Anthony's Film Review - Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

The plot formula may be familiar, but there is still some new stuff to be refreshing enough...

I imagine that, among all the fans of the Terminator movies out there, some can be described as purists. For them, the only Terminator movies that truly count are the first two, both directed by James Cameron. It's totally understandable. The Terminator in 1984 and Terminator 2: Judgment Day in 1991 feature great action, suspense, and performances by their stars, particularly Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton. In contrast, the next three Terminator movies deviated from the series in various ways, and plenty of fans find them less enjoyable. Now we have Terminator: Dark Fate, which brings back James Cameron, at least with credits as a producer and a contributor to the story. Apparently, even he is purist, because he has chosen to have this movie follow Terminator 2 and ignore the movies after. So if you're worried about not having seen Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator Salvation, and Terminator Genisys, don't be. I won't even reference these three movies in this review.

It's worth recapping the core plot formula of the first Terminator movies. In the distant future, an artificially intelligent defense system will turn against the humans who created it, then proceed to order its killing machines to wipe out any remaining human survivors in an effort to take over the world. But as powerful as the machines are, they are up against a powerful human resistance. That's when they execute a plan to weaken the resistance: send a killer cyborg back in time to kill a specific human being who will eventually give rise to the resistance. In The Terminator, the target was Sarah Connor, the mother of the future human resistance leader John Connor. In Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the target was John Connor himself, as a young boy. In both cases, another character is sent back in time to protect the target from the killer cyborg whose mission is to alter the past to change the future for the machines' advantage.

That plot formula comes into play again in Terminator: Dark Fate, with the three main characters comprising the killer cyborg, the target, and the protector. The villainous machine here is REV-9 (Gabriel Luna), who is like T-1000 from Terminator 2 in that it has the ability to melt, reshape, and take on different appearances. However, the endoskeleton and outer covering portions can separate from each other and function independently. The target is a young Mexican girl named Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes), who suddenly loses her family to the hands of REV-9. The girl's protector is Grace (Mackenzie Davis), who is human but has plenty of artificial modifications that she is practically a cyborg herself. As you may expect, the action begins when REV-9 makes its first attempt to kill Dani, but Grace arrives just in time to save her and make their escape.

If the movie were to focus just on these three characters, then you have a typical Terminator movie. But this isn't entirely so. That's because the two main stars from the first two Terminator movies make their return here. Linda Hamilton, who played Sarah Connor in those two movies, is Sarah Connor once again here. This time, however, Sarah Connor has become a tough gun-wielding lady who has also spent the preceding years in a rather washed-up state of mind. Arnold Schwarzenegger is back as a Terminator here, but not the same villainous one from the first movie or the heroic one in the second. He is yet another robot from the future, one with an organic covering that can age like with real humans. So now what you have are two generations of Terminator movie characters mixed in the same action. (Yes, I did not mention John Connor, and that's because I don't want to ruin a certain surprise in this movie.)

I don't really need to say much about the action in this movie. It's done well, and it's nothing different from countless action movies that have been released in recent years. There's suspense and excitement, and the things that happen on screen look pretty cool. So instead, let me go back to how this movie includes two generations of characters, not just one. The story that involves all five characters is one that seems to act as a bridge, between the 20th-century Terminator movies and the 21st-century Terminator movies that presumably will be made after this one. Terminator: Dark Fate simultaneously revives familiar faces, showcases new faces, and lays a foundation for future faces of the franchise. The movie bridges two generations of audiences and reaches out to possibly a third generation.

I also want to comment on how this movie is reflection of changing times. There's one part of the movie that takes place at a U.S. immigration detention facility along the border between the U.S. and Mexico, referencing a hot political issue going on at the time of this film's release. But more importantly, this movie attempts to show greater recognition for women and minorities. Recall that in the first two Terminator movies, the killer cyborg was Caucasian, the target was similarly Caucasian, and the protector was male. This time, the killer cyborg is of Latin descent, the target is played by a Latin woman, and the protector is female. Along these lines, the setting of the original two Terminator movies was Los Angeles, California, whereas Terminator: Dark Fate begins in Mexico City, Mexico, before the action shifts north to Texas.

Even though James Cameron is not directing Terminator: Dark Fate, it is still cool for him to be a part of the movie's production in a different capacity. The result is a movie that is fun, intense, and engaging to follow. I also like the cast. The three leading stars deliver rocking performances, and it's nice to see Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger again, even if they are secondary characters and not the primary ones like decades before. After all of this, the big question is whether the Terminator series can go on, deserves to go on, and should go on. Based on what I've seen here, my answer is yes to all three. As a nod to Schwarzenegger's famous line from The Terminator, I say this franchise ought to be back.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Terminator: Dark Fate, visit the Internet Movie Database.

In addition, check out my reviews of the following:

The Terminator Films