The Terminatorcame out in 1984 to a fanfare that surprised pretty much everyone. It topped the American box office for two weeks, catapulted James Cameron into the fame that he's known for today, and strengthened Arnold Schwarzenegger's image as a formidable action star. It then kick-started a franchise that, while not without its fair share of duds, has mostly been among the most fun that sci-fi has to offer.