Review of Terminator Genisys (2015) by Filmgob — 01 Jul 2015

John Connor sends Kyle Reese back in time to protect Sarah Connor, but when he arrives in 1984, nothing is as he expected it to be. The events in Genisys act as a ripple across an alternate universe. What if Skynet got to John Connor? What if a T800 saved a younger Sarah Connor? What if Judgement Day took place in 2017 instead of 1997? Yes there will be plot holes, but with this much fun who cares!

The performances are hit and miss however. Emilia Clarke cannot match the toughness or intensity of Linda Hamilton’s ‘Sarah Connor’, Jai Courtney is still not leading man material as he gives his take on Michael Biehn’s ‘Kyle Reese’ but Jason Clarke’s villainous 'John Connor' is a surprise twist that works. Where does that leave Arnold Schwarzenegger? Surprisingly his screen time is less than expected, with familiar one liners thrown in to keep the audience happy. Still, Arnold plays his role brilliantly. J.K. Simmons comes and goes as the helpful but pointless ‘O’Brien’, Matt Smith and Byung-hun Lee do well in their short roles.

So, what about the action? They are few and far between, but what is here is generic CGI summer blockbuster visuals, nothing that pushes the boundaries like you expect from this franchise. The trailer certainly gave away too much but we get visual references that respect the mythology and even add to it. In the end it’s the character development, exposition and plot that are at the forefront, which is no bad thing if it means we avoid rehashed action set pieces of previous films, which was a worry of mine going in.

Terminator: Genisys is a bold attempt to kickstart the franchise in a new direction. It may lack the cinematic intelligence of James Cameron’s originals, but after tired retreads like 'Rise of the Machines' and ‘Salvation’, this entry in the sci-fi franchise is actually well worth your time.