Terminator Genisys (2015)

"It had no choice. Their defense grid was smashed. We'd won. Taking out Connor then would make no difference. Skynet had to wipe out his entire existence." - Kyle Reese, 'The Terminator' (1984)

Apparently 'Terminator Salvation' wasn't bad enough to kill the popular science-fiction franchise, much to the dismay of many fans. In this much hyped fifth instalment the leader of the human resistance, John Connor sends Kyle Reese back to the year 1984 to protect John's mother, Sarah; but soon after his arrival nothing is what he expected it to be. 

If you spend a lot of time on social media you'll most likely agree that fans were ready to hate 'Terminator Genisys' from the get go, which is a pretty sad reflection on us as people. I personally had low expectations and I went in with a relatively clean objective slate. In short, it was alright. There's enough action throughout the film to keep viewers entertained, a lot of which was quite impressive and I loved the tech-neo style of the post-apocalyptic future; noticeably reminiscent of the original 'Terminator'. Moments of tongue and cheek humour are used in good measure which managed to bring some added enjoyment; and as odd as it may sound, the relationship between Sarah and her aging T-800 was and aspect of the film I found to be a lot of fun. The familiarity of re-created scenes from the original film gave me mixed feelings. While they were well executed from a technical standpoint, it just felt so odd seeing them again in a modern film yet the different direction they go in was interesting. An intricate plot revolving around time travel with characters jumping from one point in time to another, opened up a number of plot holes. Viewers may find this frustrating but should also bear in that it's kind of a cinematic by-product of the much debated theory. Performances from the leading and supporting cast are mostly good. Emilia Clarke and Jason Clarke are the two stand-outs; and of course Arnold Schwarzenegger in the iconic role at the T-800, who cheekily gives hints of parody which I think fans will mostly enjoy.

'Terminator Genisys' is an ambitious away to reboot the franchise that has struggled in recent years. The film definitely has it's moments but the middle act is little boring at times. I say it's worth checking out at least once and if you do be sure to stay until after the end credits.   

★★★

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