Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

7/10

Starring

Linda Hamilton

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Mackenzie Davis

Natalia Reyes

Gabriel Luna

Directed by Tim Miller

The movie is for me amazing, I cannot understand how come people are finding it hard to get on the franchise, maybe it is because of the gap between Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and every other sequel. The sequels that follow have not been bad, but like this movie, they have not made a splash in the box office. This was meant to start a new set of Terminator movies, but due to the bad box office returns, that will not happen.

The movie is amazing to me, and I can’t understand why people are finding it hard to get into the franchise. Maybe it’s because of the gap between Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and every sequel that followed. The sequels haven’t been bad, but like this movie, they haven’t made a splash at the box office. This film was meant to start a new set of Terminator movies, but due to poor box office returns, that won’t happen.

Terminator movies share a similar background plot: In the future, humans create an A.I. that becomes advanced and sees humanity as a problem. The A.I. rises up against humans and starts killing them. In the future, a resistance forms, led by someone who becomes a threat to the A.I.’s plans. The A.I. then creates a time machine and sends a Terminator—a machine crafted in humanoid form with a skin-like cover to disguise itself as a human—to the past to kill the leader of the resistance. That’s been the underlying plot of all Terminator movies, and this one is no different. As usual, the resistance gets hold of the same time-traveling technology and sends a protector to the past to save the future leader.

If you’re like me and grew up in the ’90s, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) was the best thing ever. James Cameron made a movie that set our world on fire. After Judgment Day, the story of Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and her son John, who saved the world during those events, continued. We got Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), Terminator Salvation (2009), Terminator Genisys (2015), and even a TV series, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009). All of these explored the aftermath of Judgment Day but took different paths.

Cameron returned to the franchise and decided to ignore every movie and series that came after Judgment Day. This new Terminator movie, Dark Fate, picks up from the events of Judgment Day, and Cameron isn’t messing around. In the first three minutes of the movie, we learn that John Connor, who was the savior of mankind in Judgment Day, is no longer relevant. If you remember, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) explored a timeline where Sarah was dead and John was alone. In Judgment Day, they stopped Skynet (the name of the A.I.), but the future has now changed. The new A.I. is called Legion, and it’s following similar objectives to Skynet. The first three minutes of the movie feature powerful visual effects, including anti-aging, to drive home the point that John Connor’s story is over.

The movie begins twenty-two years after Judgment Day, and the new savior to be protected is Dani (Natalia Reyes). To kill her, the machines from the future send an advanced Terminator called the Rev-9—think of the T-1000 from Judgment Day, but much more advanced. Her protector, also from the future, is Grace (Mackenzie Davis), a cybernetically enhanced soldier. Also joining the fight are Sarah Connor and the T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger).

Chased by the Rev-9, this team must stop it before it kills Dani.

This is a fine film that fans of the franchise will enjoy, but that’s about it. It’s sad that there’s no more continuity planned. Terminator Genisys (2015) ended with so much room for more, but bad box office returns meant no sequels. I guess we’re seeing the last of Terminator for a long time.