'I'll be back´: Schwarzenegger and Hamilton keep promises in new 'Terminator'

LOS ANGELES: The Terminator has come a long way since Arnold Schwarzenegger first portrayed the cyborg assassin in James Cameron´s 1984 sci-fi classic.

"In each movie, the Terminator is a little bit different -- there´s a certain evolution," Schwarzenegger told AFP.

But the character´s latest incarnation in "Terminator: Dark Fate," out on Friday, still comes as a surprise -- he is now a drapery salesman.

"The first Terminator was just crushing everything and destroying everything. The second one was the protector," said the actor, 72. "Now I have grown a conscience in this one."

But fans can rest assured that, even if he has become more human, the Terminator is a long way from laying down his weapons.

The ingredients that made the original movie and its acclaimed sequel "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" such hits remain in place -- breathless chases, spectacular shoot-outs and fight scenes laden with state-of-the-art special effects.

Glossing over the other, poorly received sequels and spin-offs that came after "T2," the latest film also reconnects with another key element from the first two films -- Linda Hamilton, more angry than ever in her role as Sarah Connor.

Most of the film takes place in 2022, but it begins where "Terminator 2" left off in 1991 -- Connor has just prevented the future eradication of the human race by machines equipped with artificial intelligence known as Skynet.