Machine tool intelligent control system, as an integral part of future intelligent machine tools, plays a significant role in improving core competencies of manufacture. Compared with traditional CNC system, the intelligent one has the advantage of higher efficiency and more stable manufacturing quality. It's able to make intelligent decisions and substitute experiences of human operators. Considering that there are few reviews on intelligent control system of machine tools, the framework and architecture of the machine tool intelligent control system is proposed by analyzing features from four stages of historical development of the machine tool control system. From the perspective of advanced technology, the related key technologies and engineering applications are elaborated, such as artificial intelligence, digital twins and cloud services. At last, after analyzing several major challenges of intelligent machine tools and their countermeasures, the future development trend of machine tool intelligent control system is forecasted.