuracy in fiction was fueled again whenNeil deGrasse Tysonbrought up the scientific inaccuracies in some famous movies. During an interview with SiriusXM, the famous astrophysicist bashed films likeArmageddon,Moonfall, andThe Terminatorfor their poorly conceived scientific themes.
Tyson was critical ofArmageddon’s plot earlier in his Twitter post in 2019. According to the author’stweet,Armageddon“violated more laws of physics (per minute) than any other film in the universe”. The film explores the story of a group of drillers sent by NASA to prevent an asteroid from colliding with and destroying Earth. While giving his explanation about the implausibility ofArmageddon’s plot, Tyson drew parallels to the plot ofArnold Schwarzenegger’sThe Terminator.
Tyson pointed out that even if the logic of the film were applied to time travel, the solution employed by the antagonists in the film was“hyperbolic”. Tyson criticizedJames Cameron‘s plot and explained toSiriusXM:
“It’s like The Terminator thing where I want to kill your parents so that you’re never born. ‘Really?’ All you have to do is prevent your parents from meeting each other or have them have sex 20 minutes later than the other one. That will create a different zygote and you won’t be born, so the movies go, in some cases, they get hyperbolic on their solutions to problems.”
The story ofThe Terminatorexplores a cybernetic assassin sent to kill Sarah Connor, to prevent her from giving birth to the future savior of mankind from extinction by a hostile AI. As Tyson jokingly explained his alternative, the movie’s plot now does seem a bit silly.
Also Read:“I had a few things I tried to hide”: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Co-Star Doesn’t Regret Stripping Naked in One of His Most Hated Terminator Movies
Is Scientific Accuracy Relevant In Fictional Movies?
While Neil deGrasse Tyson and other scientists do not expect a 100% scientifically accurate movie, they do expect movies to not make scientific blunders. Tyson’s case againstArmageddonorThe Terminatormay not hold up entirely, as these were escapist movies that pulled audiences to the theaters. However, such movies might not resonate with mass audiences today, who have been exposed to more complex scientific concepts, like the multiverse, through modern cinema.
Tyson, in his interview, also highlighted the issues with the movieMoonfall,which beatArmageddonas the most scientifically inaccurate movie on his list.Moonfallwas released in 2022 amidst the pandemic and its plot revolved around the Moon attacking the Earth. The film turned out to be a box office disaster. For scientists, there appears to be a very thin line between science and imagination which the filmmakers could tread when developing their concepts.
However, the entertainment value of fictional movies should also be taken into account. A sci-fi movie with an intriguing plot and well-developed characters can still work for the audience, despite the scientific inaccuracies. After all, cinema is a medium to explore the imagination rather than just serving as a mirror to reality.
Also Read:“It’s still him whipping a** at 75”: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Next Movie is Pure Adrenaline Action With ‘Not Much Comedy’
The Terminator,Armageddon, andMoonfallare all available for streaming on Max.
Source:SiriusXM
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3017
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
