Terminator Genisys
Dustin Chase
It’s really difficult to keep track of all the “Terminator” revamps since its 1984 debut, launching the career or Arnold Schwarzenegger. Specifically the characters of John & Sarah Conner and Kyle Reese have been portrayed by over five various actors throughout the span of this constantly evolving franchise. With most film sequels (this is number 6 if you are counting) prior knowledge is essential, but this particular series changes the rules so often everything we saw before is irrelevant.
While Schwarzenegger returns for the first time since 2003’s “Rise of the Machines”, everyone else is a new face playing a familiar character. “Genisys” doesn’t break any new ground in the realm of the “Terminator” series or action films in general, it’s simply the continuation of a franchise that wasn’t never very interesting to begin with.
2029 – Earth is nearly completely destroyed, only a small resistance survive destroy Skynet. John Conner (Clarke) is preparing to take over Skynet’s final destructive weapon and send one of his men back to 1984, to stop Skynet’s judgement day from happening.
1984 – Kyle Reese (Courtney) arrives to help guide Sarah Conner (Clarke) become the warrior that will help stop judgement day. He expects a frail waitress, but 1984 is a lot different than he was prepped for as Skynet has sent their own machines back in time.
2017 – Kyle Reese and Sarah Conner, along with Pops (Schwarzenegger) travel to the future to stop Genisys, Skynet’s new technology that works like a Trojan horse, infiltrating cell phones, tablets and the internet after the countdown clock reaches zero. Hero’s from past and future collide to ensure the world never gets to the point in 2029 that Reese came from.
Doesn’t break any new ground in the realm of the “Terminator” series or action films in general.
If you recall the last X-Men film, “Days of Future Past”, you have an idea what writers are attempting. It’s a bit confusing, keeping track who is the father of which character, or what version of Kyle Reese we are watching. None of this really matters however, because director Alan Taylor (“Thor: The Dark World”) keeps everything focused on the bullets being fired. “Genisys” might break the record for most bullets fired in one film, certainly for bullets fired that cause no effect on the opponent. The upgraded T-1000, a leap forward in special effects for the series, yet compared with other franchise robots, just think of the creativity in “Ex-Machina”, the entire film feels like metal dug out of the backyard and sprayed with WD40.
Looking at the many casting issues for the film, producers have selected the cheaper option down the line; Tom Hardy, Nicholas Hoult, and even Christian Bale turned down roles and directors like Ang Lee, Justin Lin, and Rian Johnson also walked away. Jai Courtney (“Unbroken”, “Insurgent”) isn’t a good actor, yet he is in more high profile movies than anyone because he consistently takes the parts no one else wants. He is a modern day Eric Roberts, but with sex appeal he isn’t afraid to cash in on. “Game of Thrones” Dragon Queen Clarke dips her toe into mainstream films discovering the same disappointment co-star Kit Harrington suffered with “Pompeii”. It’s Schwarzenegger that gets the last laugh and the most creative reintroduction. Original creator James Cameron offered the idea that the human tissue used on the terminators would naturally age which is why Schwarzenegger sports naturally gray hair and uses the “old not obsolete” line. The creativity stops there, as the remainder of the film seems to invent chaos as it progresses.
Final Thought
The more reinvention this franchise attempts the bigger accumulation of junk it creates.