RECENT WATCHES: Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

History repeats itself. In 2009, the “Terminator” franchise was revived with eyes towards creating a trilogy of films. The film failed to attract enough of a significant audience, being declared a box office failure. Despite this, in 2015, the “Terminator” franchise was revived again with eyes, once more, towards creating a new trilogy of films. This reboot also failed to attract enough ticket-buyers and did not launch a new expansion of the franchise. A mere three years later, another attempt has been made to reboot this time traveling killer robot saga. And, yes, “Terminator: Dark Fate” has also been a box office failure. It's almost as if the public isn't interested in a reboot of the “Terminator” franchise.

So why the hell did the Hollywood deal brokers and money men decide the world demanded a new “Terminator” film, despite all evidence pointing to the contrary? James Cameron regained the rights to the series in 2016. This prompted a desire to – as has become trendy – make a new sequel that would ignore the later films and instead focus on following up the originals people actually liked. “Dark Fate” was intended to be the real “Terminator 3.” Cameron would have a hand in writing the film, with “Deadpool” director and supposed “Terminator” super-fan Tim Miller directing. But you knew that already. Let's see if “Dark Fate” is the return to form some fans seem to think it is.

Yes, “Rise of the Machines,” “Salvation,” and “Genisys” have all been tossed in the trash. The year is 2019 and Judgment Day has never arrived. Mexican day laborer Dani Ramos goes about her life with her father and brother. That's when two figures appear from the future. The first is a human solider named Grace, whose body has been augmented with futuristic technology. The second is a new Terminator, a shapeshifter determined to exterminate Dani. Yet Dani and Grace, woefully unprepared to handle the present, is not alone. Soon, Sarah Connors – years after John was murdered by another rogue Terminator – arrives to assist the girl. “Carl,” a pacified T-800, also joins the battle against the unstoppable Rev-9.

“Dark Fate” endeavors to replicate the extended chase scene plotting of the original “Terminator.” Once the shape-shifting kill-bot arrives, our heroes rarely stop moving. The scenes of peace, such as Sarah getting to know our new heroes in a hotel room or Dani and the gang hanging out at “Carl's” house, are short stop-overs on an endless race towards the next action sequence. The pacing is almost always up-hill but the execution lacks the grim tension of Cameron's original. The result is a noisy experience that wares the audience down, instead of exciting or thrilling them.

In fact, there's almost nothing interesting about “Dark Fate's” story at all. The sequel presents a number of time travel shenanigans. SkyNet has been destroyed but the murderous robot filled future is still unavoidable, another entity called LEGION arising to bring ti about. Apparently, new Terminators have been arriving from never-to-be-fulfilled futures on a regular basis over the years. Instead of exploring the possibilities of this, of splintering time lines and alternate futures, “Dark Fate” just casually explains its set-up and starts running. What LEGION is or where it comes from is never expounded on. Say what you will about “Terminator Genisys,” an incredibly goofy motion picture that made absolute mince meat of the series' established lore, but at least it was ambitious. “Dark Fate” is satisfied to set up a totally new apocalypse that just happens to look and act exactly like all the previous apocalypses we've seen in this series.

In form and function, “Dark Fate” is basically a remake of the original “Terminator.” The familiar beats of a heroine and a futuristic protector running from a Terminator all appear. This lack of creativity is evident in the film's latest evil Terminator. It's absolutely gulling to me that it's been twenty-eight years since “Terminator 2” and nobody has been able to think of a better idea for a killer robot than the liquid metal T-1000. What gimmick differentiates the Rev-9 from all past Terminators? He has a robotic skeleton, like Arnold's original, that can separate from a nano-tech “skin,” both able to function as separate entities. Essentially, the Rev-9 is just a lazy mash-up of the first two Terminators. He attacks with guns or stabbing CGI tentacles, both of which are very boring. Surely, a person as creative and inventive as James Cameron could've come up with something cooler than
this? But I doubt Jim had as much input on the script as has been advertised.

“Deadpool” certainly suggested Tim Miller was capable of constructing a creative action scene. The dude is a former animator, after all, and brought that cartoon energy to the superhero film. Perhaps I gave him too much credit with that one though. Because the action direction in “Dark Fate” is weirdly terrible. The combat scenes are frequently a blur of CGI destruction. There's lots of slow-mo, of bodies being tossed through the air or dodging bullets, but it all feels totally weightless. Though the R-rating was much hyped, there's certainly nothing memorable or especially brutal about the violence here. In the second half, “Dark Fate” becomes totally incoherent. A long fight scene takes place in blurry water. A battle above a dropping airship is difficult to follow. There's more CGI mangling and indistinct destruction during the climax, which never seems to end. There's certainly nothing here to rival the police station massacre in the original or the aqueduct chase in “T2.”

So what is there to like about “Dark Fate?” Well, the cast is pretty good. Mackenzie Davis proves to be a surprisingly effective action hero. Though CGI effects allow Davis to perform all sorts of superhuman heroics, her performance is largely characterized by vulnerability. Grace has weaknesses too, her superpowers-granting battery running low quickly. This allows Davis to bring a great deal of humanity to the role. There's even a sweetness at times, as she attempts to bond with Dani. Natalia Reyes is also decent as Dani, even if the character's transformation into a solider is never believable. (Which has more to do with the script than Reyes.)

And, of course, there's always Arnold Schwarzenegger. Much like in “Genisys,” Schwarzenegger appears here as an aging Terminator that has integrated into human society. This time, “Carl” has become rather human in his personality, even marrying a woman and providing for a step-son. Naturally, any scene of Arnold playing the Terminator as a deadpan Dad figure is absolutely delightful. This, unsurprisingly, proves to be the highlight of “Dark Fate.” Linda Hamilton returns to Sarah Connor as a woman practically broken, who survives only for revenge at this point. Sarah's character arc, of learning to live for something actually breathing, is never especially earned. However, watching Hamilton be a grizzled bad-ass, casually deploying a bazooka or grenades, is deeply entertaining.

There's a half-assed attempt at social commentary here. The heroine is Mexican, the Terminator disguises himself as an immigration officer, and crossing the border factors into the plot. But it's hard to care too much about that when the plot is uninteresting and the action is deeply uninvolving. “Dark Fate” is the first “Terminator” movie to be a full-blown bomb, as “Salvation” and “Genisys” at least broke even. Yet I suspect the “Terminator” brand is destined to be back. (Though probably not as a streaming series or something and not a big budget movie.) Producers clearly believe this franchise has too much name recognition to let rest forever. So it looks like we'll be haunted by mediocre “Terminator” spin-offs until Judgment Day finally arrives for real. [5/10]