Terminator 2: Judgment Day (T2 1991) is one of my all-time favourite films. I saw it when I was eight and it blew my tiny mind. It is the movie that sparked my passion for film and has led me on a varied journey through the world of film production to my keyboard writing this review for you.
The Terminator (T1 1984) is a classic chase movie about the fear of technology. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (T3 2003) was a rehash which had potential, but was spoilt by misplaced humour, and Terminator Salvation (T4 2009) needed its plot and characters streamlined and focused on the future war teased in T2.
Needless to say that I am a fan of the franchise and jumped at the chance to see the latest instalment in the hope that it could capture what made parts 1 and 2 so great, but I knew that there was a very strong chance that this would be a poor movie and yet another failed attempt to reboot a franchise from the 80s (see Robocop 2014).
Before seeing this film I would advise audiences to see T1 and T2 to understand the overall story. However I would advise that everyone see these excellent films anyway.
This film starts with a voiceover from Kyle Reece (Jai Courtney) describing judgement day, when a missile defence programme called Skynet went rogue in 1997 and decided to launce nuclear missiles across the globe to wipe out mankind. So far so Terminator, but not a year goes by where I don’t see San Francisco destroyed in a summer blockbuster.
Kyle was born during the war of the machines and we finally get to see the final attack against Skynet in 2029, led by humanity’s saviour, John Connor (Jason Clarke). They discover Skynet has sent back a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to 1984 in order to kill John’s mother Sarah (Emilia Clarke), thus erasing the future leader of the resistance. Kyle is sent back to protect her but it’s not what you expect.
Most sequels follow a formula of showing what the audience liked from its predecessor but dressed up slightly differently, and this film is no exception. What we first see are exact recreations of the opening of T1 but with a new spin on things.
I always worry about spoiler territory but as the trailer gives away the first 20 minutes of the film anyway: The Terminator is greeted by the Guardian (an older Schwarzenegger), Kyle is greeted by a T1000 (Byung-hun Lee) and Sarah isn’t the weak character we know from T1.
The first half of the film for me as a fanboy was a joy to watch as the filmmakers were very faithful to the source material and there were countless nods to the first two films. Without spoiling it too much Sarah, Kyle and the Guardian are on a mission to stop Skynet and prevent Judgement Day.
T3 showed that Judgement dDy was delayed from 1997 but ultimately inevitable. This film builds on this idea but is far more aligned to our current world with inter-connecting technology like our computers and phones.
As such this is a modern Terminator film in terms of plot, storytelling and buckets of CGI. Like the last two instalments, Genisys has a lot of potential but it doesn’t make the most of it, and this new direction for the franchise unfortunately loses its way.
The first half is great as we see two seemingly indestructible enemies facing off against each other, and I like the role reversal where Sarah was the protector and Kyle needed protecting, reminiscent of the dynamic between John and Sarah in T2.
I had fun trying to figure out what was going on with plot developments halfway through the film but it became obvious that the villain would be dispatched, all three leads would survive, and it would be left open for a further sequel.
Jai Courtney’s Kyle and Emilia Clarke’s Sarah work well throughout, but the actors kind of seem miscast and aren’t the Kyle and Sarah we know from T1. A lot of work went into recreating various shots and scenes from T1 which are a joy to watch, but why couldn’t they get actors who could not only copy their predecessor’s performances and mannerisms to make the transition flawless?
Emilia Clarke is great in Game of Thrones but isn’t the hardened warrior Linda Hamilton is in T2. Also, Jai Courtney spends a lot of his time as a third wheel and doesn’t get a chance to develop his character.
Jason Clarke’s John Connor is a convincing resistance leader, but isn’t the battle-hardened vet we see in T2.
SPOILER ALERT he also just comes across self-indulgent and annoying when he is revealed as the films villain. I did like how they turned him into a new type of Terminator, yet he lacked the menace of the T1000 by simply smiling too much. Also if the T1000 can now control a T800 with a drip of its liquid, why can’t John control the Guardian with his nanobots? END OF SPOILERS.
Arnold Schwarzenegger hasn’t exactly set the box office alight since his return from politics and a new Terminator film was inevitable as it is his most iconic role. His performance is just what you expected and his Guardian has built on the humanisation elements of T2, some to great comic effect but his pronunciation of Kyle Reece as Kal Reece’ becomes annoying. To quote he is old, but not obsolete.
It was great to see old and new Terminators fighting each other. The youthing effects work well and Arnie’s older Terminator is utterly convincing. I loved seeing the T1000 back but alas it was underused and a shame as Byung-hun Lee captures the mannerisms and menace perfectly.
The film also criminally underuses JK Simmons in a role I won’t disclose. I also remember it being a big deal when Matt Smith was announced for this film, and then silence. I won’t spoil the latter’s role but they both seem to have nothing more than cameos that will be expanded on in the inevitable sequel.
Of course it is the movie business and Skydance productions want to make the most of their investment before the rights go back. This is the first part in a planned trilogy and I’m glad that they have the confidence to try something different, but they need to up the ante in order to reach the heights of T1 and T2.
This seems like most of the right people were involved in making this and I like their new spin on it in order to revitalise the series. Skydance have successfully used the alternate-timeline plot device to successfully restart the Star Trek franchise, but there is no real sense of dread throughout the film and as such the ending suffers.
There is a brief mid-credits teaser which is unfortunately followed by a horrific song. Why not just use Brad Fiedel’s iconic theme?
Overall this is a prime example of a summer blockbuster laden with special effects, lots of laughs and some great and OTT action. The 3D is rubbish but it’s worth seeing for the many surprises that weren’t in the seemingly spoilerific trailers, the Genisys’ reveal and the role reversals.
Overall Verdict: A good but not great attempt to reboot the franchise and I’m sure we will see the further two sequels. There are some great ideas and action sequences and its homages will please die-hard fans, but it’s just not as thrilling as T1 or T2.
Reviewer: George Elcombe