Movie Review: "Terminator: Dark Fate" (2019)
There may not be a more complex and complicated franchise in the history of cinema than the Terminator series. I can distinctly recall, as a five-year-old in 1984, hearing my parents talk about how impressed they were with The Terminator. I wasn’t allowed to see it until I was a bit older, and it took my breath away. It still has the power to do so to this day. It’s a nearly perfect film on par with The Thing, Dawn of the Dead, and The Godfather Part 2. In 1991, James Cameron gave us Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and the medium of film itself would never be the same- the special effects, the action, the violence, the music, the performances combined to make it one of a handful of truly transformative movies ever made.
Since then, however, the franchise has steadily declined. I don’t hate Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, but it’s still a heavily flawed film. The rest of the bunch have their minor moments, but they just haven’t aged that well. They’re also highly derivative. So, how do you solve that issue?
The answer is simple: bring back James Cameron (in an Executive Producer/Writer role) and Linda Hamilton and approach this new film as if Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator Salvation, and Terminator Genisys never existed. It’s not a bad plan. The excitement garnered by the return of Cameron and Hamilton was palpable, and that “these sequels never happened” formula is becoming more and more common. People don’t ultimately care about canon as long as they’re entertained and the continuity feels legit.
In the case of Terminator: Dark Fate, the continuity is legit and the entertainment is, too. It’s also nothing new, but as long as you don’t get too hung up on that you’ll have a damn good time.
Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes; Running With the Devil) is no one important. She works with her brother in an automotive assembly plant in Mexico City. Her life is peaceful and mundane until a badass Terminator shows up and tries to kill her. She’s saved by Grace (Mackenzie Davis; Blade Runner 2049) , an “enhanced” human with cyborg-like abilities like superhuman speed, strength, and toughness. Before you can say “Why me?”, her brother and father are both dead at the hands of the devastating nano-metal hybrid Rev-9 Terminator and they’re joined by aging Terminator hunter Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton; The Terminator, T2). The trio hit the road to get some distance from the unstoppable machine and make their way to the mysterious coordinates tattooed on Grace’s stomach (which also lead to the mysterious benefactor who’s been telling Sarah where to find Terminators to kill for the last couple of decades). Their destination leads them to “Carl” (Arnold Schwarzenegger; The Terminator, T2, Conan the Barbarian), an aging Terminator living as a loving husband and father in a cabin in the woods. They must protect Dani at all costs so the fate that Sarah stopped in 1997 doesn’t come to pass in another form (or, at least, get any worse).
The beauty of Terminator: Dark Fate is also the same thing that the cynics will hate it for, and their criticism will be warranted. I suppose that may sound contradictory and perplexing, but this is the Terminator, after all…what else would you expect?
Though it’s billed as THE sequel to Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Terminator: Dark Fate is a reboot in the vein of Halloween or Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Don’t write it off because of that, but don’t expect a highly original trip into new territory. The first hour of the movie feels like T2 with an utterly badass explosion of vehicle chase madness and bleak future horror. It is derivative but in a forgivable way.
The new entry in the series shines in unexpected ways, though. First, the opening five minutes resets the timeline and explains the continuity with a clear narrative in a scene that is seriously dark (and also a marvel of modern VFX work). Some fans will be pissed at the briefness of John Connor’s “return”, but it does what it’s supposed to do in appropriately shocking fashion. I applaud them for the decision. You’ll see what I mean; this is one that no one should spoil for you. Damn them if they do.
Secondly, the character development is the best of the series. Sarah is a haunted beast, equally parts frail and indestructible. Mackenzie Davis is a real physical force, an updated pairing for Hamilton that works like peanut butter and jelly; she’s essentially Sarah Connor on steroids. The real clincher is the aging and moral development of Schwarzenegger’s “Carl” character. He’s not the same T-800 from the previous films, but in many ways he may as well be. The concept of what happens to a Terminator once it has no mission to fulfill is intriguing stuff. The comedic side of the character doesn’t always work, but there are still some pretty solid bits that will surprise you (and some that will make you groan). It’s a mixed bag in that regard, but Arnold turns in a great performance.
The design and mechanics of the Rev-9 Terminator (Gabriel Luna; Agents of Shield) are flat-out sick. He’s liquid metal, yes, but he’s also nano-tech. The nano part separates from the metal endoskeleton to create two enemies from one (which leads to some intense fight scenes). It’s gorgeous work. He does play the part in very Robert Patrick fashion, right down to the knife-hand style of running. Call it an homage.
The fight scenes are CGI-heavy and a bit overdone, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some fantastically unbelievable moments. It’s pure action madness. There’s an extended battle between the involved parties in two planes that ends at a massive dam that’s sure to be the butt of a few jokes, but I’ll be damned if it’s not a shitload of fun. Action doesn’t always have to be grounded, though that may have helped in this case. What you’re left with is something that you just have to roll with and choose to enjoy.
The “Girl Power” dynamic is in full effect here, and I think it’s a stronger film for it. It’s a bit on the heavy-handed side, but that’s to be expected in Hollywood. Subtlety is a dying art, after all. Besides, the whole series has been about protecting the mother of salvation, so this new tweak to the dynamic works quite well. It doesn’t hurt that all these women are straight bosses of the highest order.
It’s worth realizing that Terminator: Dark Fate is a bit of a case of “you get what you pay for”. While the ensuing sequels were certainly derivative, some of them (like T3) tried to be original and were panned hard for it. What director Tim Miller (Deadpool) has given us is a collaboration with the big names of the first 2 legendary films that seeks to feel like a true sequel. In that respect, it totally succeeds. No, it’s not shockingly original, but it’ll damn sure scratch that itch while giving us some new characters to pull for and a true return to form for Linda Hamilton in her greatest role.
How can you really complain about that?
