If you’ve ever experienced a human relationship, odds are you’ve heard this subtext-laden gem: “It’s fine.” In my experience, “fine” doesn’t travel alone – “fine” flies with distinctly negative, yet socially inappropriate or awkward baggage. “Fine” is a low-grade chemical weapon wrapped in a large layer of anti-toxins, bubble wrap and one of the expensive “get well soon” cards that sings to you when you open it. “Terminator: Genisys” is fine.
I wanted to like this film, I really did. I put effort into liking this film. I made excuses for it. I kept telling myself that it was fine. Ya, not so much. “Terminator: Genisys” attempts to literally follow in the foot steps of its acknowledgeable forebears, “The Terminator” and “Terminator 2: Judgement Day.” The result is an extended series of missteps, fumbles and over-extensions that slowly erodes what was left of the franchise and “Genisys’s” largely strong opening act.
Time travel is tough to do in movies. Simplicity is always the best option. Anytime a property tries to up the ante by introducing alternate timelines or time travel within time travel the result is a almost always a convoluted mess. “Terminator: Genisys” makes this exact mistake. It tries to go for bigger thrills, badder villains, and more important plot twists and it just ends up being woefully disjointed.
I really wanted to like this movie for a number of reasons. James Cameron, the writer and director of the first two “Terminator” movies is one of my favorite filmmakers. In fact, “Judgment Day” was one of the seminal action-movies of my youth. Furthermore, I absolutely adore Emilia Clarke, who plays Sarah Connor in “Genisys.” I’ve been captivated by Clarke’s since her breakout role on HBO’s “Game of Thrones” where she plays Daenerys Targaryen – one of my favorite characters from any book or show, anywhere. While Clarke delivers a great performance as Sarah Connor, her work alone is not enough to salvage a poorly written script and poorly conceived and directed action. “Genisys” attempted to save the franchise’s future by going back to the past, but instead of saving it, it nearly postponed its demise – exactly like the struggle of the human characters trying to stave off Judgement Day.
3 of 6 Stars