Terminator Dark Fate

Dark Fate is what you expect but not what you want from the Terminator franchise. Unfortunately it’s just a re-hatch of an old plot with even older actors reprising their roles and as nice as it is once again to see Linda Hamilton and Arnold, there’s nothing it this film that can launch a continuation of this tired and troubled franchise.

I’m not saying that it’s a horrible film. It’s not. It’s actually entertaining for the most part but predictable as well. Although the execution and backlash that came with Terminator: Salvation made sure that narrative ended on arrival it’s more on par with where this franchise needs to go to survive.

It needs to explore what the audience hasn’t seen as of yet. The actual doomsday that is to come and the survival that takes place in this new world by our new heroes.

I mean every time we get glimpses into the future it’s so interesting. It’s the story of ‘what if’ the end does come instead of fighting the dangers in the present with someone sent from the future. In Dark Fate this holds true… again.

Grace an ‘enhanced’ human from the future, is sent back to present day Mexico to protect a Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes), the new John Connor that will one day start the rebellion against Legion, which becomes the new Skynet after it was destroyed in 1995’s T2 (1991) installment.

Grace and Dani are momentarily rescued by Sarah (Linda Hamilton), who for years has been killing off random terminators sent from the future and after their introductions are done, they are finally reunited with the middle-aged family known we all know as Arnold, or The Terminator, who has changed quite a bit over the years (and somehow grown a conscious).

And basically you go from there following the same rabbit hole as in T2, however, there are a few interesting upgrade in this version, including some of the action scenes that involve a giant military jet and freeway chaos as our heroes try to evade an even more bad-ass terminator from the future that sheds its outer shell, effectively doubling itself in battle.

It’s interesting and in good fun and director Tim Miller does his best to add in social commentary of our current world with the group having to migrate with the other central Americans on trains and through the border and not to mention it’s overt nod to feminism but there’s nothing in here that really grabs your attention and makes you want more.

Again its fine… just a poor man’s version of a classic film that we’ve already seen.