The fun thing about the Terminator franchise is how its wacky timeline justifies ignoring any bad sequels or reboots — like Genisys, a movie you probably forgot existed until this very moment. In the world of Terminator, every movie is a do-over; it’s sort of meta, when you think about it. So it’s not surprising that Arnold Schwarzenegger is at it again with another reboot, and he’s found his leading lady in Mackenzie Davis.
Throughout the years, the one constant in the Terminator franchise has been Arnold Schwarzenegger. Even after director James Cameron quit the franchise, Schwarzenegger kept on chugging along, appearing in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machine, Terminator Genisys, and even having his likeness pop up in Terminator Salvation while he was still the governor of California. So with the news that James Cameron would be taking the helm of the franchise again after Genisys flopped, fans have been wondering if the actor had one last showing in him as everyone’s favorite compassionate death machine.
With James Cameron caught in an endless loop of Avatar rumors and delays, it’s become fashionable for some fans to treat the director like a Hollywood has-been. I don’t get it. Even if you think the original Avatar is a hollow mess of special effects, it’s still a fun entry in Cameron’s ‘Soldiers vs. Monsters’ filmography. Are we so awash in incredible action directors that we can afford to dismiss Cameron’s eye for spectacle and clean action scenes? I think not.
The last Terminator Genisys trailer was so convoluted and confusing that ScreenCrush editor Mike Sampson and I spent an entire piece trying to figure out the plot of the film. (We were not successful, either.) At the very least, the new Genisys spot makes things a bit clearer. Right off the bat they also reveal one significant plot twist: John Connor (Jason Clarke) has been mechanized by Skynet and the evil computers of the future, and sent back in time to kill his mother Sarah (Emilia Clarke). Also, I just realized that Sarah and John Connor are played in this film by two actors with the same last name. Which, whoa. And, of course, there’s also Arnold Schwarzenegger back as the T-800, but this time he’s an older model who’s Sarah Connor’s protector. How and why remains to be seen, but hey, that’s why you’ve got to buy a ticket. To figure out how a robot can age and learn to a be a good guy who smiles awkwardly. (Very awkwardly.)
‘Terminator 2’, James Cameron’s sequel to his cult hit from 1984, had a budget of $94 million. That may not sound like much these days when Michael Bay movies routinely cost over $200 million, but in 1991, when ‘Terminator 2’ first opened in theaters, it was the most expensive movie ever made (this was even more impressive considering that the original ‘Terminator’ cost only $6 million to make). A good chunk of that money went to star Arnold Schwarzenegger who was paid a then-record $15 million, plus they bought him a private jet! Want to know more? No problemo, just watch the latest installment of You Think You Know Movies!
Allow me to begin my stating a simple, yet embarrassing fact.
I've never seen any Terminator movie. Nope. Not one. Never ever.
All I know is one 3-word phrase.
How's it go again? Oh yea.... I'LL BE BACK.
Having said that, the trailer for the latest installment gets me kinda pumped up...
Arnold Schwarzenegger is 67 years old, which makes the idea of him playing an ageless, robotic killing machine in the upcoming 'Terminator: Genisys' seem oh-so-very silly [Ed. note: as silly as that title?]. However, it turns out that there's some fairly level-headed science fiction going on the explains Arnie's senior citizen appearance in the new film and it came courtesy of the franchise's original creator, James Cameron.