It is hard to fully quantify just how large and influential James Cameron’s Terminator was. The movie was a success worldwide; it re-invigorated interest in the sci-fi genre with its mash-up of genres and revolutionary effects; it cemented Arnold Schwarzenegger as a star; gave the world one of the greatest sci-fi protagonist in Sarah Connor, and its dialog became part of the cultural lexicon: don’t you dare lie and tell me at some point in your life you have not uttered the line “I’ll be back” in your best Arnold.
The success of Terminator is up there with other franchises like Jaws, Evil Dead, Halloween, and Alien, which all also led to countless knock-offs. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and even with the flaws of each of these entries, there is something endearing about the way they tried to cash in on the Terminator craze in their own way. From across the globe, and two decades, the ’80s and ’90s, these are the ten best Terminator knock-offs.
10 Lady Terminator (1989)
When the Queen of the South Sea, an ancient sex goddess who thrives on devouring the genitals of others, is bested by one of her victims, she places a curse on his family line. Decades later, an anthropologist, Tania, ends up being possessed by the queen and becomes a vengeful force set on targeting Erica, the descendant of the man who betrayed her. As Tania leaves piles of bodies on her quest for revenge, a New York Detective takes on the case and becomes romantically interested in Erica.
An Indonesian (Almost) Shot-for-Shot Remake
While Lady Terminator makes tweaks, introducing new lore and an erotic angle, the Indonesian action movie is almost a shot for shot remake of James Cameron’s Terminator. Is this a bad thing? Well, there is a certain extra campiness and grittiness with the budgetary restraints that have their charm. Moreover, the movie adds elements more common to horror and exploitation cinema, which has garnered the little-known action film a modest cult following.
Despite how much of it is similar to its more famous counterpart, it does veer into so-bad-its-good territory as well, so the movie casts a pretty wide net of interest that could snag potential viewers. Of course, it does not hurt that Barbara Anne Constable, in her only acting role, is wonderfully intimidating and bad-a** as the unstoppable Lady Terminator (she also shoots a guy between the legs RoboCop style).
9 Eliminators (1986)
A cyborg programmed to kill, known as Mandroid, struggles with his identity after escaping the clutches of his evil creator, Dr. Reeves. Mandroid teams up with a rogue smuggler, a ninja warrior, a scientist, and a mini-robot, to stop Reeves before he gets his hands on a new technology that will allow him to rule the world.
Not Quite a Man, Not Quite an Android, but a Mandroid!
Eliminators is more of a “let’s throw everything at the wall and see what sticks” movie as opposed to a strict Terminator rip-off. Yes, the awkwardly named ‘Mandroid’ is essentially a poor man’s Terminator, though he does come with a cool ‘tank option.’ Still, Eliminators pulls from Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and every ’90s ninja movie to create its odd mix-match of sci-fi and action. Panned on release, there has been a renewed appreciation for the movie, and if you turn your mind off, it is an entertaining and silly homage to a lot of better films done with its own unique b-movie charm.
8 Mikadroid (1991)
A product of experimentation during World War II by the Japanese military, a half-man-half-machine ultimate solider known as the Mikadroid was made. However, after the program ended with the loss of the war, the machines were decommissioned and forgotten to time. Cut to 45 years later, and in the basement of a disco-club known as the Layla, one of the units reawakens and sets its sites on eliminating anyone that enters the basement of the club.
Death Comes to the Dance Club
Mikadroid, also known by the cooler extended title Mikadroid Robokill Beneath Discoclub Layla, is a peculiar one in the realm of Terminator knock-offs. The popularity of Terminator in Japan certainly had an influence on a few of the movies in this list, but there is still much that is distinctly Japanese about these productions that makes them a unique homage to James Cameron’s sci-fi action masterpiece.
Mikadroid has a relentless cyborg killer, a heroic underdog similar to Sarah Connor, and explores themes of our relationship with technology, yet this is where the similarities stop. Mikadroid works best as a horror movie, and is perhaps best classified as a ‘slasher.’ Instead of a masked killer, Mikadroid offers a robot lurking in the corner of a parking lot praying on any Japanese party-goer entering the basement of the club Layla. Cheesy and violent, in the best sense.
7 Class of 1999 (1990)
Set in the year 1999, when schools have become a playground for violent teenagers, The Class of 1999 starts as Dr. Miles Langford, the new principal, attempts to use new military technology, cyborgs, to bring peace to Seattle’s Kennedy High School. The three new ‘teachers’ are designed to enforce strict discipline, but their experience in war soon turns their action deadly. It then becomes up to Cody Culp, an ex-gang member recently released from prison, to team up with other students to put an end to the killer robots.
School is Out Forever
Set comfortably as a Terminator knock-off with its robot enforcers using violence as a means to have rules obeyed, Class of 1999 does stand on its own merits. The action is over-the-top in the best sense, packed with cartoonish violence that has earned it fans among exploitation, action, and horror fans alike.
There are also some phenomenal performances from genre staples, including Malcolm McDowell, Stacy Keach, and Pam Grier. Pam Greir is particularly great here, playing the role of a killer cyborg teacher.
You can stream Class of 1999 on Plex or The Roku Channel.
6 Hardware (1990)
Set in a post-apocalyptic future where the landscape is devastated by nuclear fallout and humanity has taken to underground living, Hardware begins with a scavenger finding a robot head in the desert. The head then makes its way to a space marine, who purchases it as a gift for his girlfriend to use in her art project. However, after the head awakens, it starts to rebuild itself and targets Jill.
A Cyberpunk Classic
While it received mixed reviews on release, Hardware has since developed a pretty strong cult following. Where Hardware excels is its mix of horror and experimental story elements that make it stand-out from many other killer cyborg movies of the era. The post-apocalyptic sci-fi treat, combined with his work on the horror western Dust Devil, has made its director, Richard Stanley, a revered, albeit tragic, figure in the cult film fandom. Also, it stars a hunky Dylan McDermott years before he would become a household name for the TV show The Practice.
5 Cyber Ninja (1988)
In a futuristic version of medieval Japan where a war is raging between humans and cyborgs, a group of swordsmen is on a mission to rescue Princess Saki, who has been captured by an evil warlord. This warlord aims to summon a digital overlord from another dimension to take over humanity, using the Princess as a sacrifice. The movie was based on the arcade game of the same name by Namco.
Super Sentai Terminator
Think of Cyber Ninja as an amalgamation of Terminator, Super Sentai-themed action, and beat-em-up video games, and you start to get a semblance of what you are dealing with here. The mix of influences is certainly what will draw viewers into this one, not to mention its unique creature/character designs that will feel nostalgic for those that grew up with the likes of Power Rangers. Moreover, it does have that live-action anime feeling to it, that should endear fans who appreciate ’80s/’90s classics in the genre.
4 T-Force (1994)
A specialized force of ‘cybernaughts,’ known as the “T-Force,” is used by the government to deal with high-risk scenarios. However, when an operation goes awry and the cybernaughts end up killing hostages, it is decided to decommission the task force. The T-Force revolts against this decision, and begin killing others in order to survive. It becomes up to a cop, Jack Floyd, to put an end to the government-designed killing machines.
So-Bad-Its-Good Terminator Knock-off
T-Force falls into so-bad-its good territory, chocked full of silly and awkward dialogue that provides a lot of humor. The action movie is also indicative of the genre in the 90s with a lot of ham-fisted ideas and tropes playing out over this Terminator knock-off. At the same time, T-Force is not a complete wash as it has some great action sequences, and offers a modicum of commentary on the growing relationship with technology at the time. Still, the movie is best enjoyed with a group of like-minded friends who love picking apart every fault.
3 Steel and Lace (1991)
Gaily Morton, a classical concert pianist, becomes the victim of a ruthless businessman, leading to a failed trial and subsequent suicide. Her brother, Albert Morton, a robotics engineer, unable to cope with her death, begins to work to bring her back, placing her brain inside the body of a powerful cyborg. With her new body, and armed with an arsenal of weapons, Gaily exacts revenge on the men who wronged her.
A Terminator on a Mission of Revenge
The unsavory rape-revenge genre of films is a bit of a blight on cinematic history. For every Ms. 45 there were dozens of gritty and quick cash-ins (garbage) on the sensational premise. It was only a matter of time before the world got a rape-revenge version of Terminator, and that is Steel and Lace. This means proceeding with a degree of caution for those sensitive to the subject, but the movie does do enough to have earned itself a cult following.
The mash-up of the controversial genre of films with the more approachable sci-fi action is certainly a unique blend. Yet, where the value of Steel and Lace comes from is its many creative and over-the-top kills. This is the type of film you watch with your friends and cheer as the villain gets his head thrown into helicopter blades. It is one of the trashier Terminator knock-offs, but those who don’t mind cheap thrills backed by crazy kills will enjoy this one.
2 Nemesis (1992)
Taking place in the year 2027 where androids and cybernetically enhanced humans are common place, Nemesis follows former LAPD cop Alex Rain who has been enhanced with cybernetics after a career-ending accident. This makes Alex the ideal candidate to be exploited by the police for a dangerous mission where he has to track down an old partner and recover sensitive data that was stolen by a group known as the Red Army Hammerheads.
The Start of a Cyberpunk Franchise
Nemesis is a franchise that would go onto moderate success, spawning four sequels. While the franchise is niche and each sequel has been a gradual decline in quality, it does speak to how great the original was. The cyberpunk-inspired action movie made the most of its modest budget to deliver some explosive action, had some decent performances, and a clear direction as to the vibe and aesthetic it was going for. It is very similar to Terminator in themes explored, but it does enough to distinguish itself.
1 Gunhed (1989)
Humanity faces a dire threat from a rogue supercomputer known as Kyron-5, a system initially programmed as an autonomous factory that turned against humanity and started the “Great Robot Wars.” Gunhed follows a group of Texas Air Rangers, led by Sergeant Nim, who are sent in on a rescue mission and end up clashing with mercenaries trying to break into a Kyron-5 facility to steal a power source.
A Japanese Cyberpunk Stand-Out
The struggle between humanity and machine places Gunhed in the realm of Terminator knock-offs. However, the comparison does not do Gunhed justice, as the movie does touch on the nature of AI in an interesting post-apocalyptic future that blends sci-fi influences of both the West and East. The visual style of this Japanese gem is also unique for the era, and offers an insight into the earlier rumblings of the Japanese cyberpunk aesthetic in cinema, which varies differently from the American interpretation of the genre.