Sarah Connor and a hybrid cyborg human must protect a young girl from a newly modified liquid Terminator from the future.
Terminator is one of the longest-running movie franchises around, ever since the first film in 1984 we have seen plenty of action and Skynet terminator models sent back in time to kill future leaders and resistance members, I won't lie though, I'm not a massive fan of the series and I haven't seen them all so this review is coming from this perspective. Terminator Dark Fate brings a lot to the table, by introducing new characters as well as using classic characters to create a combination which aims to please both new and diehard fans of the series. There is a lot of ambition here, clearly and with a very in-depth and immersive storyline, it is clear that the creators of this film aim to push the boundaries of what we should expect from the series. Onto the main question though, does this end up wanting us to be back for more or does it end up as more of a messy puddle? Here are my thoughts.
A key element of what makes this film so enjoyable is how well accommodated the filmmaker's viewers of all tastes feel, regardless of whether you are a diehard Terminator fan or not, this film does a lot to try and entertain both sets of fans alike. One of the key ways that it does this lays right at the beginning, seeing the scene from the past where we witness a deranged woman talking about Judgement day and how Sarah Connor's son is killed at the very beginning is actually really important, because it even though it may mean more for long term fans, it is still significant enough to allow audiences who aren't fans to understand and follow the storyline easily. The starting scenes are also really important to building tension and excitement right from the very beginning, with films like this we expect non stop action but it can be difficult to start a film like this off properly, by establishing a key scene and exposing us to the whole 'future judgement day' scenario from the Woman being interviewed, it is a great way of starting off the film because it helps to really allow us to immerse ourselves in the film for a simple reason, excitement. This high level of intensity and excitement allows for a great beginning to the film which feels really gripping and powerful and set.s off the film very well. I also thought that the character set felt really well fleshed out though, the additions of new characters entering through cool and exciting showdowns helps to show their importance and the influence that they have – for example when Grace and Flacco come into our timeline it feels really mysterious and chilling, because the film seems to take this as the main point and then build up the suspense surrounding these characters, seeing Flacco conversing with other characters and beginning its chase of ‘Dani’ feels really exciting because it brings a great level of intensity and speed to the film which makes it feel really exciting. All good action films are filled with fight and of course, ‘action’ scenes but this film takes that perception to another level – seeing the characters being chased at their workplace is so cool because we see various shots of Dani and her brother, and then of the Flacco going through security, speaking to them and then ultimately trying to kill them – this again adds in the raised levels of tension that the film uses by using shots to cut between the hunter and the prey which has an amazing impact because it means that chases are really exciting and actually have a meaning because the film essentially helps to immerse us in these chases and the emotional effect behind them – which makes them intense, immersive and really exciting. The addition of a new type of terminator model also helps to freshen things up for both fans and the general viewers because it really helps to exemplify the danger that the characters are in, that we consistently see the Flacco coming back to life even after suffering multiple injuries which seem impossible to come back from, and then putting that up against 1 life human being characters. What I also really like is how the terminator models are genuinely made out to be really scary, seeing how easily they beat and remove competition feels really scary, and this is multiplied when we see how unprotected and shaky ‘Dani’ is, but as well as this I just generally like how realistic and genuine the characters feel, because this makes the film feel much more immersive, exciting and just generally effective. Seeing how they speak to each other and tell stories about their life's in various locations and timelines is not only really intriguing but it also helps to add another dimension to the characters, because it gives them a purpose and a reason behind their actions – they aren’t just fighting the terminators but they are fighting to protect the human race essentially, which actually gives them an importance and definitely makes them feel much more powerful. The flashes forward also accommodate these types of scenes really well too, because we witness Grace talking about the future of the planet, only for us to actually be shown the warzones, her fighting the machines and just general life in the future, not only does this help to exemplify the emotion she shows towards how negative and bleak it is, but these scenes also help to add a cool little series of sequences into the film which uses some great CGI to really help immerse us in the culture and overall feeling of the film, as well as adding in even more danger to the terminators. In terms of the acting, I thought it was great, Mackenzie Davis did a believable portrayal as an augmented human and really provided a great performance. As well as her, Linda Hamilton and Natalia Reyes provide some great performances too, I really like how Natalia makes it clear how unprepared and amateur she is, relying heavily on Grace for help and protection, but then we witness her develop as a character into Flacco's killer right at the end of the film, her performance though feels fairly strong and acts as possibly the most relatable character for us in the whole film. After many years, Arnold is still going very strong and puts in a cracking performance here too, I like how his character seems to show remorse and human-like emotions, as well as the nice little addition of humour and comedy too, which feels genuinely funny – lines like “This is Texas” and him offering home décor advice feels really funny and enjoyable which adds a lot to the character and really makes him feel much more human, his performance here is great, I love how him and Stallone are really getting on now, but still somehow manage to put in action-filled, enjoyable and fast-paced action. Scenes like him fighting the other terminator on the plane feels great and really exciting, and proves to be one of the best and most exciting scenes of the whole film, he may be old but he is most definitely not over it! I also thought that the characters make some great and realistic decisions too, which means that when they aren’t being chased by killer robots, they are having their own personal issues and problems – again helping to solidify the realistic nature of them. I really liked the characters in this film, I loved how the whole film felt like one big chase, I loved how we were exposed to the characters in a variety of different situations and locations (such as crossing the border and in the detention centre) and I especially love how well the characters made the film feel intense and exciting throughout with some great performances.
Not only were the characters great but the overall construction of the film and the plot felt really good too, I like the plot idea where a terminator was sent back in time to kill future resistance leaders, because it means that we aren’t just watching standard characters surviving, but actually important characters who have meaning. The addition of Arnold and how he is integrated into the story (through co-ordinates and sending texts to Sarah Connor to give her a purpose) feels really well thought out too, and feels like it is well integrated into the story, by providing a twist for us and allowing us to see how all of the characters interact, especially given Sarah and ‘Carl’s’ past. I thought that the actual plot of the film was fairly straightforward and this helped it to really excite us, the film is always moving quickly too which means that there aren’t any boring or slow scenes here, the whole film feels like it is really action-packed which keeps us on our toes and prevents any scenes feeling slow or wasted, it is basic but effective. In a typical action film, we expect to be thrilled and for a lot to be going on if you’re watching this film expecting that you won’t be disappointed in the slightest. This film makes for some of the best action and fast-paced scenes that I’ve seen this year, I’ve mentioned about the chase feeling of the film but what I love is how despite Flacco suffering many setbacks he uses his human-like charm (talking about preying and being scared during the detention centre breakout) to his advantage which means that even after falling out of a plane, minutes later he is back to fight, this means that the film is absolutely full of really exciting, fun and enjoyable scenes which involve Flacco hacking into drones and crashing them into Dani and co, getting them arrested, crashing full cargo planes into them and really bringing a lot of action, but what I like is that it isn’t just standard fighting but the variety of intelligent action and fast-paced fighting on a mass scale really helps to make the film feel really exciting and fun, especially when Carl starts fighting Flacco, these make for some really exciting and intense fights which are so exciting to watch. Typically with films like this, they aren’t written very well and focus on CGI to get their message across, don’t get me wrong there was a lot of CGI here but it was fantastically done, seeing terminator models and futuristic scenes were fantastic and looked so realistic, there was no unrealistic overdone CGI here, everything that was done had a purpose and was done well in terms of CGI. I came away more than happy with the writing, and by the end felt rather attached to the cast both old and new.The film also provides an insanely good amount of high-quality action, involving fights, tracking scenes and large scale devastation. It was even small things in the film which helped it to feel really high quality and properly executed, such as seeing Flacco and 'Carl' talking at the end, it feels strange when he asks for the girl because we don’t see him communicating with them for the rest of the film, and the way in which he relates to 'Carl' just feels epic because it helps us to remember he is, in fact, a terminator. As well as the fact that Sarah Connor is the terminator's target in the first film and then his mission to protect her in the second signifies the sympathy she has at the end even more, even after everything he has done to her, she is still a little sad when he dies to kill Flacco. Everything that makes a film amazing - sympathy, action, a connection with the audience which is much more than through a film and leaves viewers in awe.
This film, unfortunately wasn’t perfect though. I did have a few issues that I noticed during the film, I completely understand that realism isn’t really an argument here, especially when the film consists of killer terminators from the future but what I will say is that I was a little disappointed in terms of the human emotions. When Dani’s father and brother were killed at the start, there was no real emotion from her, sure she was sad for like a minute, but after that she seemed absolutely fine – it didn’t really feel realistic and it definitely distracted us from the otherwise immersive culture that the film provided us. I was also surprised a little bit by the authenticity of the storyline too, John Connor was killed at the start as a child but in the 2nd film we see him as an adult? This confused me a little, whether this is an issue on my behalf or the filmmakers is not something I know, but at first glance it seemed to catch me out. Another issue I had was that during the break-in of the pharmacy to get medications for Grace, the shop clerk helped to get her outside after the threatened them with a gun and passed out, surely he wouldn't help someone who has just robbed his shop to escape? This confused me a little and felt like it was done because it was convenient instead of it making sense which is a shame. Find some more issues on imdb?
Overall, I would give this film a 9. The action in this film was fantastic, the characters felt really immersive and engaging and I think that the fast-paced feeling to the film means that a lot is always happening and the chase feeling ensures that something interesting and exciting is always happening. This means that not only is the film really easy and simple to follow, but it is also really enjoyable to watch – and as all great action films do, it stays with you long after watching – I really liked this film. It was full of visually amazing scenes which left me in awe (especially the aeroplane scene) and it was genuinely fun to watch. It also feels like a lot of time and effort was put into the film too, with subtle references to older films, and the iconic red dot eye going out at the end of the film symbolises the end of an era really nicely. Of course, the film has a few issues but none of these feel like they distract from the overall positive nature of the film, although from talking to a fan of the series who was impressed, but thought older films in the series were better I couldn’t really relate because I’ve only seen a few of them, not them all so maybe that’s why our opinions are different? Would I recommend this film? Definitely, it’s full of a lot of high-quality action which feels really intense and entertaining – I’d really recommend it whether you’re a fan or not because it feels really well put together and features a legend, Arnold “I’ll be back” Schwarzeneggar.
Thank you for reading my review, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did watching the film and writing this review, I hope you have a lovely day! If you would like to check out my Official Facebook page where you can see sneak previous and more film insights then please consider checking out the link below!
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