We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better, stronger, faster! Oh wait, wrong cyborg.
Last month, we learned that Terminator star and former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger had gone under the knife for yet another heart operation. This medical saga began back in 1997 when he had a pulmonary valve replacement to correct a congenital disorder. As planned, that valve wore out, so in 2018, he had a new one put in and just a few weeks ago, followed that up with a new aortic valve.
The 73-year-old action movie icon seemed confident before the surgery, saying his immortal catchphrase “I’ll be back” as he was rolled into the operating theater. The procedure was a complete success, too, and it was only days later that he was seen walking the streets of Cleveland.
Now, it seems that he’s almost back to his full strength. Schwarzenegger posted a video to his Instagram showing himself riding a bike down Muscle Beach and past a large mural of him in his bodybuilding prime. As he approaches the camera, he gives us a thumbs up and says: “Feelin’ good again!”
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I just went on my first bike ride since my heart surgery, and I’m feeling good.
So, what’s coming up for Arnie? Well, his next major movie is Iron Mask, in which he’s facing off against the similarly iconic Jackie Chan. The Russian-Chinese production is the sequel to 2014’s The Forbidden Kingdom and is also notable as one of the final films Rutger Hauer shot before his death. Iron Mask may be premiering domestically on VOD on November 20th, but it’s already been released in other territories a while back.
And… well, let’s just say the critics haven’t been especially kind to it. It’s sitting at 18% on the Tomatometer, with the general complaints being that it doesn’t make any sense, the acting is terrible and that it’ll only appeal to those who like to watch movies that are “so bad they’re good.” And that hyped Schwarzenegger/Chan fight? It’s described as three minutes of unconvincing body doubles engaging in badly staged “ham-fisted” combat.
Let’s hope Arnold Schwarzenegger finds more luck with the new TV show by Scorpion creator Nick Santora that he’s attached to. Details are thin on the ground, but it seems to be a spy adventure about a father/daughter team, which sounds promising.
