Viewed – 30 October 2019. Cinema
I genuinely don’t think there’s ever been a truly bad Terminator movie. I’m also happy to say that whilst this doesn’t break the mould, it doesn’t ruin that tradition either. A bad-ass female resistance soldier travels back in time from a ‘war against the machines’ future to protect a young Mexican woman who is the target of a new Terminator that may just be the deadliest yet. Lucky for them there is help from Sarah Conner (Linda Hamilton).
James Cameron, producer and series creator has said this is the true follow up to T2 and ignores the other sequels. It certainly feels closer to his vision than any other and the inclusion of Hamilton’s Sarah Conner cannot be underestimated. However as it turns out she’s mostly here to link movies, and a jarring plot twist early on basically makes her involvement pointless. Natalia Reyes as Dani, the Terminator’s target is a little bland also. The saving grace then, ironically is Mackenzie Davis as Grace, the cybernetically-enhanced resistance soldier who proves this movie’s most compelling aspect.
Action is decent, the CGI impressive (if at times over done) and the pace relentless (occasionally to the movie’s detriment) but this concept has always been exciting and it’s no different here. Arnie turns up after a while and proves a real scene-stealer. Yet unlike the masterpiece that was T2 there’s little wow-factor here, and the sense of a franchise finally being milked dry. But for seasoned fans like myself, this still entertained.
Verdict: 3 /5
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