The Terminator series star Arnold Schwarzenegger has made more than his fair share of light-hearted comedy efforts, but how do the actor’s movies in the genre rank in comparison to each other? For a certain generation of moviegoers, the name Arnold Schwarzenegger is not automatically associated with the comedy genre. Viewers of a certain vintage will recall that the strongman-turned-actor was once best-known for Conan the Barbarian and other intimidating, self-serious roles.
Perhaps the most famous of Arnie’s early roles came in the form of 1984’s The Terminator, in which the actor shined as the titular robotic assassin. A tough and terrifying killer, Arnie’s T-800 was far from a comical character. However, Terminator 2: Judgment Day flipped Terminator’s original dynamic and made the once-chilling killer into a likable father figure, transforming Arnie’s appeal as an actor in the process. Ever since, Schwarzenegger has taken on more comedic roles as audiences warmed to his funnier side.
However, Schwarzenegger was not a stranger to comedy movies before the release of Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The actor cut his teeth in the genre, which provided him early roles in Hercules in New York, Scavenger Hunt, and The Villain during ‘70s. However, none of these outings were particularly big hits, nor were they well-loved critically, meaning Schwarzenegger opted not to flex his comic muscles too much during the ‘80s. Once the James Cameron-directed T2 proved a hit, though, the floodgates were open and Arnie took on a slew of comedic roles—with mixed results. Here is the definitive ranking of all Schwarzenegger's comedy films to date.
Scavenger Hunt (1979)
During the ‘60s and ‘70s, a curious comedy sub-genre emerged wherein filmmakers assumed that throwing together enough funny actors and sending their over-the-top characters in pursuit of a shared goal would result in automatic hilarity. This arguably proved true for It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and The Cannonball Run, but not for Scavenger Hunt, a 1979 effort that failed to mine many laughs out of the familiar story of a game inventor bestowing his estate on the winner of the titular game. Schwarzenegger gets one of the movie’s few laughs out of his role as Lars the fitness instructor, but this one is hardly worth a watch for the cameo alone.
Hercules in New York (1970)
Starring an over-dubbed Arnie as the titular hero in his first big-screen outing, Hercules In New York is an almost unwatchably slow and awkward attempt at comedy that missed out on the bottom spot solely because, as a micro-budget oddity, it is at least more interestingly weird than the bland, boring mainstream sheen of Scavenger Hunt. Decades after Arnie’s movie debut, fellow athlete-turned-actor Hulk Hogan appeared in 2009’s Little Hercules. The critically-despised movie was reviled for failing to find any inspiration in the hackneyed story of a mythical hero being sent to live in contemporary LA — and Schwarzenegger's attempt to liven up almost identical material fell equally flat, four decades earlier.
Around the World in 80 Days (2004)
Barely related to the Jules Verne novel of the same name, 2004’s Around the World in 80 Days is a chaotic action-comedy from frequent Adam Sandler collaborator Frank Coraci. This one fails to recapture the magic of star Jackie Chan’s Shanghai Noon, but is at least a watchable chase movie with some fun moments (including Schwarzenegger’s hammy cameo as Prince Hapi). A disaster at the box office, Around the World in 80 Days is not the flop its reviews would have viewers believe, but is nonetheless nothing special.
Junior (1994)
A minor flop upon release, Junior is the sort of high-concept comedy that could only have come from ‘90s Hollywood. Co-starring Emma Thompson and Danny DeVito, Junior sees Schwarzenegger’s scientist become pregnant via an experimental drug — and that’s about it. If the premise of seeing the strongman mug his way through the trials and tribulations of pregnancy seems appealing, this one will deliver (no pun intended), but Ghostbusters creator Ivan Reitman has made cleverer and funnier efforts than this middle-of-the-road family comedy.
Killing Gunther (2017)
Released in 2017, Killing Gunther deserves credit for its inventive premise. Schwarzenegger plays the eponymous super-assassin while Taran Kill plays the young pretender hoping to become famous by fulfilling the promise of the title. Unfortunately, this fun conceit gives way to a pretty predictable action-comedy whose mockumentary presentation does little to liven up proceedings. Still, a perfectly passable effort elevated by Schwarzenegger’s game performance.
The Villain (1979)
The Villain arrived a little too late to cash in on the comedy western trend begun by Cat Ballou and Blazing Saddles, and the late-career Kirk Douglas vehicle feels as tired as this late arrival implies. The premise is great — it’s a Western wherein the charming villain is this movie's hero, and Arnold Schwarzenegger's unlikely villain is the imposing “good guy” who exists to foil his cartoony schemes at every turn. In practice, however, it’s a one-joke movie that stretches its predictable punchline to feature-length. Still, the stunts are impressive, the humor can be unexpectedly lewd and surprisingly effective as a result, and The Villain has the high-gloss appearance of a classic Technicolor Western, all of which help the movie’s slightly one-note feel.
Jingle All the Way (1996)
Like Junior, Jingle All the Way is a one-joke movie, but unlike that earlier outing, the joke is pretty solid here. Schwarzenegger is an (inordinately muscular) average overworked family man who must track down a toy for his son at Christmas, leading to all sorts of madcap shenanigans when said toy turns out to be worth its weight in gold. Will the hero learn that family, life, and love are more important than gifts, much like in Jim Carrey's hit, The Grinch? Though the answer is clearly yes, this corny life lesson is as agreeable as the rest of this overlong but undeniably fun family comedy.
Last Action Hero (1993)
The original screenplay of Last Action Hero is a stellar satire of ‘80s action movies, filled with witty subversions of audience expectations and clever meta-humor. The finished film, despite boasting rewrites from Lethal Weapon’s Shane Black and direction from Die Hard’s John McTiernan, is a tonally indecisive mess hobbled by the studio’s insistence on the movie maintaining a PG-13 rating. That said, despite the screenplay’s mishandling, Last Action Hero—which sees Schwarzenegger play a self-parodic action hero who accidentally brings a real-life kid into his fictional universe—is a funny, occasionally clever action movie parody that is better than its ignominious reputation. Last Action Hero’s best moments are flashes of inspired Rick & Morty-style genre parody, but even its less impressive elements are fun, if tonally uneven, self-referential action-comedy fare.
Kindergarten Cop (1990)
Kindergarten Cop stars Schwarzenegger as a hardened police officer who must go undercover as a kindergarten teacher to apprehend a drug dealer. It’s the sort of ludicrous premise that combines family-friendly comedy with dark action thriller themes, much like Sister Act and Big Momma’s House. Luckily, like those similar hits, Kindergarten Cop is also a disarmingly funny comedy whose wild tone shifting contributes to the hit’s unique charm. Schwarzenegger is funny as the fish out of water lead without being too cutesy or cloying, and the action is played bizarrely straight in a movie that has no right to work as well as it does.
Twins (1988)
Until viewers receive the long-rumored sequel that would see fellow comedy legend Eddie Murphy play the pair’s long-lost triplet, 1988’s Twins remains the high point of Schwarzenegger’s screen comedy career. The Ivan Reitman effort sees Danny DeVito and Schwarzenegger star as a pair of extremely unlikely twins who were separated at birth, and if the sight of the pair together is not enough to sell the prospective viewer on this one, then nothing will. The little and large pairing is absurdly silly and the premise self-consciously wacky, but DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger bring enough warmth and pathos to Twins to make the movie soar and turn the potentially hackneyed comedy into The Terminator star’s best comedy to date.