Film Review: “Terminator Genisys”

In the age of movie reboots such as Poltergeist, Jurassic World, and Robocop, Terminator Genisys has relaunched the Terminator series. Terminator, directed by James Cameron and released in 1984, was an instant hit. Arnold Schwarzenegger went from a professional bodybuilder to a cyborg assassin who famously said, “I’ll be back.”

The last two chapters in the Terminator series were very disappointing and were not nearly as popular or as profitable as the first two installments. Sensibly, Terminator Genisys disregards the previous two movies and, instead, brings in bits of plot from the beloved Terminator and Terminator 2 classics.

With a low rating from Rotten Tomatoes at 27% and a rating of 7.1 out of 10 on IMBD.com, Terminator Genisys is either very entertaining or boring with plot holes, depending on whom you ask. My vote is for very enjoyable. John Connor (Jason Clarke), the director of the human resistance, leads a battle against Skynet to bring it down once and for all, but things do not go as planned. Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) is sent by John to 1984 to protect John’s mother, Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke). Kyle expects to find a scared waitress, but because of an altered timeline, Sarah is protected by the less technologically advanced T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger), which is ffectionately called “Pops” by Sarah. Together they travel to the future to terminate Skynet before it is launched.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character says throughout the movie “I’m old, but not obsolete,” and it’s true. As Sarah explains, Schwarzenegger’s skin is made from humans so he ages just as everyone else does. He is at a disadvantage when fighting the newer and more efficient cyborgs, but he still manages to eradicate his adversaries with the help of Kyle and Sarah. The T-800 cyborg is a welcome return for the many fans of the original Terminator series.

Technically, Sarah and Kyle are supposed to fall in love during the movie, but do not expect any big romantic scenes. There is barely any chemistry between Emilia and Jai’s characters, and every time they talk about love, it seems forced, contrived, and awkward. Jai Courtney is a very bland and unemotional actor in this installment. Also, Emilia Clarke did not have the most convincing American accent, at points. But overall she does a fantastic job portraying Sarah Connor in this latest adaptation.

Terminator Genisys does not quite recapture the cherished charm of the original series like Jurassic World did, but it is still an entertaining science fiction film with an abundance of action and superb fight scenes. It is perfect for fans of Terminator, Terminator 2, and for newcomers to the sci-fi series.