"Terminator Genisys" Review

Title: Terminator Genisys

Directed by: Alan Taylor

Screenplay by: Patrick Lussier and Laeta Kalogridis

Year: 2015


The Terminator franchise is a very divisive one amongst audiences. It is generally accepted that the first two films are science fiction masterpieces, with the The Terminator being a thrilling horror-like sci-fi flick, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day being often regarded as one of the greatest action pictures of all time. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Terminator Salvation find themselves all over the spectrum. For me, I feel the former is a solid follow up to the previous two with some great action set pieces and Schwarzenegger's best outing as the titular character, while the latter is an enjoyable, if heavily flawed, action movie, with neither of them hitting the marks of the first two. Now we have Terminator Genisys. Does this continuation pave the way for a bright future despite the series' dystopian themes, or is it time for this franchise to be terminated?

Similar to the first film, Kyle Reese is sent back to the past by John Connor in order to save Sarah Connor. Also sent to the past is a T-800 terminator to kill Sarah. But things take a strange turn when we find out that Sarah Connor is already the battle-hardened character we knew from Terminator 2. Set in a different timeline, Kyle Reese, Sarah Connor, and another T-800 model (which Sarah calls Pops) must stop Skynet from rising...again...

Terminator Genisys is a unique addition to the franchise as it changes just about all of the established lore. It effectively erases everything that happened in the previous movies and starts on a clean slate. The issue with this is that it really alienates fans of the series. One of the most intriguing things of the franchise is the lore and mythology. However, this film undoes all that by setting up a new timeline. I understand that the filmmakers want to take the Terminator franchise into a new direction, but it needs to make sense. Unfortunately, Terminator Genisys fails in that regard.

To put it simply, the foundations for this film's plot are built upon countless plot holes. The story is so unnecessarily convoluted and confusing that it really diminishes the enjoyment of watching the movie. Trying to piece this together with the other movies is impossible. It is like trying to complete a jigsaw puzzle with pieces from different boxes. It doesn't work. When the film tries to explain certain plot elements, it does so in the most complicated ways possible, leaving the audience absolutely lost. The movie also neglects to explain some of the most important plot points. Why was Pops sent back to protect Sarah Connor as a child? We don't know because the files were deleted. But here is the best example of how poor the script is at explaining things:

SARAH: You can't kill us, we're you're parents. Without us you're never born.

JOHN: Says who? Do you know what I think? We're marooned, the three of us. We're exiles in time. See, I can kill you, for there truly is no fate.

This doesn't make one iota of sense. And this is never brought up again. The reason John Connor can exist without his parents is because "there truly is no fate." You can argue it is because they are "exiles in time," except that doesn't mean anything. There is nothing supporting that statement. It is simply a line given to cover up a plot hole the size of the Grand Canyon. Why are they exiles? What exactly does that mean? It is never explained.

So the story is a convoluted mess. How about the cast? Emilia Clarke plays Sarah Connor and I feel that, in terms of appearance, they couldn't have picked a better actress that resembles Linda Hamilton. Clarke looks the part and is usually very convincing in the role, but there are times when it feels like she is acting. It's partially due to the script, as Clarke really does try her best to work with it, but it also seems like she is trying to imitate Hamilton from Terminator 2. But she is alright as Sarah Connor. Jai Courtney on the other hand is unbelievably bland. He brings nothing to Reese's character and expresses zero emotion throughout the entire film. His acting is more robotic than any of the terminators featured in the movie. Arnold Schwarzenegger is the saving grace for this movie. You can tell that he is happy to be back and that he will always be the definitive face for this franchise. His delivery of comedy is excellent and he is a joy to watch. Schwarzenegger is easily the best part of Terminator Genisys.

I am afraid to say that Jason Clarke is simply not John Connor. He is clearly over selling his role, but once again, the script is partially to blame as most of the time, Clarke is reciting speeches, and that can get very grating. J.K. Simmons is very good in a minor role as a cop. He is very likable and a great character, but nothing comes of him. His character disappears about halfway through the film, never to be seen again. As much as I loved his performance, his character was completely unnecessary. They either could have done without him, or made him more integral to the plot. Finally, Matt Smith, of Doctor Who fame, plays Skynet. No joke, Skynet is now a physical entity. I'll delve more on that in a bit. Smith is a brilliant actor, but he is completely wasted here. He is given nothing to do and is barely in the movie.

Now, one of the best things about the Terminator franchise is that the main antagonist, Skynet, was an unseen force. It was a computer program or code and thus could never be shut down, which is what always made Judgment Day inevitable. But by giving Skynet a face, it makes it less threatening. And this movie goes out of its way to explain that Skynet can now be stopped...even though the other films clearly emphasized that it was impossible to prevent. In addition, for this new timeline, Skynet is hiding under the guise of Genisys, a computer program in the year 2017. And what does Genisys do? It connects things. Literally, that's all it does. Genisys is supposed to link your car, to your phone, to your tablet, etc. The program that is supposed to bring about the apocalypse and create the terminators, connects technology...How menacing...

Also, our main trio travels to 2017 to stop Genisys. Why 2017? For no other reason than to bring the story closer to present day in an attempt to make it more relatable. This also brings up another plot hole as John Connor has yet to be born, which would make him, at most, 12 years old by the year 2029...when he is supposed to lead the resistance. The idea of technology rising up against us has been played with before, and it's been done better. Skynet was a credible threat as it was in control of weapons such as missiles. But Genisys simply links everything, similar to the iCloud. Terminator Genisys beats us over the head with the message of not relying on technology for everything. That's a fine message and all, but there is no danger in linking things together. At least, the movie doesn't take the time to show it.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day is notable for the father-son relationship between John Connor and the T-800. This movie gives it a different spin with a father-daughter relationship between Sarah Connor and the T-800 she affectionately calls Pops. It has its moments, but the fact that we don't know why the terminator was sent back to the past and that Sarah calls him Pops is really counterintuitive, especially that last one, which removes any sort of subtlety from the dynamic.

It sounds like I really hate this movie, and while it is certainly not a good film, there are quite a number of redeeming qualities. The visual effects are solid throughout the movie. The terminators look great, young Arnold is incredibly convincing, and the T-1000 and John Connor terminator sport some very creative abilities, fully realized by good CGI. Also, we get to see more of the actual war. Unlike Terminator Salvation, which showed us the early days of the battle, Terminator Genisys showcases the final stages of the war, with dark skies and laser guns, as well as the famous time machine.

The music is also great. It's appropriately bombastic when it needs to be, it helps highlight some of the quieter moments, and fits the film well. Terminator Genisys also contains the best rendition of the classic Terminator theme. It has never sounded better and harkens back to the good old days.

One of the greatest compliments I can give this movie is that it feels like a Terminator movie. Despite all the changes to the timeline, the movie captures the tone and the feel of the franchise really well. It feels more like a terminator movie than Salvation did, and quite possibly more than Rise of the Machines as well. The music plays a big hand in that, as does having Schwarzenegger back along with shot-for-shot recreations of scenes from the first movie. The re-done scenes are very commendable and the most faithful aspect of this film in regards to the series.

The action is hit and miss. The beginning scene, set in the future, is well done, illustrating the war in a very cool way. The old and new Arnold fight is very underwhelming, ultimately resulting in a shoving match. The chase scene taking place on the Golden Gate bridge is very nice, with a great stunt to end it. But the helicopter chase is very pitiful and dull. However, the final showdown between Pops and John Connor is very, very good. The scene has genuine tension and an unpredictability to it. But the fact that the countdown can change whenever it feels like diminishes the overall suspense. However, none of the action here is as memorable as the majority of the action beats in the previous films.

As a fan of the Terminator franchise, Terminator Genisys comes as a disappointment. Although it is great to see Schwarzenegger again, along with a fantastic new theme and a few other positives, it is not enough to save this flick. The action cannot reach the heights of the action in previous films, the acting is a mixed bag, and the story is just an overblown, sloppy mess overflowing with plot holes. I wouldn't say it's time for the franchise to come to an end, as I do believe there is still untapped potential, but the next entry has a lot of patching up to do. Terminator Genisys is the first truly bad installment for this series, thus making it a low point for the franchise.

Grade: C