Terminator Genisys


2015 blockbuster sequel

Rating: 10/20

Plot: Pretty much the same as the other Terminator movies.

Ok, I think I'm going to have to be done with Terminator movies. This is slightly better than Terminator Salvation. I guess you don't really know how much you miss Arnold Schwarzenegger until he's gone. The character stopped making sense a long time ago, but Schwarzenegger himself is at least as likable here as he's ever been. The humor doesn't really work in this, mostly because it contrasts with the action mayhem of the rest of the movie, but there are a couple moments that almost put a smile on my face, both involving Arnold.

This really feels like a movie that the studio decided to make well before anybody knew what the story would be, and then, once greenlighted, had computer graphics guys scurrying into their basements to start putting together wild action sequences. And only then did somebody decide, "Hey, this movie needs a plot! Somebody start writing something." The story and characters are thrown to the side so that we can watch morphing and melting Terminator villains, cars crashing all over the place, buses doing forward flips, and a whole bunch of other stuff that I'll likely forget I've seen in another week or two.

The characters, even though we've seen them in various incarnations in the other movies in this franchise, are also forgettable. Emilia Clarke, I imagine, is supposed to be a feisty Sarah Connor, but comes across and bratty. She's really not very good here at all. Jason Clarke and Jai Courtney don't really work, and I'm not sure why J.K. Simmons decided to take time out of his busy insurance commercial schedule to mess around with this crap.

Yeah, I've made my decision. I can't do another Terminator movie. I'll make an exception if they decide to involve Kevin James.

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