Terminator: Dark Fate Review - Bland & Unnecessary
"The Terminator" franchise has had its highs and lows(its lowest financially being this film's opening weekend) and has gained an divise audience over the years. The general consensus, which I agree fully on, is that the first two are the best and then...there's the rest. Now, the franchise returns with "Dark Fate".
"Dark Fate" takes place after the events of "Judgment Day" and sees another terminator(played by Gabrial Luna) come to the past to eliminate a girl, whose protectors are in the form of an enhanced human from the future (played by Mackinze Davis) and a now older Sarah Connor (played by Linda Hamilton).
Going into it, I didn't know what to expect. I was hoping for something fun but has its purpose in existence at the same time. With Tim Miller coming on board to helm this sequel, that gave me some more interest and anticipation. And what I got...was another Terminator movie...and not a good one.
Before I go into why I didn't like it, let's get the good points out first. Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger are both great here. It was nice to see these two share the screen again and kicking some serious ass along the way, which leads to my next point which is the action. The action is at times fun and enjoyable. Also, Mackenzie Davis was fine for what she was given for her role.
Now, with that out of the way, let's talk about the serious issues that this film has.
The first of which, and quite frankly it's biggest flaw, is its story. If you've seen the first two films, you've basically seen "Dark Fate". There isn't any new elements that make this entry stand on its own rather than the new cast of characters. Even its setup solely reminded me of the first film and not in a good way. It felt more like copy and paste rather than adding some new spins.
The other issues lie within the editing bay. This film desperately needed to slow the hell down. Many scenes of both importance and simple enjoyment Speed by rather than taking its time and scenes that don't need lots of time dedicated do.
The last issue I find with this film sadly is Natalia Reyes herself. I'm not fully sure if it's due to direction or her own choices but quite frankly I didn't think she did a good job in the movie. She's clearly into what she's doing but from odd moments of outburst and big drawn out speeches, it felt completely out of place.
Also, Gabriel Luna didn't really impress either as the new Terminator due to lack of screen time and a lack of charisma to the role. The role of the Terminator should present a blend of robotic and hunter like qualities. This role should be played as if you are the scariest thing in frame but it wasn't.
"Dark Fate" is one of the biggest disappointments of the year. It never earns its place in the franchise or in the hearts of its fans. Its action and most of its performances are worth the watch but where it misses completely is the most important aspect of filmmaking: a compelling story.
"Terminator: Dark Fate" Grade: D+
