Terminator: Dark Fate is the sixth Terminator movie. It is also the second sequel in four years that attempts to reboot the franchise. What makes this one different is that it brings back Linda Hamilton, forgets about the last three movies and is a direct sequel to Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Like other iconic characters Predator and Alien, poor Terminator has struggled to create a franchise past the initial two instalments. The good news is that while Dark Fate struggles to come up with new surprises, it is still a worthy sequel to the first two movies.

This instalment picks up in Mexico where young woman Dani (Natalia Reyes) is for reasons unknown chased by an unstoppable machine from the future (Gabriel Luna). Before long, she is protected by fellow time traveller Grace (Mackenzie Davis) and Sarah Connor (Hamilton) who is now tougher than ever. If that premise sounds like a remix of the first two movies, that is because it is. Although this could easily have been a stale retread, there are enough interesting points to make this endeavour worthwhile.

First of all, you can easily see James Cameron’s influence all over the story. While he is not the director, he is producer here and has had involvement with the story. The tough as nails central trio of females continues his tradition of no-nonsense heroines dating back to Ripley in Aliens. The second thing that sets this apart is the breakneck pace and hard-edged action orchestrated by directer Tim Miller. The film is R-rated and while there is plenty of CGI destruction, it thankfully feels seamless and consequential.

The final reason for this film’s ultimate success is the return of both Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger onscreen together. Hamilton’s sheer grit and presence proves that she is what the last three sequels sorely missed. Schwarzenegger is as solid as ever in the T-800 role but here he has given the character a vulnerability which has never been seen before. That is not to say that Arnie has gone soft. At 72, he still holds viewers’ attention in action sequences unlike anybody else in the business.

Of course, there are issues. While there are fresh ideas, the plot is still predictable and the dialogue is clunky at times. Ultimately, how much you are going to enjoy this movie depends on how fatigued you are by the franchise. If you are willing to forgive the series’ past missteps and judge this film on its own merits, then you will be pleasantly surprised. It also features the best drapery related jokes in recent blockbuster memory. That is surely worth the price of entry alone.

Image Credit:Terminator, Daniel Oberhaus, Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0), some rights reserved.

Disclaimer Notice: Any thoughts and opinions expressed here are solely my own. Any images (copyrighted or otherwise) have been used according to Creative Commons and if needed, have been referenced to the best of my knowledge.

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