Movie Review - Terminator: Dark Fate
All things considered, I'd say Terminator: Dark Fate is a worthy successor to the 1991 Terminator 2. After 28 years, 3 other Terminator movies -- plus a TV show -- it's hard to think of Dark Fate as the 3rd movie in a trilogy, but that's where it belongs.
Dark Fate had the potential to be an A, even A+ movie. The bones are there, but the flesh has a few too many blemishes. However, I think it earned a good B+ grade.
The action scenes won't disappoint; they come early and often, and really pack a punch. If anything, there was too much action early, because by the end it feels a little anticlimactic.
Hands down, the best thing about this movie is Mackenzie Davis as Grace. She steals every scene she's in -- which is most of the movie. Her action scenes are creative, and she has the physique to make her character believable.
Kudos to the writers for giving Sarah Connor's character a great return. Her character arc from the end of T2 to now works, and Linda Hamilton rocks the gritty, sarcastic attitude of her aged character.
My single biggest complaint is that the new character of Dani Ramos has some problems. After seeing the movie with my wife and mother, we all agreed she was the weak link. Upon further consideration, I don't think it's the actress's (Natalia Reyes) fault. The writing for her character was caught in a conflict that just wasn't going to work well. I'll get to that in more depth below in the spoilers section.
Grade: B+
A second take from Rob Williams
I went into this film with mixed feelings. The original landed in the mid 80s with barely a ripple. A relatively small budget film by a new director, with not a well known cast. But it took off.
The early 90s saw T2 launched with a lot of ballyhoo and fuss -- and it worked! The new cinematic technology really helped drive the story -- apparently James Cameron was considering using a claymation technique for the T-1000. (Can you imagine Arnie vs Wallace and Gromit?)
The current millennium's offerings seemed to be less successful, maybe due to the absence of James Cameron. Who knows, but personally, I wasn't sold on the third installment, and still haven't seen the fourth and fifth ones!
Then the latest episode was announced. Cameron is writing and producing. Arnie is back. As is Linda Hamilton. (Maybe it's because we're a similar age, but I think she still looks stunning!).
There are some new faces to keep things fresh. Gabriel Luna is easily a match for Robert Patrick as a soulless automaton. The big problem was always going to be: does it work? James Cameron said it was the rightful third episode and the others could be ignored...so will it slot into the world created in the first two films?
The answer is a resounding "Yes!" Not only does it fit in, but it does so very smoothly. It is a matter of a few minutes worth of exposition, and you can sit back and enjoy the new story without worrying about loose ends.
And what a story it is! It rattles along at a fair old clip pretty much from the first few frames. There are slower sections where characters new and old are explored, their relationships examined, with even a few laughs, but this is undoubtedly an action movie! Fights, chases, explosions, all over the place.
In short, a well thought out and executed thrill ride.
Rob's grade: A
Rated (R) for violence throughout, language and brief nudity
Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
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