Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) was the first film to cost over $100 million to produce, pioneering liquid metal CGI that earned 4 Academy Awards including Best Visual Effects. James Cameron's sequel grossed $519 million worldwide, remaining the highest-grossing R-rated film for 20 years, a record untouched until outperformed by #6 on this list. Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 reversed the original's dynamic, protecting a young John Connor from the T-1000. The film's action set pieces, including the canal chase and steel mill finale, set a new benchmark for practical effects integration, with the T-1000's morphing scenes costing $5 million per minute of screen time.