Decades after Sarah Connor prevented Judgment Day, a lethal new Terminator is sent to eliminate the future leader of the resistance. In a fight to save mankind, battle-hardened Sarah Connor teams u...
Boasting intense action and thrilling sequences throughout, “Terminator: Dark Fate”, directed by Tim Miller, is more of a blockbuster that is relentless in its one-note intensity than anything else deep or meaningful storytelling wise.
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Completely ignoring the sequels after “Terminator 2: Judgement Day”, the film opens on the idea that “Sarah” and “John Connor” succeeded at changing the future in 1995. Fast forward years later, the plot follows a young girl who’s protected by a hybrid human cyborg from the future against a newly modified liquid “Terminator”. While on the run, the two soon find some much needed help from someone who knows a little too much about the “Terminators”.
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Director Tim Miller is a solid hand behind the camera, skillfully delivering impressive visuals and grippingly brutal action sequences. Heck, just examine Linda Hamilton’s film entrance alone, she comes in stoic as f**k and sunglasses on, gunning down a sprinting “Terminator” and employing a rocket launcher for a finishing move. It’s that kind of popcorn spectacle that keeps this entire sequel afloat, since for the screenplay itself, despite its EXTREMELY bold choices it makes occasionally, clearly is a deferential but undeniable remake of the original 1984 film, which in turns, comes off as a predictable journey, making the entertainment factor go down a few notches. Even “Sarah Connor” makes light of this by telling the new protagonist during a conversation, “you’re me”. It simultaneously does something different, while feeling similar, just because the story beats are followed almost precisely. Followed up with some horrendous dialogue and multiple plot contrivances, the film’s storytelling is easily one of the weakest links of the entire feature.
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The shining beacon in the entire cast is Linda Hamilton as the survivalist badass, “Sarah Connor”. Hamilton provides the sinew, heart, and soul needed for her character, as she’s exceedingly bitter and kicking an impressive amount of robotic ass while bringing significantly more passion towards her iconic role. Returning alongside her is Arnold Schwarzenegger, who steals the scene every time with his hilarious deadpan delivery, flattening his lines for maximum robotic effect. Hamilton and Schwarzenegger’s banter and friction is fueled from the start and isn’t treated like lazy boilerplate nostalgia. It explores the human/Terminator dynamic without undermining the inherent tension in that relationship. There’s as much history to their grudge as there’s fire in each of their performances.
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As for the newcomers, Mackenzie Davis is powerful as a bravura action heroine, kicking lots of ass yet never losing sight of the human, emotional core driving her character. The film’s theme of love and self sacrifice in the hope of a better world is made manifest in her. She nearly steals the show with her incredibly strong performance. Other newcomer, Natalia Reyes, is basically this film’s nuder, less explored answer to the 1984 original’s “Sarah Connor” but with some key deviations. She does a serviceable job in her role, but nothing groundbreaking that makes her standout.
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What “Terminator: Dark Fate” lacks in quality storytelling, makes up for with its explosive action sequences and incredible performances from returning actors Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and newcomer Mackenzie Davis. The film’s poorly written, excessively redundant plot and blatant disregard to the previous films detracts from enjoying the feature, but its bombastic visuals and awesome characters leading the charge saves it from being an apocalyptic wasteland. That being said, hopefully this is the last “Terminator” film that’s sent our way, because they don’t need to be back.
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Final verdict: ???????????? Watchable
