The future is not set, so we don’t know if “Terminator: Dark Fate” will score at the box office. But you can judge for yourself with the new teaser trailer:
What looks bad?
The Terminator franchise is meant to have three big human characters: John Connor, Sarah Connor, and Kyle Reese. Every Terminator film is meant to revolve around these characters who fight against, or alongside a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger).
This film throws that out the window and instead only features Sarah Connor who only makes a cameo during the trailer. Instead, the clip prominently features new characters who seem incredibly bland. The most prominent new character is a Terminator with human characteristics named Grace. She is going through an existential crisis as she tries to figure out whether she is human or a machine.
Here’s the problem: filmmakers already tried that in “Terminator: Salvation” and it flopped badly.
If this was a film all about Sarah Connor trying to save the world, we’d have high hopes. Sarah is arguably the best character in all of Terminator, and her psyche is one of the most fascinating parts of the franchise.
One of the biggest reasons why people see these films is to see Schwarzenegger in action.
Unfortunately, we see almost zero footage of him at all in this trailer. No motorcycle chases, no shotgunning Terminators away, none of that. This trailer was just as big an insult as a dropkick to the back.
What might be good?
There are three things that might save this film. The first is that James Cameron, creator of the first two Terminator films, is back.
The second thing is that Linda Hamilton is back to play Sarah Connor after nearly 30 years of letting the part go to other actresses. Weirdly enough, the two most prominent actresses who have played her since Hamilton were “Game of Thrones” alums Emilia Clarke and Lena Headey. In the first two Terminator films, Hamilton went from a damsel in distress, to a hardcore badass who is perfectly capable of fighting off cyborgs.
If we get a lot more Sarah Connor than the trailer suggests, we might be okay.
The final saving grace is Schwarzenegger himself. Sure, he was in the awful “Terminator: Genisys,” but all of his action scenes were still pretty cool.
If anyone can save the movie it’s these three. If they can’t make it work, then the series might need to be terminated.
Terminator as a franchise
Let’s go back in time to the early ’90s. You just saw “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” in theaters, and it blew your mind. The story, special effects, action, and even the acting were all incredible.
Fast-forward nearly 30 years later, and that film is still absolutely incredible.
The Terminator franchise hasn’t captured the same lightning in a bottle since. “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” was smart to stick with the main storyline, and some of the action was solid, but it’s otherwise forgettable.
The most memorable part of “Terminator: Salvation” was Christian Bale’s meltdown on set.
VIDEO IS NSFW:
“Terminator: Genisys” was so laughably bad, that it made the second-to-last episode of “Game of Thrones” look like one of the highlights of Emilia Clarke’s career.
If you want to make a good Terminator movie, you need to focus on the following:
* A tight story focused on the Connor family
* Arnold Schwarzenegger as a prominent character
* Huge action scenes that are both creative and fun to watch (come on, even “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” did that right)
* Side characters that add to the main cast rather than take the spotlight
* Next-level special effects
If you get these things right, then you can make a solid Terminator movie. Until then, feel free to lower this stinker of a trailer into the lava.
