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Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
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11-02-19, 10:20 AM
#27
DVD Talk Reviewer
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Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
Enjoyed the hell out of it. Action sequences were balls out nutty, Arnold was comedy gold ("I said don't do it!"), and seeing Linda back made me very, very happy.
Physics/logic be damned, I thought it was great fun....
Physics/logic be damned, I thought it was great fun....
11-02-19, 10:29 AM
#28
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
Same old plot. Linda looked and sounded terrible. I'm guessing she's a smoker. Her role and Arnold's both felt forced in this story. She mostly walked around shooting guns and dropping F-bombs. And Arnold's character is now a family man. Seriously? Guess that's why he played the part more human than machine this time around, but I didn't buy it. The way John Connor was handled was really disappointing. Reminded me of how Corporal Hicks and Newt were mistreated in Alien 3. It was disrespectful to the characters and the audience, and these filmmakers learned nothing from it. The young versions of John, Sarah and the T-800 looked good, and Grace was cool, but the rest of film was by the numbers and boring. I know James Cameron has said this film is now the official sequel to T2, but he'll say anything to sell tickets. I'll take T3: Rise of the Machines over this flick any day.
My rankings:
1. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
2. The Terminator
3. Terminator: Rise of the Machines
4. Terminator: Genisys
5. Terminator: Dark Fate
6. Terminator: Salvation
Really hope they terminate this franchise.
My rankings:
1. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
2. The Terminator
3. Terminator: Rise of the Machines
4. Terminator: Genisys
5. Terminator: Dark Fate
6. Terminator: Salvation
Really hope they terminate this franchise.
11-02-19, 10:44 AM
#29
Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
Terminator: Dark Fate faced judgement day once again yesterday, earning just $10.6 million on Friday. The sci-fi sequel, directed by Tim Miller, produced by James Cameron, and starring franchise vets Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger alongside newbies Mackenzie Davis, Natalia Reyes and Gabriel Luna, was the third attempt to revive the Terminator series in a decade. McG’s Terminator: Salvation, a future war sequel starring Christian Bale, earned just $125 million domestic and $375 million on a $200 million budget. Alan Taylor’s Terminator: Genysis, a time-twisting retcon that paired Schwarzenegger with Emilia Clarke and Jai Courtney, earned $89 million domestic and $441 million worldwide on a $155 million budget, including $113 million in China. Tim Miller’s Terminator: Dark Fate, following the Star Wars: The Force Awakens playbook, is the third strike for the sci-fi series that won’t die and can’t live.
Terminator has become a metaphor for itself, with filmmakers trying different things only to face the same outcome: Judgment Day is inevitable. Hollywood may yet figure out that audiences who aren’t die-hard sci-fi geeks have little interest in additional Terminator movies. Making a “future war” sequel with Christian Bale as John Connor didn’t do it. Making a time-twisting retcon, presumably modeled after Star Trek, didn’t do it. Bringing back the old gang for a passing-the-torch sequel like Star Wars: The Force Awakens didn’t do it. The pitches change, the hooks differ, but the result is always the same. Just because folks liked The Terminator in 1984 and lost their minds over Terminator 2: Judgment Day in 1991 does not mean they have any interest in additional Terminator movies. Just because something was once popular doesn’t mean audiences care for a new iteration.
The sheer hubris, to try to convince audiences three times in a row to want something that they clearly don’t want, at great expense, is frankly appalling. The “this time folks will bite” attitude is what has left theatrical moviegoing in grave peril as streaming and television networks have filled the gap for something beyond cover records of yesterday’s former glories. It is one thing to try a reboot, strike out and move on. It is another thing to pull solid grosses but at too high a cost, like Sony’s Amazing Spider-Man, and then team with a rival and keep the budget in check for the second reboot. It is another entirely to take the same dead franchise and presume that the same audiences who said “No, thank you” not once but twice will somehow magically embrace it on the third try.
Terminator has become a metaphor for itself, with filmmakers trying different things only to face the same outcome: Judgment Day is inevitable. Hollywood may yet figure out that audiences who aren’t die-hard sci-fi geeks have little interest in additional Terminator movies. Making a “future war” sequel with Christian Bale as John Connor didn’t do it. Making a time-twisting retcon, presumably modeled after Star Trek, didn’t do it. Bringing back the old gang for a passing-the-torch sequel like Star Wars: The Force Awakens didn’t do it. The pitches change, the hooks differ, but the result is always the same. Just because folks liked The Terminator in 1984 and lost their minds over Terminator 2: Judgment Day in 1991 does not mean they have any interest in additional Terminator movies. Just because something was once popular doesn’t mean audiences care for a new iteration.
The sheer hubris, to try to convince audiences three times in a row to want something that they clearly don’t want, at great expense, is frankly appalling. The “this time folks will bite” attitude is what has left theatrical moviegoing in grave peril as streaming and television networks have filled the gap for something beyond cover records of yesterday’s former glories. It is one thing to try a reboot, strike out and move on. It is another thing to pull solid grosses but at too high a cost, like Sony’s Amazing Spider-Man, and then team with a rival and keep the budget in check for the second reboot. It is another entirely to take the same dead franchise and presume that the same audiences who said “No, thank you” not once but twice will somehow magically embrace it on the third try.
11-02-19, 11:25 AM
#31
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
No way. It has nothing on John Wick 3. Hell, it isn't even in the same league as Hobbs & Shaw.
11-02-19, 11:48 AM
#32
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
Shame about the box office but the article is right. Expecting people to go back a third time for a reboot saying: this one is really it was a stupid approach. What they should have done was just continued off of Terminator: Salvation and tried to improve it. I like that entry a lot and think its actually quite underrated.
I still plan on seeing Dark Fate today. It seems like the people who have been down with the franchise even at its low points like it, so I expect I will too.
I still plan on seeing Dark Fate today. It seems like the people who have been down with the franchise even at its low points like it, so I expect I will too.
11-02-19, 12:58 PM
#33
DVD Talk God
Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
I know he wasn't the composer (he hasn't worked in years) but it was cool hearing Brad Fiedel's Terminator theme on the closing credits. Junkie XL, who worked on Alita, composed this one and did a new mix of it.
11-02-19, 03:57 PM
#34
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
Just got out of it. I liked it a lot actually, but then Ive liked most of the films this franchise has churned out. I do think I agree that this is the best follow-up to the first two.
I had accidentally read the spoiler about John prior to seeing the film and thought it would bother me, but truthfully it really didnt. While it is a bit of a mixed bag how I feel about there being a new leader of the human resistance the fact that hes killed and Dani takes his place fits. One of the basic themes of this series is that inevitably the events play out. So I can accept Dani from that regard.
I was worried about Linda Hamilton but she did a good job as Sarah yet again. She still pulls off the been through hell, gruff and tough character well if you ask me. The Grace character was good as well. I liked that all the female characters were strongly portrayed, but yet it wasnt shoved down your throat that they were strong just because they were women. Could have easily went that way and Im glad the film didnt do that.
Schwarzenegger was also very good. Still love the guy and hes still great no matter how many times he portrays a T-800. He had a lot of good moments and the fact that he was just a family man (in a sense) was an interesting twist. He also had some good comedy moments, and they felt like pretty natural moments rather than forced.
Overall really a good film. A lot better than the trailers made it look if you ask me. I had little interest in this based on the marketing and was quite surprised by it. Its a shame that the film is flopping hard and probably will be yet another entry in this franchise that doesnt receive a sequel.
I had accidentally read the spoiler about John prior to seeing the film and thought it would bother me, but truthfully it really didnt. While it is a bit of a mixed bag how I feel about there being a new leader of the human resistance the fact that hes killed and Dani takes his place fits. One of the basic themes of this series is that inevitably the events play out. So I can accept Dani from that regard.
I was worried about Linda Hamilton but she did a good job as Sarah yet again. She still pulls off the been through hell, gruff and tough character well if you ask me. The Grace character was good as well. I liked that all the female characters were strongly portrayed, but yet it wasnt shoved down your throat that they were strong just because they were women. Could have easily went that way and Im glad the film didnt do that.
Schwarzenegger was also very good. Still love the guy and hes still great no matter how many times he portrays a T-800. He had a lot of good moments and the fact that he was just a family man (in a sense) was an interesting twist. He also had some good comedy moments, and they felt like pretty natural moments rather than forced.
Overall really a good film. A lot better than the trailers made it look if you ask me. I had little interest in this based on the marketing and was quite surprised by it. Its a shame that the film is flopping hard and probably will be yet another entry in this franchise that doesnt receive a sequel.
Last edited by Mike86; 11-02-19 at 04:47 PM.
11-02-19, 04:25 PM
#35
DVD Talk God
Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
The marketing for this movie IMO seems much more low key. In fact, the world premiere in Hollywood was cancelled due to the California fires. Also, aside from Comic Con this past summer, I haven't seen the cast go out on a big press tour to promote the movie. Haven't seen Arnold, Linda, MacKenzie on any notable morning shows and such. I know whenever the Rock has a new big budget movie, it's a big promotional blitz. This one doesn't seem to have that.
I also have to blame Paramount for greenlighting a $185M big budget movie when they should have known that type of investment is next to impossible to recoup non-summer. Especially for a franchise that has struggled in the last decade. They should have made this for 1/2 that.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/he...-fires-1250453
11-03-19, 04:34 AM
#36
Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
I recognize that it's a solid enough film, but it didn't really excite me, -it's just adds nothing fresh to the premise.
11-03-19, 06:59 AM
#37
Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
All the Terminator sequels except Salvation follow the same story pattern laid out by the 1984 original. And I know how much everyone loves T2 (me too), but can we give T1 some love? That movie needs a ton more accolades than it's getting!
11-03-19, 10:03 AM
#38
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
From my review page ORBI-WAN GOES TO THE MOVIES:
TERMINATOR: DARK FATE (R) - For better or worse, Sarah Connor is back, in a new (?) story that feels awfully familiar, but has its moments.
Heads ups, I’ve done a lot of “research” the past week on the Terminator mythology, i.e., I’ve been laid up with an injury, and spend the last week watching every Terminator movie in order, plus the excellent TV series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. So I think I can approach this review from a fairly “non-biased” point of view.
I did go into my screening of Terminator: Dark Fate with the understanding that the filmmakers, including producer James Cameron, director Tim Miller and the others, consider this a direct sequel to 1992’s Terminator 2: Judgement Day. This means any preconceived notions gleaned from Rise of the Machines, Salvation, Genisys, the TV show and other media sources should not exist in this dojo. Trust me, things generally make a little more sense if you follow that advice.
The fact that this is a direct continuation of T2 is driven home during the first few minutes of Dark Fate, as we relive Sarah’s (Linda Hamilton) recorded rantings while a patient at Pescadero State Hospital, then see John (Edward Furlong) and Sarah a short time later in Cancun. After a tragic encounter, the story shifts to present day Mexico City, and introduces us to enhanced human super-soldier Grace (Mackenzie Davis) and Dani (Natalia Reyes), a woman whose survival is key to mankind. They are pursued by a new version of Terminator (Gabriel Luna) that can split into 2 separate entities, and seems nigh indestructible.
After two very close encounters with the Terminator, one at the auto plant where Dani works, then a stand-off on a highway overpass, Sarah shows up and manages to slow the mechanical assassin long enough to catch breathes, get some exposition and develop a exit strategy out of Mexico. Seems Sarah has been getting mysterious texts over the past few years with times and locations that have allowed her to stop terminators that keep dropping in from the future. The plan is to track the source of the texts, and come up with a new way to stop the seemingly unstoppable killer.
It was at this point that Dark Fate, which had my curiosity, actually got my attention. From this point, the movie that had been moving at about a 5 suddenly cranked it up to 11. We are finally introduced to Carl (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a Terminator whose current situation was kind of sweet, funny and sad all at the same time. Trust me, once Carl comes on the scene, the movie goes from being a rehash of the first Terminator movie to standing on its own. Unfortunately this comes a little more than halfway through the movie, but it does feature two more completely crazy, over the top action sets that I will love watching again on my home theater rig.
Sooooo, did I like Terminator: Dark Fate? Yes, I can say I liked it, but I didn’t “love” love it. Everyone was fine in their roles, though Grace and Carl were the highlights. Sarah was basically a bitter old lady with a lot of weapons. And I like that, ultimately, Dani’s importance to the future was not just a retread of Sarah’s.
All that being said, yes, Terminator: Dark Fate was not a waste of time. It’s an adequate sequel to Terminator 2, and it is marginally better than the last three Terminator movies. I am going to give Terminator: Dark Fate 3 out of 5 lightsabers.
NOTES FOR PARENTS (Mild Spoilers) - Terminator: Dark Fate is rated R for action violence, language, and brief nudity. The F bomb is used about a dozen times (mostly by Sarah), along with other milder profanities. Both Grace and the Terminator are nude when they arrive, as per the rules of time travel in this franchise. Grace's buttocks are seen from the back a couple of times, and her breasts from the side in one brief shot. There is a shocking scene at the beginning of the film involving Sarah, John and the T101 model we are familiar with. The new Terminator kills multiple civilians, law enforcement and soldiers in pursuit of Dani, Grace and the others.
MID AND AFTER CREDIT SCENES - There are no mid- or after-credit scenes.
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11-03-19, 10:07 AM
#39
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
I like them both but T2 to me just tops the first in so many ways. Its one of those rare instances where a sequel is better than the first film, and honestly probably one of the best films ever made in my opinion.
11-03-19, 01:48 PM
#40
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
It was okay and overall competent. That said, I don't see how this is registering as fresh with so many critics. It's on track to be a worse flop than Genesis (I'm spelling it correctly, sorry) and I can understand why. They just need to lay the series to rest. Try something new studios!
That said, Linda Hamiltion still rocked the role of Sarah Connor. I really do hope that someday someone makes a movie where she and Sigourney Weaver get to share a scene, even if it's a brief one like Expendables church scene. They are pretty much the standard when it comes to female action stars.
That said, Linda Hamiltion still rocked the role of Sarah Connor. I really do hope that someday someone makes a movie where she and Sigourney Weaver get to share a scene, even if it's a brief one like Expendables church scene. They are pretty much the standard when it comes to female action stars.
11-03-19, 02:56 PM
#41
Inane Thread Master, 2018 TOTY
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Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
wow! that's a pretty bold statement. ever made, really? or did you mean technically?
11-03-19, 03:09 PM
#42
Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
IMO, T1 is superior to T2 (and I love T2). T1 is perfectly paced as Arnold is utterly scary in that role (in the context of 1984) before he became the mega star/action star he is today). T2 is an example where fans get caught up in the special effects and bigger is better like most Sequels when they compare it to the original.
11-03-19, 03:12 PM
#43
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
I mean its a personal opinion. Technically its fantastic for what it was able to accomplish as far as special effects years before CG was really perfected, and on top of that the effects still hold up incredibly well. I also think its got a good story all around, the acting is all solid, fantastic action. Id put it at least in my top twenty, maybe top ten.
11-03-19, 04:10 PM
#44
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Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
Ok. Just wondering. I actually have it set to go tonight. The extended. Don’t think I’ve seen this in many many years. Technically, it is/was a wonder with what Cameron did with the T-1000. And the action scenes were marvelous as well. While T1 tops it for me, I think after this viewing this will get consideration, but not overtake. I mean the last scene has left such an indelible impression on me, I mean I’ll never forget, and one of only maybe 4-5 movies, I’ve seen 2x in theaters, but due to circumstances, not love...
Last edited by OldBoy; 11-03-19 at 04:16 PM.
11-03-19, 07:44 PM
#45
Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
11-03-19, 10:36 PM
#46
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
T1 is definitely still my favorite. Next Monday my local Alamo is showing a double feature of 1 & 2 that im pretty hyped for.
11-04-19, 12:10 AM
#47
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
I thought the 1998 flashback sequence looked really good. I'm guessing they took Linda and Edward Furlong's faces from 1991 and CGI'd them over body doubles and used motion capture tech for the facial expressions.
It was impressive took. I thought I was looking at newly shot footage from Linda 28 years younger.
That was a little cheesy for Cameron to publicize that Furlong was back, but in actuality only as a manufactured CGI flashback.
It was impressive took. I thought I was looking at newly shot footage from Linda 28 years younger.
That was a little cheesy for Cameron to publicize that Furlong was back, but in actuality only as a manufactured CGI flashback.
11-04-19, 04:48 AM
#48
Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
I thought this was decent. I enjoyed it to a degree. I hope the poor box office means they never make another one though. As 3-6 all fall waaaaaay short of 1 and 2 and the franchise is so muddied, abused and prostituted, that even if JC himself (James Cameron or Jesus Christ, you choose) came back to write and direct, there would still be no salvaging this franchise. It's dead. Over. Finished. Kaput. Adios and Sayonara.
11-04-19, 06:32 AM
#49
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
This is funny. Back in 2016, James Cameron had this to say about David Fincher's ALIEN 3:
After seeing Dark Fate, I hope Fincher calls up Cameron and tells him to go F-himself. 
I thought [the decision to eliminate Newt, Hicks, and Bishop] was dumb. I thought it was a huge slap in the face to the fans. [Alien 3 director] David Fincher is a friend of mine, and hes an amazing filmmaker, unquestionably. That was kind of his first big gig, and he was getting vectored around by the studio, and he dropped into the production late, and they had a horrible script, and they were re-writing it on the fly. It was just a mess. I think it was a big mistake. Certainly, had we been involved we would not have done that, because we felt we earned something with the audience for those characters.
11-04-19, 07:38 AM
#50
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Terminator: Dark Fate (Tim Miller, 2019) The Spoiler Filled Reviews Thread
In context, that comparison makes no sense. In Alien 3 you had them kill off Hicks and Newt, having their only appearance be Aliens. It's not like we didn't know John Connor. That character has been in T2, T3, Salvation, Battle Across Time, Sarah Connor Chronicles, and Dark Fate. It's an apples to oranges comparison and the haters are really reaching for something that isn't there.