"Terminator: Dark Fate": at last a sequel worthy of the name

Luca Fontana

23.10.2019

Translation: machine translated

I'm sure that "Terminator: Dark Fate" will win over the fans. The sixth instalment in the saga, with its fast-paced action, not only ignores all the sequels since the second film, but also gives the role of Sarah Connor back to Linda Hamilton, who kicks ass!

First of all, the trailer contains no spoilers. So you'll only read here what we already know.

More than two decades have passed since Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and her son, John (Edward Furlong), prevented Doomsday, changed the future and rewrote the fate of humanity. For the supposed peace, they pay a high price.

But in the new present, young Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes), a random person from the Mexican working class, must escape a Rev-9 class Terminator (Diego Luna) who has come from the future to kill her. If she dies, humanity will be doomed. She knows this, because Grace (Mackenzie Davis), an enhanced nanobot super-soldier, has come from the future to help her.

And when the situation seems hopeless, an old acquaintance from an open-ended story pops up out of nowhere, Sarah Connor.

Skynet no longer exists, but the apocalypse looms

I have to salute the intelligence of the makers of "Terminator: Dark Fate". No, they're not reinventing Terminator. By no means. In fact, they're repeating the same story from the first to the sixth instalment, omitting the fourth. It shouldn't work, but "Terminator: Dark Fate" does. It's even the first Terminator since 1991's legendary "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" to merit a sequel, which is a nice surprise.

What works in "Terminator: Dark Fate's" favour is that it starts at the end of the second part of 1991, literally. As such, it shrugs off the later sequels and thus frees itself from damaging details, including the totally screwed-up timeline. As I said, it's very clever of them.

And when I say smart directors, I mean James Cameron, the creator and director of the first two Terminators in 1984 and 1991. He only wanted to return to the third Terminator of his career if he was allowed to wipe the slate clean of the other sequels, which he didn't want to exploit, and not as a director, but as a producer and consultant. And that's a plus for the film, especially compared to "Terminator Genisys".

With screenwriters David S. Goyer, Justin Rhodes and Billy Ray, James Cameron delivers a simple, hard-hitting story. Indeed, it doesn't take long to understand what it's all about, how high the stakes are and what it all boils down to - something Cameron's films all have in common. Director Tim Miller, of 'Deadpool' fame, underlines this with a tightly-packed mise-en-scène that, despite the simplicity of the plot, gives the audience a sense of what it's all about. of the plot, gives his characters the depth they need so that they don't fade into the background of the muscular action scenes.

This is something I really appreciate about "Terminator: Dark Fate".

An action-packed thriller through and through, despite its Rated R rating

Fans of the first Terminator installment should understand that "Dark Fate", despite its Rated R rating - meaning Restricted, minors must be accompanieds of an adult for viewing -, is not a horror and sci-fi film, but a solid action film, on a par with the highly rated "Judgement Day". "Dark Fate" therefore bodes well for the future. The action here is fast-paced.

However, the film goes a little overboard on the use of digital special effects. For my taste, a little more old-fashioned action, a bit like "Mission Impossible 6", would have better matched the the "grim and gritty" aspect of the film, in the words of James Cameron at the San Diego Comic Con last summer.

In fact, when the machines clash, it often feels like seeing Agent Smith fighting Neo again in "Matrix: Reloaded".

What I mean is, 180kg robots fighting each other, I want to be able to feel the weight with every step, blow and fall. But in 'Dark Fate', that doesn't happen. Instead, the Terminators fight like featherweight ninjas, leaping from point to point and replicating incredible martial arts choreography.

When the characters aren't computer animated, the action renders better. A bit like Mackenzie Davis as Grace, for example, who surprises with her powerful yet heartfelt super-soldier performance and leaves a lasting impression. Perhaps the best addition alongside Linda Hamilton. More on that later in the text.

Cameraman Ken Seng, who previously worked with director Tim Miller on 'Deadpool', captured the action with a steady hand. Gone are the days of action films where the camera wobbles, as in the Bourne film series. I really didn't like that. In 2014, "John Wick" strikes back by restoring action to its former glory.

Sarah Connor, at the heart of the "new" Terminator trilogy

Linda Hamilton, the major asset of "Terminator: Dark Fate", reprises the role of Sarah Connor, as if 18 years hadn't passed since "Judgement Day". She bursts onto the screen so much that she even manages to eclipse Arnold Schwarzenegger's presence.

Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor is the asset that all the other sequels after 'Judgement Day' didn't have. I become truly aware of this when considering individually the three films James Cameron has been involved with in isolation. "Terminator" is certainly the name of the franchise, but "Sarah Connor" could just as easily have given the trilogy its name. And suddenly, it's a revelation:

"Terminator" is the story of Sarah Connor. And it always has been, and has been since the first instalment in 1984.

I've just realised it.

I've just realised this and also understand why no sequel since "Judgement Day" has worked. Yes, the sequels that followed were therefore doomed to failure. And for good reason: without Linda Hamilton in the role of Sarah Connor, the emotional core of the journey that began with the first Terminator was missing. The sequels made afterwards weren't really, they were more spin-offs.

"Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" is a spectacle with Schwarzenegger that doesn't convince anyone. "Terminator Renaissance" features a Connor from the future (Christian Bale) who can only function as a glorified super-god. And what about "Genisys", a far-fetched film that focuses more on nostalgia than on being a good movie?

So whoever came up with the idea of casting Linda Hamilton and persuading her to return deserves the title of saviour of the Terminator franchise. I'd be willing to bet it was James Cameron himself.

Conclusion: a great sequel despite predictable elements

If I wanted to be harsh, I'd blame the film for its predictability and the use of digital special effects that are a little too present.

But I won't be. Instead, I'd say the story is too gripping, the staging of the action, too strong, and the Linda Hamilton effect, too powerful. She manages the feat of putting Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 in the background. We could learn a thing or two from her.

If things keep going this well, then "Terminator: Dark Fate" won't be the last instalment in the saga. In the next film, however, there has to be something new, not just yet another world-saving and Terminator from the future to kill someone.

Luca Fontana

Senior Editor

Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.ch

I'm an outdoorsy guy and enjoy sports that push me to the limit – now that’s what I call comfort zone! But I'm also about curling up in an armchair with books about ugly intrigue and sinister kingkillers. Being an avid cinema-goer, I’ve been known to rave about film scores for hours on end. I’ve always wanted to say: «I am Groot.» more

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