Terminator: Dark Fate

When thinking about franchises that be adopted the phrase "beating a dead horse", one that fits this description the most is Terminator. James Cameron, who helmed the first two amazing classic films from 1982 and 1992, never intended for it a full on series and left it to move onto other projects. Starting with Rise of the Machines, the rights have been pushed back and forth among other studios where not only was the creative spark heavily diminished but the financial tolls were rather punishing as a result. These post-Terminator 2 sequels were so problematic in their quality to the point where James Cameron distanced himself from them (considering each of those films separate alternate timelines). This brings us to the third attempt at a Terminator 3 (Salvation doesn't count in the bunch) with Cameron returning to produce, Deadpool director Tim Miller at the helm, and veteran actors of the franchise Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The marketing campaign didn't inspire much confidence due to the strains of wearing down audiences from past years of mediocrity. I went into the auditorium with low expectations and left it feeling null as well as bored by the experience.

What's it about? Taking place directly after Terminator 2, the arrival of a threat from a new apocalyptic future unites a hardened old heroine and a mysterious soldier to protect a new savior. This is basically the equivalent of dipping the scripting hand into the plot recycling bin that ends up pulling out the skeleton of the first two movies with a pinch of Alien 3 thrown right away. Now that might not be much of an issue since what matters most is not the story you tell but how it’s told. There are moments where sparks of a good spinoff focusing on a returning character that could have been an interesting retrospective film. There are some genuine moments of humor and a standout action sequence that aid in making this competently watchable as possible.

Unfortunately what could have been good on paper is unfortunately is botched by how rushed the execution of its characters and the narrative. The opening minutes are going to be divisive for fans of the first two films not only due a decision akin to Alien 3 but what we would end up getting as a result. It’s apparent in the first act the intent on delivering an overdose of overproduced action to compensate for the writing problems, which become tedious as it approaches ludicrous levels. In between the bombastic guns and thrills, any potential for nice interaction moments is squandered by the bland dialogue given to the mostly talented cast. Attempts at humor are hit or miss based on the delivery from the actors, and which is also attributed to the direction.

How are the returning actors? If there’s a positive light that should be praised, it’s the return of previous cast members Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzeneggers. Hamilton is the MVP of the crew for slipping back into her iconic role like a glove and is given a few contemplative moments that reminds many about why the emotional investment in her was earned. The downside is an actress of her talents deserves a better script than what she was given, which shows in plenty of lines feeling forced and out of character. As for Arnold, despite being featured quite a bit during the marketing, he's not in it a lot (primarily the third act) but he's used well enough before some of his humor can get stale.

How are the newcomers? As for our newest additions, it's a mixed bag when it comes to Mackenzie Davis and Natalia Reyes in terms of script and execution. The former specializes in handling solid physical acting when handling combat but the writing for her protector role is rushed in parts where her being mad at Sarah Connor in the beginning isn't explained well. However, the weakest link among the cast is easily Natalia since she ends up becoming a bland forgettable character and isn't a convincing actress in this part. She also highlights a weakness with having Tim Miller as director as it appears he got away with the directing in Deadpool because the cast were talented enough to not need a lot of direction, which isn't the case here. What makes it worse is that a narrative event in the opening was made so that this plot centered on Natalia's character can happen, which is as stale and boring as she is. A mixed honorable mention goes to Gabriel Luna for having a decent intimidating look as a Terminator but is a waste of the talented actors time (speaking from experience after watching him Agents of Shield).

Overall Consensus: Terminator: Dark Fate is a stale tedious sequel that's hindered by recycled predictable storytelling, a flawed script, and a reliance on overproduced sequences, though it has some nice acting and a few decent moments. ⭑⭑1/4💻 Runtime: 2 hours 8 minutes R

Reasons to watch it: You are a fan of Linda Hamilton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mackenzie Davis, or Gabriel Luna. You aren't tired of this series. You don't mind mindless empty popcorn flicks with surplus of set pieces.

Reasons to avoid it: You aren't a fan of the aforementioned actors. You are tired of this series and just wanna stick with the first 2 entires. You are bored mindless empty popcorn flicks with surplus of set pieces.