#MovieMonday: Terminator: Dark Fate Review: Nothing More Than a Nod to Nostalgia

The world is split into two groups.

Group A, which comprises mainly youngster who are obsessed with everything gram like Instagram or Telegram, sees “I’ll be back” as this:

Group B, which comprises mainly adults who use Facebook and WhatsApp to post good morning messages, sees “I’ll be back” as this:

For a short review of this week’s #MovieMonday, here’s a one-paragraph summary: Group A should just continue using their gram at home, while Group B might enjoy this movie.

Here’s why.

The Terminator Franchise, the Franchise That’s as Messy as Your Email Inbox

If you’re confused by the Terminator franchise, I don’t blame you.

The first film, directed by the legendary James Cameron and released in 1984, was a major success, starring bodybuilder-turned-actor-turned-politician-turned-businessman-turned-actor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The now 72-year-old, who was only 37 when he became the Terminator, has a net worth of as high as USD$800m. In Singapore term, he can be considered a billionaire.

Its sequel was released in 1991 and Cameron was still on the director’s seat. It then took a long hiatus and came back in the new millennium, with the release of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines in 2003.

The Governator has turned from a villain to a hero in the second Terminator movie, and since then, the plot gets a tad more confusing: instead of a simple “robot goes back in time to kill resistance leader’s mom”, it focuses more on the AI itself, probably to remind us once again that Skynet could potentially be a reality in the near future.

However, this latest movie isn’t a sequel to the fifth Terminator movie, but more of a nod to the 90s movies. Often cited as the direct sequel to the second Terminator movie, the film brings back the ironic duo of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton, both of which have starred in the 90s films and both of which has grey hair now.

Here’s the trailer that’s obviously made for Group B:

And the synopsis, which is short and sweet:

Sarah Connor and a hybrid cyborg human must protect a young girl from a newly modified liquid Terminator from the future.

Sounds like a familiar plot?

Because it is.

A Nod to the 90s

The USD$185m film nearly didn’t see the light of the day when the last film failed miserably at the box office. James Cameron came back to the picture and promised to work on a trilogy of films, bringing back Arnold Schwarzenegger to “pass the baton” to new characters.

Notice I highlighted the word “back”?

Because it seems like Cameron, who wrote and produced this film, used the same formula that propelled the first film to success.

The movie is almost like a remake of the 1991 movie with a new plot, new characters and much, much more action.

Metal pieces are peppered everywhere with lots of explosions, actions are so fast that you wonder if new Terminators are those who have passed IPPT and the pace is fast when it involves the new characters.

But when old characters come in, the pace drops to a snail’s speed, presumably for old man like me to reminisce on the days when Arnold has black hair.

If that’s not obvious enough, then let me spell it out for you: It’s like the film is made specially for me, telling me to forget all those failed Terminator movies in 2000s and to start fresh on this franchise.

However, the movie does more than that: it feels like an old Star Trek episode, touching on current affairs that are pressing through its plot.

While some of them might not be relevant to us Singaporeans unless you’ve been reading The New York Times instead of The Straits Times, there’s one relatable message: the impending growth of AI.

Currently, Facebook and Google seem to know more about me than myself, and Facebook has even acquired a company that allows us to control things with thoughts. Cars are self-driving and space tourism is now a reality, so if we’re not careful enough, the risk of Skynet as a reality is now much realer.

Is this worth a watch, even for people in Group A who weren’t even born when the first film was out?

I’ll say go for it, but don’t set too high of an expectation. Even if the plot is dry, the actions would keep you glued to the seat.

Rating: 3.5/5