As promised, Arnie is back…
Hey Arnold!
Terminator is part of a generation of movies that Hollywood just can’t fucking leave alone. Alien, Predator, Die Hard, Indiana Jones… absolute classics that have all had their legacy lessened to some degree by endless sequels. Terminator 3 was a mistake but Terminator: Salvation is surely one of the worst sequels ever. Dull, boring, overly serious and forgettable, Salvation was the antitheses of everything that a Terminator film should be. Luckily Terminator: Genisys is a much more franchise appropriate entry.
Genisys is by no means perfect. Stock phrases from the first two films are slightly overused and while Emilia Clarke is surprisingly not terrible in her first major role sans dragons, she will never be Linda Hamilton. The main issue with Genisys though is Jai Courtney’s yawn inducing turn as Kyle Reese – a character that nobody was really pining to have back in the fold in the first place if we are being honest.
All that shit aside though there is loads of good stuff about Genisys, enough to at least justify its existence. Jason Clarke brings a much needed new take on John Connor and Matt Smith and JK Simmons provide excellent support. The action sequences are on point, the script is just the right side of cheesy and while the storyline is a touch over complicated, it remains compelling throughout.
It also genuinely great to see Arnie back on the big screen especially portraying one of his most iconic roles. The big Austrian has great fun in this fifth instalment but he is also respectful of a story that clearly means a lot to him.
It is a sad state affairs that all you ask of a Terminator film now is to not destroy the legacy of the franchise any more than Salvation already has. By creating a fractured time line Genisys manages to be respectful to the first two Terminator films whilst also being a good watch in its own right.
I’ll Be Back.