Film Review - Terminator: Dark Fate (15)

She's John.

Toy Story. Men in Black. Zombieland. Franchise revivals in 2019, all of which have prompted the question 'Is that a good idea?'. The answers have ranged from 'Abso-freaking-lutely!' to 'Nope - on the final evidence, not.' And now we have Terminator: Dark Fate - an attempt to finally provide the original two Terminator films the trilogy-making sequel they deserve. Even James Cameron was involved in an advisory role to keep things on track. So did it work? Was history finally rewritten to fan satisfaction? Has any of the old lightening been rebottled? Well this fan's going to nail his colours and say - to a limited extent, with a few caveats and paying no attention to projected box-office losses - yes.

The movie's starting-point is that neither 2003's Terminator 3 nor 2015's Terminator: Genisys actually happened. Much like last year's Halloween the timeline has been adjusted, Dark Fate events following on directly (well, a few decades having elapsed) from 1991's Judgement Day. The J-Day in question has indeed been averted, but now a new grim cyber-tech future is brewing - and from that yet-to-be epoch is sent a more advanced terminator than ever, the REV-9. This time he's not after John Connor, however, but rather Dani (Natalia Reyes), a naive young Mexican woman. Like Sarah Connor before her, she has no idea why she's being targeted - but an enhanced human called Grace (Mackenzie Davis), also sent back from the future, seems to know. She's set to protect Dani at the highest cost, but won't be enough muscle on her own. For that she'll need the assistance of a seasoned female warrior and a T-800 Terminator model who's developed a conscience. Yes - Linda Hamilton and Arnie are both back, and they're kicking ass harder and further than ever before.

Let me get those caveats out of the way. Structurally, this story is doing nothing new. From the opening time-drop of our protector and our antagonist to a final act that references the original films uncomfortably closely, this is a plot we know very well indeed - down to its freeway chases and bloodying punch-ups. All the time-travel problems to which the franchise tends are still in place; this film includes a central character who's travelled from a future that no longer exists (at least it has the grace to acknowledge the paradox), while asking us to accept other vast improbabilities regarding the workings of the fourth dimension. Don't try to make it make sense. It won't. As for the visual effects surrounding the REV-9, they're good, but inevitably pack a weakened punch compared to those ground-breaking liquid metal scenes in 1991. No Terminator will ever overwhelm us like that again.

All that said, the movie works in a way that the other sequels simply do not. The victory of Judgement Day isn't entirely endone, that ending allowed to retain some meaning, while the threat of nuclear apocalypse it replaced with the more zeitgeisty computer-related variety. One judgement has been averted, the story suggests, but never underestimate humanity's capacity to destroy itself and the planet along with it. It's a neat subtext. Meanwhile there's a satisfying physical crunchiness to the action in all the taut, well-staged set-pieces. Deadpool director Tim Miller provides the narrative with pace, sustaining a coherent hurtle, while slowing down just enough to let character detail be woven in.

And what satisfying characters I found these to be. Gabriel Luna's Terminator-upgrade has regulation menace no more no less, but the film's trio of female heroes prove a formidable team. Davis brings a lean single-mindedness to Grace (a different kind of intensity to the one she exhibited in last year's Tully), while Reyes evolves convincingly from innocent girl into warrior over a two-hour runtime. But there's a particular joy in seeing Hamilton return as Sarah C - grim-faced matriarch and nemesis of time-jumping kill-machines everywhere. Some internet fanboys have bitched about the movie's feminist element, but Filmic Forays loves this no-bullshit, Bechdel-acing combo. Oh, and we also love the twist on the Connor/T800 Terminator relationship, providing their scenes with interest and edge, while letting a grizzled Schwarzenegger be tough, funny and poignant. That in itself justifies the ticket price.

Terminator: Dark Fate is a confirmed box-office disaster as I write, and in the case of this sequel I think it's a shame. The action is thrilling, the drama involving and the characters are worth your investment. Yes the story is creaky and hackneyed, but it's told with indisputable vigour and the end-result, if not on a par with Terminators one and two, gets at least within shouting distance. This one I'll gladly let join them in my old-school DVD collection. It's not perfect, but it's a worthy trilogy-closer. And that in itself is quite the compliment.

Gut Reaction: A journey from 'This is okay...' to hand-on-mouth active enjoyment.

Memorable Moment: He's back. And he's... different.

Ed's Verdict: 7/10. Whatever the box-office says, this turned out a handsomely-mounted, solidly entertaining piece of action cinema, which made as much sense as any Terminator film. (And a lot more than Genisys.) Frankly, I'll take it.