They'll be back (maybe)

Terminator: Dark Fate

There are millions of people walking the Earth right now that weren’t alive the last time a great Terminator film was released (1991, in case you forgot). The latest film in the franchise that absolutely will not stop, ever, does nothing to change that, despite bringing back James Cameron in a story/producing role. The kindest thing I can say about it is that it’s the most enjoyable Terminator film since Rise of the Machines. Ignoring all the other sequels after T2, the film opens with teenage John Connor being killed by one last Terminator sent back by Skynet (which no longer exists in this timeline). The most shocking thing about this scene is the digital de-aging on Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton and Eddie Furlong, which is still not quite ready for primetime.

Cut to the present and we get yet another remake of the first Terminator, with an unaware young woman called Dani (played by the appealing Natalia Reyes) suddenly forced to abandon her life and go on the run when a Terminator and a protector both travel from the future to find her. It’s completely different this time, though, because the Terminator can use its liquid metal form and actual metal form separately, the protector is an “enhanced” human and Skynet is now called Legion. Totally different scenario.

Anyway, you can probably guess the plot from there but it is nice to see Hamilton and Schwarzenegger back in their classic roles, with Arnie playing the now aged version of the same Terminator that killed JC, leading to some tense scenes with Sarah Connor. But he has a family now (yes, really) so she can’t kill him. Eventually we learn why Dani so important and her connection to her protector, Grace. The film does get a little political at times (especially with a scene in an immigrant detention center) but other than that is fairly unserious throughout. Things are wrapped up fairly neatly, while still leaving the door open for a sequel. The characters are likable and the action scenes serviceable (if not up to Cameron’s standard) but after several movies that ranged from disappointing to disastrous, this needed to be a lot better to restore faith in the franchise. Unless they go for a low budget thriller with a killer script for the next, it might be best to just let it die now.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

The first Maleficent was better than the reviews made it seem, and this sequel is also a surprisingly enjoyable reimaging of the fairytale. Angelina Jolie remains impressive in the lead role but the MVP of this installment is Michelle Pfeiffer, killing it as the evil Queen. The final battle between humans and the magical people is fairly exciting on a PG-level. The visuals are splendid and while it doesn’t offer much new it’s nice to see a live action Disney movie that isn’t just a shot-for-shot remake of an animated classic.