FILM REVIEW: "Dark Fate" resuscitates the Terminator franchise, but remains overshadowed by its past
It has been over 20 years since the first Terminator film debuted in theatres in 1984, and it is disappointing to see how little the franchise seems willing to change artistically. Where the original Terminator film was a cat-and-mouse thriller with a science fiction twist, and the 1991 sequel Terminator 2: Judgement Day was an incredible action spectacle with an engrossing story, the following instalments of the franchise feel uninspired and overshadowed by the legacy of its first two films.
Terminator: Dark Fate is the strongest film that the franchise has produced in a long time, thanks to some remarkable action sequences and passionate performances from series newcomer, Mackenzie Davis and returning veterans, Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger. But is that saying much? The film comes right out the gate in traditional Terminator fashion, as we follow Grace (Davis), a super-soldier sent from the future to protect Dani (Natalia Reyes), a young New Mexico woman who becomes the unwilling target of an unstoppable killing machine, the Rev-9 (Gabriel Luna). When all hope seems lost for Grace and Dani, they are saved at the last second by Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and manage to escape to safety. From here, their only chance of stopping the Rev-9 is to team up with a rogue T-800 Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger), who is stuck in the past after his future was erased by the actions of Sarah Connor in Terminator 2.
At first glance, the plot reads like yet another unfortunate re-tread of themes already explored with more nuance in the first two films. That said, Terminator: Dark Fate succeeds in capturing their original magic, striking that careful balance of relentless tension, emotional depth and quirky humour in a flawed but admirable way. The initial chase sequence that opens the film feels like an exhilarating endurance test of emotive and physical tension, conveying a sense of vulnerability in our protagonists that is immediately refreshing to watch unfold.
Part of what holds Terminator: Dark Fate back from being more than just an entertaining pop-corn action spectacle is the way it reflects on the franchise’s overarching themes of personal agency and finding your own path despite the fear of a seemingly inevitable fate. Towards the climax of the film is where it begins to falter, falling into the dull and predictable territory that undermined the failed entries of the franchise, which is disappointing, considering how promising the initial setup is. The story and narrative ends up feeling unfocused and incomplete, squandering opportunities to allow these characters to undergo any meaningful development (in fact, the most interesting character development, which happened to Arnie’s Terminator, occurs off-screen).
Despite a thematically inconsistent plot and a predictable climax, Terminator: Dark Fate is a promising and reinvigorating entry into a franchise that has been struggling to step out of the shadows of the past.
