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Just like “The Terminator” character Arnold Schwarzenegger memorably played in the original movie of the same name from 1984, the series that movie spawned has proven equally difficult to kill. Every decade or so it seems the franchise is resurrected yet again as the epic apocalyptic battle between machine and man again comes back from the dead.
Of course, over the years, many of the principle players have dropped out. Linda Hamilton’s character of Sarah Connor disappeared after 1991’s “Terminator 2: Judgement Day”, as did Edward Furlong as her savior son John. Meanwhile Arnold Schwarzenegger only recently made a reappearance in “Terminator: Genesys” (2015) as part of a reboot that ultimately went nowhere.
However the most obvious absence from the franchise is the creator James Cameron himself. It’s a crucial detail, after all, since Cameron was responsible for creating the series in the first place, with the groundbreaking original “The Terminator” movie back in 1984. He also managed the unthinkable by creating a sequel that was easily as impressive as its predecessor, as “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” set the template for a state-of-the-art action movie back in 1991.
For that reason, long time fans will be thrilled to learn that Cameron is again back onboard the franchise this time around with “Terminator: Dark Fate”, although in a “story by” role rather than as a screenwriter or director. It is also worth noting that Cameron (and his long list of co-writers) wisely decided to have the movie be a direct sequel to “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” and disregards anything that happened in subsequent sequels. Considering the first two “Terminator” movies were easily the best of the bunch, this strategy initially bodes well for “Terminator: Dark Fate”s potential as well.
In fact, the movie could be accused of cribbing from those first two movies to a fault, and the story will feel familiar to long-time fans. Again we have two characters arriving in present day (actually 2020) from the future- one a human named Grace (MacKenzie Davis) sent to protect the supposed mother (Natalia Reyes) of a future rebellion leader, and the other, a seemingly unstoppable “Rev-9” machine determined to extinguish this threat. The movie also has Arnold Schwarzenegger returning as a T-800 Terminator who has gotten in touch with his softer side, and becomes an ally to Sarah Connor and the human resistance in a way that is very reminiscent of his character’s about-face in “Terminator 2: Judgement Day”.
Fortunately there are plenty of new touches as well. Gabriel Luna’s Rev-9 Terminator does feature a liquid metal design that is immediately reminiscent of Robert Patrick ’s T-1000 in “Terminator 2: Judgement Day”. However, he is also able to divorce this liquid figure from its internal metal skeleton, leaving both figures as fully functional entities and effectively creating two terminators for the price of one.
The movie also has plenty of clever moments too, and is frequently very funny. Linda Hamilton’s tough as nails demeanor here is one of the best things in the movie, and she punctuates her character Sarah Connor’s dramatic introduction scene by adopting Arnold’s catchphrase, “I’ll be back”. Best of all, there’s the kinder, gentler version of Schwarzenegger’s T-800 series Terminator being discovered in rural Texas living a domesticated life and informs the group that he now goes by the name of “Carl” and is making a living as a drapery maker.
The movie also features some pretty spectacular fight scenes, the most memorable occurring on a plummeting airplane that results in a zero gravity fight to save humanity. Another dramatic scene takes place at a border patrol holding facility in Texas that also hints at a larger theme on our current political environment but actually fails to deliver much more than exciting pyrotechnics.
For that reason, the movie is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, the filmmakers’ desire to bring “The Terminator” series back to basics and get in touch with the franchises’ origins is certainly admirable. This effort is rewarded with a frequently exciting and satisfying movie that does succeed at capturing the magic that the first two movies had. However, at the same time, this desire often manifests itself in a movie that, other than the changing the film’s time period, doesn’t move the story forward very much, and tends to be more an imitation of the original movies rather than an fresh extension of “The Terminator” universe.
The good news is the movie is certainly an improvement over the last three sequels in the franchise, and will certainly appeal most to those die-hard fans who were hoping that this new installment would be able to recreate the appeal of the original movies. Anyone looking for a more original entry in “The Terminator” legacy, however, may find themselves waiting until the next eventual sequel arrives.
Rated R.