Terminator's Dark Fate?

10.31.2019 – There are so many things to take in when considering taking an optimistic precaution viewing a film that failed so many times. With Terminator: Dark Fate it was something to take a lot of caution having been failed to recapture the essence of what a badass film Terminator 2: Judgement Day was in the 1990s. But this time around it is different; well a lot of people say that all the time if presenting a sequel that has been trying to bring itself to be a better version of the previous is going to be difficult. This is such the case of the Terminator franchise in which considered one of the films that defined Arnold’s career in the action genre. It put Linda Hamilton at the forefront as one of the OG badass women next to Ripley’s Aliens. It also defined James Cameron’s career as a director to his succeeding films. It was ahead of its time when Judgement Day followed up the ‘indie film’ cyborg slasher flick ‘The Terminator.’ When I was young I only saw the original Terminator on home media renting it on Betamax or VHS. But T2 Judgement Day cemented the franchise to new heights with ‘The Terminator’ becoming the protector to John Connor and father figure that he never had. It was also Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor in the spotlight as a badass single mom with a shotgun fighting a T-1000. It was action as you get and after that three Terminator films followed that never had the same energy as the two previous films.

Terminator: Dark Fate goes backs to its roots and changes the game again with new faces and Linda Hamilton coming back set in the original timeline. It was retro-action with modern aesthetics like giving your old Volkswagen Beetle with a V8 Engine and changing its look to suit this generation. But at the same time, there was this caution that might fail and it might be doomed for the franchise if it happened.

She’s Really Back

In all the Terminator films it was always Sarah Connor in the spotlight and not the Terminator as the star of these films. It started with her and Linda Hamilton was that actress that made this franchise something to look forward to and of course James Cameron himself who wrote along with six other writers in the writing room to produce this was also back trying to make this franchise course-correct itself.

There’s nothing like The Terminators and there’s no one like Linda Hamilton with all due respect to Emilia Clark’s portrayal in Genisys. It was always Hamilton that defined Sara Connor’s character. Besides that the other two new faces in the film in Natalia Reyes as Dani Ramos and the scene-stealing augment named Grace portrayed by Mackenzie Davis was something fresh to look forward to with this installment.

Carl’s Draperies

Of course, a Terminator film without Arnold Arnold Schwarzenegger is no Terminator, but this characterization was something new and dynamic that it takes back to the T2 version. A Terminator that has grown consciousness was something hilarious when you look at it after its mission was fulfilled.

This Terminator self-learns and became part of the human community getting married and taking care of his foster son is definitely different at the same time going back to what Arnold can do as an actor and the face of a Terminator. Sure, he can’t pronounce the word ‘Avatar’ properly but ‘Carl’ certainly does find his spotlight in becoming part of the team in a subtle way Arnie’s funny.

Bleak Dark Fate

But all of this is not enough to make this film globally accepted. The past films in the franchise might have worn out that it is showing its fatigue on the same template it follows. Although it had thrown caution in the wind it might be the best Terminator film in the last three that were shown.

At the same time, it also gives a bit of closure if all things failed in the box office that Cameron had written and Tim Miller gave his best as the director’s chair. He did make Deadpool a global hit, but the Terminator is a different kind of animal and its moving parts are not what they may seem to be. But when you look at the three films and a TV show that spin-off from this was ignored for Dark Fate you can definitely sure it is made as a closure or a preview of what it can be.

Overall when you look at it in its entirety the Terminator franchise looks tired as it shows its age the way they made Arnold’s Terminator look old. But this iteration works for the story why it was so good and like catching a bus it’s kind of too late to save this one. But as a casual fan, I’m not worried the franchise might fail at the box office and surely it will just take a break from sending hunting killer robots in the past and might turn up in a different form.

If you’re still unsure about it throw away all your caution and just see it. There’s nothing like seeing old faces meet the new ones to take the franchise to the next stage. Sure, Gabriel Luna’s Rev9 made both T-1000 and the Terminatrix obsolete. But there’s nothing like the old T-800 on your side. It might also forebode to have a title slapped to it with “Dark Fate” a play on words for the franchise.

Catch it in cinemas when you can or be Terminated.

Terminator: Dark Fate is already playing in cinemas all over the world since the 30th of October 2019, from 20th Century Fox Philippines.

Its also showing in Australia & New Zealand also on the 1st of November 2019 distributed by Village Roadshow Australia & New Zeland.

RATED: B+

NOTE: This film was screened publicly at Greenbelt 1 Cinema in the City of Makati, Metro Manila. This is reviewed with a personal opinion without spoilers not for you to agree or disagree about the views written by the author but to gain insight on his perspective about the film.