Terminator: Dark Fate

I got into this franchise late so I am the furthest thing from a purist. I hated the first movie, loved the second, strongly disliked Rise of the Machines, was ambivalent about Salvation, enjoyed Genisys greatly, was annoyed by The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and thought Zero sucked. What I think varies from project to project.

Like T2 and Genisys, this was one of the ones I liked. Mostly because it is like those two (and unlike everything else) in actually being entertaining and at times enjoyable. I like that.

Genisys ignored the 3rd and 4th movies, as does The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and this movie ignores those AND Genisys. But I think the major difference is that every other post-T2 project sort of paid respect to the canon of the 3rd and 4th movies. Namely involving Sarah's cancer, which was the most unsatisfying ending for her possible (off-screen even!). And this movie says, "No, that didn't happen." Also when she and John killed Skynet, that took. Legion is something entirely different. One of the things I objected to in the sequels past T2 is that they always felt the need to retcon that specific ending. And this one didn't. Unfortunately John Connor gets killed instead, but that also is a good demonstration that all bets are off.

One of the reasons I love Sarah and hate her at the same time, is a facet she had in the second movie that this movie played up: Sarah is always wrong. About the big stuff anyways, especially regarding the Arnie-looking Terminators. And if she was merely wrong that would be one thing. But her wrongness borders on damaging and dangerous for the heroes. The irony? I believe at this point Carl is probably a more compassionate and kinder person than Sarah is. Which is fabulous.

I love the idea of Carl because he's a Terminator who CHOSE humanity's side. His programming was done, and I like that he reached the compassionate conclusion with the help of his family. He concedes he can't love like a human. But when he deadpans that he's funny, he's actually right. It's also cool that he's learned to ACT like a human. But Sarah is never calling him Carl.

I was hoping he wouldn't die at the end (Pops survived Genisys) but this was more a return to form for the T-800s. And Dani saying she wouldn't let Grace die for her again, says the future is NOT set in stone, and her and Sarah intend to stop Legion before they start this time out.

And the weird thing is, they'd only be able to do that because the machines sent a Terminator in the first place. I believe Dani would have been a nothing if they hadn't done that. Like accidentally fulfilling John Connor's birth via time paradox, by forging Dani in fire here, they are actually creating the seeds of their own destruction themselves later on.

I also love the revelation that SHE is John. I hope it embarrassed Sarah (remember her always being wrong) who essentially called her useless besides her womb. What's particularly insulting about this is that Sarah is the furthest thing from useless herself (she outlived John in this timeline) so her framing there isn't even true. And she should actually know that.

Why did this movie bomb? Is it bad? I just don't think audiences care about the franchise anymore. The movie before this was good and it also bombed. I just think people have had enough.

I love that Linda Hamilton is billed over Arnold Schwarzenegger in the cast list. Good for her.

It's weird Alien can still make hit movies though. Because all those movies are the same, while the Terminator films all seem to go in different narrative and creative directions. I don't understand fatigue in these films while they are always trying new things.

I liked it a lot. 4 stars.

Deleted And Extended Scenes

Some interesting finds. Overall: 3 1/2 stars.

I Need Your Car

Unnecessary. 2 1/2 stars.

Internet Cafe

The reason the Terminator in the first film sucked so much is because he was basically on a movie-length killing spree. No guile, no picking his battles. Making this huge violent spectacle and telegraphing to the heroes where he was. The Terminators in later films are better because they know the value of blending in. 4 stars.

Augmentation Volunteer

I would not have minded this in the movie in the slightest. 4 1/2 stars.

The Crossing

They pared this down and I believe changed Theo's dark ending here. The bloodbath at the beginning is just awful, and none of the complications here actually add anything to the movie. I think this was a wise cut. I personally disliked the scene immensely. 1 1/2 stars.

Alicia Confronts Sarah

At first glance, this is a scene that NEEDED to be in the movie. But when Alicia demands Sarah bring Carl back to her, you see why it isn't. It's an unfulfilled request, which makes it an unsatisfying end to the arc of Carl's family. 3 stars.

Let Me Save You

I'm betting this was cut for time, but it would have added a symmetry to Dani and Grace's earlier (later?) scene mirroring this. I wish they had kept it. 3 1/2 stars.