Jason Evans' 100 Word Reviews: Terminator: Dark Fate

In Richard II, William Shakespeare wrote, “I wasted time, and now doth time waste me.” The last thing film critic Jason Evans wants you to do is to waste time. So, he is embarking on an effort to write movie reviews in exactly 100 words… not 99, not 101. Here is his 100 Word Review of Terminator: Dark Fate

The Premise: Starting shortly after the events of Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Dark Fate sees Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) still battling robots sent from the future, though she does not know where they are coming from because she supposedly re-wrote the future and saved mankind at the end of T2. She soon discovers a new model of Terminator (Gabriel Luna) has been sent back to kill Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes). But, Dani has a protector, a cybernetically enhanced human named Grace who also comes from the future. Oh, and before things are all said and done, they will need to get the help of the original Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger).

The 100 Words: This back-to-basics reboot follows the same beats as the first Terminator film and is easily the best Terminator movie since T2. It’s an enjoyable ride and full of nostalgia and cool action, but you can tell 5 different people wrote the uninspiring story. Every time you think the film might try something new or daring, it choses safe and predictable instead. Schwarzenegger has a few funny lines and Hamilton still kicks butt, but little about the film feels necessary or meaningful. It also hurts that the evil Terminator is bland and uninteresting. Dark Fate is mostly fun, but ultimately forgettable.