| 10.31.2019 – The Terminator franchise has endured the good, bad, and the ugly through it all fans continue to look forward into the future of the franchise. In the early films, there is one constant reason why this movie has been around because of the elements that make this one of the iconic movie franchises in the 20th century that continue to evolve, expands, and tries things differently.
The other consistent part that makes a Terminator franchise is it follows a template, which is something from the future is sent to hunt someone down and then there’s another one sent back to protect it. The key to all of this narrative is about John Connor, the revolutionary leader that would change the fate of humanity. There’s so much mystery to the future and what is deemed the savior of the human race. Time and time the Terminator franchise plays out on the concept about the future of John Connor and sometimes it is that reason why this plays out that gives different opinions and discussions why humanity has to place their fate on one man they hardly knew in the present and for that reason it was an endless cycle of Terminators to deal with this man and for this once the franchise goes back to its roots why this endured long enough to still keep coming back and it isn’t John Connor… |
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! If you have not seen “Terminator: Dark Fate”, please avoid reading this review. If you’ve seen it or want to be spoiled then continue.
Terminator: Dark Fate still has the same template that makes a franchise keeps producing these films. Send another Terminator in the future to hunt down what could be humanity’s last hope and from that same future, another individual is also sent to protect it. A typical plot point that has played out from the very first film and mostly it is centered on the story of John Connor.
But what if a Terminator was sent again to change that future for the human race, and succeeded in taking down humanity’s only hope? The future becomes uncertain and as it played out with Judgement Day avoiding that catastrophe that future also uncertain. Then again Terminator films still stick to that template, but this time around it changes further making complicated narratives because it's also entertaining.
Dark Fate is the direct sequel to “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” it avoids all the previous three films and a TV Series (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator Salvation, Terminator Genesys, and this also include the TV Series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) that came before it that has always played about the future of John Connor.
At the opening of the scene going back to 1997, a de-aged Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor witness humanity’s hero dies at the hands of another T-800. It is not a ‘what if?’ this one really happened and it did change the future. But that future always ends up with another Terminator being sent back to hunt someone, this time around it is Daniella “Dani” Ramos a young Mexica girl who claims to be a ‘nobody.’ Originally, the first Terminator is a slasher/cyborg horror film that was dragging in suspense that immediately became an action film followed by T2 that has a lot of running.
This has A LOT of running and it dialed all the way to eleven for the action, which was one of the key signatures that make up the visual entirely of this flick. But couple with the intense ride that you can’t leave your seat was pure joy seeing the franchise going back to what it was. There were also some off the cuff concept about a Terminator ‘growing a conscience’ after fulfilling its mission.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s version of the T-800 for this film is obscurely different from past portrayal becoming a family man calling himself “Carl” who has a Draperies business. This T-800 model claims that it has corrupted mind after having successfully terminated its target earlier in the film and at the same time ‘giving Sarah hope’ that liberated him from completing his mission.
The overarching narrative changes from the start with a white knuckle ride featuring new faces and seeing familiar ones doesn’t improve what the template of this film it was Linda Hamilton’s portrayal of Sarah Connor that made sure this franchise reach out to what this franchise made its success. Respectfully to other actors who portrayed here, there’s no one who does it unlike Hamilton and revives her career to other future projects. Natalia Reyes as Dani Ramos being the future’s new face of humanity is not your John Connor, but she’s more than what her character is looking forward to any future sequels following this film.
Of course, Mackenzie Davis as Grace a human augment introduced in this franchise almost stole the action scenes with her performance. But Gabriel Luna’s Rev9 is something more than just a Terminator rounding up the cast making this as a new that connects with the first two Terminator films.
It is certain in James Cameron and the writing room’s hands that this film was intense at the same time have moments of humor. This might not be the best of the lot, but a serious upgrade in the narrative, style, and action that Tim Miller’s directorial for this film has delivered.
Overall “Terminator: Dark Fate” switches gears and dialing it to eleven when it comes to the action sequences. Arnie and Linda certainly a welcome to see together, and introducing Davis and Reyes with Luna was with a fresh perspective in pushing a possible sequel to this franchise. Cameron is also back and no doubt the Terminator is in good hands this time around.
Terminator: Dark Fate is now playing in cinemas across Southeast Asia including the Philippines beginning 30 October 2019 with the rest of the world HERE world from Warner Bros Pictures, and distributed by Village Roadshow in Australia.Catch it at Palace Nova Cinema at Eastend or Prospect
RATED: B+
No comments:
Post a Comment