TERMINATOR: DARK FATE Spoiler-Free Review; "A Bold Step Forward For The Franchise"

TERMINATOR: DARK FATE Spoiler-Free Review; "A Bold Step Forward For The Franchise"

The past three Terminator movies left fans wanting to pull the plug on the franchise, so is Terminator: Dark Fate a step in the right direction? Find our spoiler-free review of the film after the jump...

Review Opinion
By JoshWilding - Oct 23, 2019 06:10 AM EST
Filed Under: Terminator
The last three Terminator movies have...not been great. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines was a terrible early 2000s action movie that tried to replicate the success the genre found in previous decades, and while Terminator: Salvation had its moments, the execution was flawed. The less said about the oddly named Terminator Genisys, the better. Despite all of that, the franchise continues with Terminator: Dark Fate, a back to basics effort which might be a tad too basic, but still the best Terminator movie of the 2000s and a step in the right direction for the previously tired property.

The sequel to Terminator 2: Judgement Day is admittedly a mostly by the numbers affair, sticking to what fans loved about the first two instalments rather than presenting much in the way of bold or exciting new ideas. Is that really such a bad thing? Yes and no, but when there are a lot of very good reasons why those first two efforts are considered classics, it's easy to see why Tim Miller decided to deliver a familiar cat and mouse tale. The story really isn't the strongest (no great surprise when five people are credited for the that and a further three for the screenplay), but it is a highly enjoyable and action-packed romp which you'll soon lose yourself in over the two hours. In fact, by the time the credits roll, you'll be so invested in this new iteration of the franchise that you'll definitely be left wanting more.

Ultimately, Terminator: Dark Fate would have benefited from presenting a stronger story rather than finding ways to repeat the past (Skynet has been replaced by the equally villainous Legion), but when it's this much fun, that's easy to forgive and it's entertaining enough in its own right to feel like more than a totally unnecessary retread. 

Miller puts his VFX past to good use here and he clearly wasn't just a flash in the pan with Deadpool. While there are a few too many instances of it being quite obvious that a real human is being replaced by a CGI model, the choreography is superb and Terminator: Dark Fate boasts some of the best actions scenes of any 2019 movie. There are thrilling set pieces aplenty, and given how threatening the new Rev-9 Terminator feels, you'll definitely be left on the edge of your seat throughout. 

It's clear that the future of the franchise is female, and that's no bad thing thanks to a great performance from the returning Linda Hamilton and an extremely likeable new lead in Natalia Reyes (who definitely has the potential to be both a huge star and the woman who a new series of Terminator movies revolve around). Sarah Connor remains one of the most iconic and beloved female action movie leads to this day, and given how fantastic Hamilton is here, it's shocking that it took this long to bring her back. Mackenzie Davis does a fine job as Grace, a human/machine hybrid tasked with protecting Reyes' Dani. While her past is touched on, it would have been nice if the character had a few more complexities, particularly in regards to exploring what she's become. Gabriel Luna's Rev-9 is a ferocious badass, and while whoever plays a Terminator is never going to get the chance to display a wide range of emotions, he brings a surprising amount to the role and is every bit as frightening as Robert Patrick's T-1000. 

Now, we have to talk about Arnold Schwarzenegger. He is indeed back, and, for the most part, comedic relief. The movie features quite a few one-liners that fall flat, but Arnie is the exception and an extremely entertaining and endearing addition to proceedings, even if, like the premise itself, his inclusion feels somewhat forced. Still, fans of the original movies will walk away very happy.

Hitting Ctrl-Alt-Delete on the past three movies was the right move, and despite a familiar premise and story, the female-focused Terminator: Dark Fate is a bold step forward for the franchise and one of 2019's best action movies. 

IF
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BigMikeReviews
BigMikeReviews - 10/23/2019, 7:09 AM
Too little too late for the general audience I'm thinking, this is probably going to bomb domestically but do well internationally
Philvis
Philvis - 10/23/2019, 7:41 AM
@BigMikeReviews - People just aren't interested anymore. I don't think Linda Hamilton will save this franchise, as Arnie clearly didn't with his inclusion in the last film. Once again Hollywood refuses to actually come up with something original, and instead tries to rehash successful products from the past.
SuperCat
SuperCat - 10/23/2019, 7:35 AM
"A Bold Step Forward For The Franchise"

No thanks.

MyCoolYoung
MyCoolYoung - 10/23/2019, 7:40 AM
@SuperCat - well that's still a bold step of sorts lol
SuperCat
SuperCat - 10/23/2019, 7:41 AM
@MyCoolYoung - LOL. Yep!
MrDandy
MrDandy - 10/23/2019, 7:40 AM
Really starting to look forward to this one!
SpideyPuffsMJ
SpideyPuffsMJ - 10/23/2019, 7:45 AM
Is it all really WORTH it? Instead of just passing on your Terminator movies to your kids and letting them experience them for the first time, we have to soft-remake movies in present-day now, kill our beloved old favorites in favor of replacing them with a younger, yet identical plot device-character? All to get a movie with the same story as the classic, that ends up serviceable but just not as shitty as every other attempt so far? That's a win nowadays? This can be asked about for a few recent movies. I hope this one is awesome for the fans sake, I don't really care about this franchise in particular, but this new model of reviving franchises just seems so tired before it's even really caught on.
BillyBatson1000
BillyBatson1000 - 10/23/2019, 7:55 AM
Too many times to the well for me. At best, it just sounds like another rehash. And Arnie looks worn out - long in the tooth. If he still has teeth? "Gum with me if you want to live."
GhostDog
GhostDog - 10/23/2019, 8:14 AM
Sounds like a bold step BACKWARD if its just a rehash. It sounds like a fun watch at home, on the comfort of my couch, but not worth paying for.

Getting back to basics in some aspects is fine, but there should still be room to breath something new into the mix or look at the original concept through a fresh prism. Reminds of TFA. Then you look at something like Creed where its basically the same plot as Rocky but the premise is viewed not as a commercial advantage but as an artistic challenge.
knocturnalzen10
knocturnalzen10 - 10/23/2019, 8:42 AM
@BlackBeltJones - Creed felt so fresh while including Rocky and seeing 2 different chapters in the characters lives
GhostDog
GhostDog - 10/23/2019, 9:13 AM
@knocturnalzen10 - yessir.

I like a Terminator film that goes back to basics in the sense that its a big chase thriller of a film like the original. That as a template to build a story upon works for this franchise. But the finer details plot and character wise, they can try something different here and there.
knocturnalzen10
knocturnalzen10 - 10/23/2019, 10:01 AM
@BlackBeltJones - yea terminator went off the tracks .... but i loved the original concept even tho it was a loop
JizzerTron
JizzerTron - 10/23/2019, 8:19 AM
Now if they can only save the Aliens, Predator and Robocop franchises like this one. Also, I wouldn't mind a Terminator prequel depicting how Skynet gained self awareness and John Conner leading the resistance efforts leading up to Terminator 1.
Thing94
Thing94 - 10/23/2019, 8:19 AM
I might see an early weekend show for like $6
AnthonyVonGeek
AnthonyVonGeek - 10/23/2019, 8:38 AM
They should have done something new like sent the terminator back to the 1920s or 1930s to kill Sarah’s grand parents or even sent it to the 1800s and went after her great grandparents. This modern and future stuff has been done to death.
SpideyPuffsMJ
SpideyPuffsMJ - 10/23/2019, 8:40 AM
**SPOILERS**
**SPOILERS**
**SPOILERS**

Gabriel Luna is just a decoy villain who pulls the curtain revealing the real villain of this movie to be Chief Master Sergeant William Candy!!
mgeoff88
mgeoff88 - 10/23/2019, 8:44 AM
T2 is in my Top 5 when it comes to my favorite movies of all time. I watched the movie so much when I was a kid, my VCR ate the tape. To my surprise, my mom had told me that T2 was actually a sequel, so she ended up getting The Terminator for me. I loved the movie, but not as much as T2.

Needless to say, I was a big fan of the franchise. After T3, I lost interest in the franchise going forward. To this day, I still haven’t watched Salvation in its entirety. I didn’t even bother with Genisys, unless you count watching the scene with the good Terminator fighting the bad Terminator from T1 on YouTube.

Dark Fate has actually recaptured my interest in the franchise, which I haven’t said about a Terminator movie in a very long time.
MrSocko
MrSocko - 10/23/2019, 8:55 AM
So... it’s actually a GOOD movie??

HeavyMetal4Life
HeavyMetal4Life - 10/23/2019, 8:59 AM
Can't wait, hype building!

BobbyCalifornia
BobbyCalifornia - 10/23/2019, 9:54 AM
If this were a DC movie you better believe that all we would read about on this site is the rotten tomatoes score. This review is just following the studio talking points. It's a trash movie that is not really any better than T3. This site has zero credibility.
Mistembrubrius
Mistembrubrius - 10/24/2019, 7:50 AM
Still waiting for Aliens vs. Predator vs. Terminator vs. Robocop. AvP on some other planet and for a reason never explained they both come to earth. Then Arnie is fighting Murphy but its a draw. Then Arnie leads terminators while Murphy leads ED-209s. As their armies fight the xenomorphs and predators arrive. 4 player battle ensues. Only the fans win if done correctly. so obviously Michael Bay has to direct. Actually they should get one action direct to direct each different army.
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