Even before the movie’s release, many critics gave bad reviews to Terminator Genisys (2015), and the movie since has been labelled a “bomb” for several reasons that include problems with the marketing and tough ongoing competition from other summer films. Still, if you are a fan of the Terminator series, Terminator Genisys, directed by Alan Taylor, is a fun way to spend a hot summer evening.
Many folks have already complained that the trailer for Terminator Genisys spoils a major plot point, so for those who have not seen the movie, I will not say too much about the plot. The movie begins in 2029, as the resistance leader John Connor (Jason Clarke) leads a major offensive against Skynet. In the process, the resistance forces discover Skynet’s time machine, and Connor sends Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) back to 1984 to protect Connor’s mother Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke, who does an excellent job channeling Terminator 2‘s Sarah Connor, Linda Hamilton).
That first part of the film may sound familiar, but when Reese arrives in 1984, things are different from what we have seen in the previous films. Thus, this fifth Terminator film introduces a new timeline where the Guardian played by Arnold Schwarzenegger has already been protecting Connor since she was nine years old. On this new adventure, some Terminators from the original and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) cross paths with the new timeline, including a young Arnold Schwarzenegger facing off against an old Schwarzenegger (the skin on robots does age we are told). Sarah, Kyle, and the Guardian end up in 2017 attempting to stop Skynet, which is linked to our cell phones in this modern retelling.
Ultimately, we see a similar battle to stop Skynet that we have seen in the previous Terminator films, with new twists and turns, including a “surprise” villain. Yes, the film is not as good as Terminator 2, but it is still entertaining along the lines of some of the other films in the series. And it tells a new story that will challenge Terminator and time-travel fans, unlike completely unnecessary reboots like 2012’s Total Recall.
Conclusion? Terminator Genisys is good fun for a reboot of a series, even if most critics do not like it. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a low critics rating of 27% while regular movie fans rated it higher at 67%. If you adjust your expectations and want a fun summer movie with lots of action, give it a chance, especially if you do not expect it to be the best of the series. If you want to watch the trailer, it is below (but again be warned it reveals a spoiler).
Bonus note: If you see the movie in the theater, you might want to hang around after the credits for a short post-credits clip, although it is pretty short and rather predictable.
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