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LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated As the Gods Will (2014) in Movies
Oct 28, 2021
"šš©š¦ š“š¶š³š·šŖš·š°š³š“ š¢š³š¦ šØš°š°š„, šµš©š¦ š„š¦š¢š„ š¢š³š¦ š¦š·šŖš."
Seventh Miike down and so far this is my favorite of his by a wide margin: gorgeous, fearlessly stupid, entertaining as can be, grisly, funny, and as giddy as a kid in a candy shop with its cruelty. Pretty much the shit movies were made for. Couldn't tell you how this holds up as an adaptation of the manga, but it's a top-to-bottom gnarly blast in its own right - just keeps topping and topping itself with its series of totally ludicrous rug-pulls until you have no choice but to strap in blindfolded and hold on for the ride. I still can't get over the combination of all these breathtaking sets with the garish, purposefully fugly CGI - it adds a deep idiosyncrasy to the project that works like a motherfucker in deepening its artsy camp. The entirety of the 'telling the truth' game is the best scene in any Miike movie I've seen up to this point. Ryunosuke Kamiki is a God's-honest talent. And at this point in Takashi's filmography it should go without saying that Koji Endo's score rips hard. Catch me demanding a sequel to this overlooked genre classic.
Seventh Miike down and so far this is my favorite of his by a wide margin: gorgeous, fearlessly stupid, entertaining as can be, grisly, funny, and as giddy as a kid in a candy shop with its cruelty. Pretty much the shit movies were made for. Couldn't tell you how this holds up as an adaptation of the manga, but it's a top-to-bottom gnarly blast in its own right - just keeps topping and topping itself with its series of totally ludicrous rug-pulls until you have no choice but to strap in blindfolded and hold on for the ride. I still can't get over the combination of all these breathtaking sets with the garish, purposefully fugly CGI - it adds a deep idiosyncrasy to the project that works like a motherfucker in deepening its artsy camp. The entirety of the 'telling the truth' game is the best scene in any Miike movie I've seen up to this point. Ryunosuke Kamiki is a God's-honest talent. And at this point in Takashi's filmography it should go without saying that Koji Endo's score rips hard. Catch me demanding a sequel to this overlooked genre classic.
David McK (3702 KP) rated Superman II (1981) in Movies
Mar 11, 2023
KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!
Straight sequel (as in, referencing the events of the first and building on it) to the 1978 Christopher Reeve original, and there's a reason why this, for many, is held up as one of the best Superhero sequels (and Reeves as one of the best actors to portray Clarke Kent/Superman).
This is the one with (Terence Stamps version of) Zod and his fellow Krypotonian criminals - exiled to the Phantom Zone during the start of the first movie - released from captivity by an explosion in space and landing on earth to rule, just as Lois (finally) uncovers Clarke's real identity and travels with him to his Fortress of Solitude (the ramifications of which are felt in 206's Superman Returns) where he makes the decision to give up his powers and live as a mortal.
Things being what they are, this is a decision he comes to regret and has to travel back - alone - to regain his powers in order to defeat Zod and co, leading to a climactic battle in Metropolis and - later - back at that fortress of solititude.
You do have to wonder, though, how come Superman has powers here never seen or heard of again ...
This is the one with (Terence Stamps version of) Zod and his fellow Krypotonian criminals - exiled to the Phantom Zone during the start of the first movie - released from captivity by an explosion in space and landing on earth to rule, just as Lois (finally) uncovers Clarke's real identity and travels with him to his Fortress of Solitude (the ramifications of which are felt in 206's Superman Returns) where he makes the decision to give up his powers and live as a mortal.
Things being what they are, this is a decision he comes to regret and has to travel back - alone - to regain his powers in order to defeat Zod and co, leading to a climactic battle in Metropolis and - later - back at that fortress of solititude.
You do have to wonder, though, how come Superman has powers here never seen or heard of again ...
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Top Gun: Maverick (2022) in Movies
May 25, 2022
"Legacy Sequels" are big business these days. Some have been bad, some have been surprisingly great. Top Gun: Maverick falls into the latter camp without a shadow of a doubt. It's a sequel, so many years later, that surpasses the much loved original in every way.
It definitely leans heavily on the nostalgia button here and there, but everything it offers is so much fun that it never feels like it's relying on that nostalgia. The new cast are hugely likable, and just like the first time around, the comradery between the characters is well realised, and wholesome as hell, with some good hearted rivalry. Tom Cruise slips back into the role of Maverick like he never left, and is clearly having a blast once again in the drivers seat.
The action set pieces are exciting, and it boasts a genuinely intense and high octane finale, as well as emotional beats that had me welling up dammit. Combine all of this with a spruced up classic music score, and you have a true blockbuster that will thrill fans of the original, and new audiences alike.
I wasn't overly excited about Top Gun: Maverick during the lead up to release, but I would be a fool not to admit that it's a triumph. Absolutely loved it.
It definitely leans heavily on the nostalgia button here and there, but everything it offers is so much fun that it never feels like it's relying on that nostalgia. The new cast are hugely likable, and just like the first time around, the comradery between the characters is well realised, and wholesome as hell, with some good hearted rivalry. Tom Cruise slips back into the role of Maverick like he never left, and is clearly having a blast once again in the drivers seat.
The action set pieces are exciting, and it boasts a genuinely intense and high octane finale, as well as emotional beats that had me welling up dammit. Combine all of this with a spruced up classic music score, and you have a true blockbuster that will thrill fans of the original, and new audiences alike.
I wasn't overly excited about Top Gun: Maverick during the lead up to release, but I would be a fool not to admit that it's a triumph. Absolutely loved it.
David McK (3702 KP) rated Superman Returns (2006) in Movies
Aug 26, 2019 (Updated Jul 16, 2023)
Edit: Brandon Routh finally got to return to the character in (TV) Arrow's 'Crisis on Infinite Earths', about 15 years later ...
The film that Bryan Singer left the X-Men franchise to make, this completely ignores anything after Superman II, setting itself up as a pseudo-sequel to that movie.
Starring a (pre-Arrowverse) Brandon Routh as a Superman/Clark Kent, this also recasts Margot Kidder's Lois Lane in that ape of Kate Bosworth, and Lex Luthor in the Shar of (the now-disgraced) Kevin Spacey. Unfortunately, there's seemingly a distinct lack of chemistry between Bosworth and Routh, perhaps covered up somewhat by a scenery-chewing Lex Luthor, who is back to his old criminal ways.
On the plus side, however, this Superman is a far more jovial and brighter version than the current Zak Snyder version, truly standing for 'Truth, Justice ... And all that other stuff', while the film still does contain some spectacle, such as Superman trying to stop a falling plane or even the final 'lifting-Kryptonian-infested landmass-into space' (although it then gets very heavily allegorical, with Superman even falling with his arms out in a cross shape).
I have to say, as well, that I was never a fan of its most controversial elements (no spoilers here) ...
The film that Bryan Singer left the X-Men franchise to make, this completely ignores anything after Superman II, setting itself up as a pseudo-sequel to that movie.
Starring a (pre-Arrowverse) Brandon Routh as a Superman/Clark Kent, this also recasts Margot Kidder's Lois Lane in that ape of Kate Bosworth, and Lex Luthor in the Shar of (the now-disgraced) Kevin Spacey. Unfortunately, there's seemingly a distinct lack of chemistry between Bosworth and Routh, perhaps covered up somewhat by a scenery-chewing Lex Luthor, who is back to his old criminal ways.
On the plus side, however, this Superman is a far more jovial and brighter version than the current Zak Snyder version, truly standing for 'Truth, Justice ... And all that other stuff', while the film still does contain some spectacle, such as Superman trying to stop a falling plane or even the final 'lifting-Kryptonian-infested landmass-into space' (although it then gets very heavily allegorical, with Superman even falling with his arms out in a cross shape).
I have to say, as well, that I was never a fan of its most controversial elements (no spoilers here) ...
David McK (3702 KP) rated Corpse Thief (Joshua Hawke #1) in Books
Feb 26, 2022
I remember reading Michael Arnold's seemingly-abandoned Captain Stryker Civil War Chronicles books when they first came out, and quite enjoying them.
I wasn't so sure about the setting of his new series, of which this is the first (and currently only) entry.
None-the-less, I thought I would give it a chance anyway: after all, a gin-sodden opium addicted grave robber ex-policeman who previously participated in the Peterloo massacre is hardly, shall we say, your standard protagonist!
Set in and around London's seedy underground of the 1820s, I got a strong flavour of Jack the Ripper when reading this; of a murderer who strikes at his (or her?) victims before disappearing again, and of whom the authorities seemingly have little interest in apprehending until he - or she! - jeopardises their own interests.
It's interesting, therefore, seeing the life and time from the 'other side', as it were, from the points of view of the downtrodden masses rather than from the rich and powerful.
Be aware, however, that this is NOT a self-contained novel in its own right (well, it is and it isn't), in that some major plot threads are purposefully left hanging for the inevitable sequel.
I wasn't so sure about the setting of his new series, of which this is the first (and currently only) entry.
None-the-less, I thought I would give it a chance anyway: after all, a gin-sodden opium addicted grave robber ex-policeman who previously participated in the Peterloo massacre is hardly, shall we say, your standard protagonist!
Set in and around London's seedy underground of the 1820s, I got a strong flavour of Jack the Ripper when reading this; of a murderer who strikes at his (or her?) victims before disappearing again, and of whom the authorities seemingly have little interest in apprehending until he - or she! - jeopardises their own interests.
It's interesting, therefore, seeing the life and time from the 'other side', as it were, from the points of view of the downtrodden masses rather than from the rich and powerful.
Be aware, however, that this is NOT a self-contained novel in its own right (well, it is and it isn't), in that some major plot threads are purposefully left hanging for the inevitable sequel.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2478 KP) rated Wedding Bride and Doom in Books
Nov 27, 2024 (Updated Nov 27, 2024)
Fatal Flowers
When Kate Ludlow's marriage ended, she packed up her teenage daughter and moved from Southern California back to her hometown in Connecticut. She also went about turning her part time gig as a wedding planner into a full business, hustling to prove herself to her new customer base. The florist she works with the most is Lori-Sue, which can be awkward since the two have a history dating back to high school. So when Kate finds Lori-Sue's body one day, she also finds herself the prime suspect. Naturally nosey, Kate gets involved. Can she clear her name?
This debut sounded fun, so I was looking forward to it. It starts out well, with Kate finding the body quickly. However, the further I went into the book, the more I struggled with it. The plot seemed disjointed at times, but connections are made at the end. Meanwhile, we learn things late in the book about Kate that would have been nice to learn earlier. Finally, the climax only works because Kate is stupid. On the other hand, I really did like the characters, and the cliffhanger is intriguing. Still, I think I will probably pass on the sequel, unfortunately.
This debut sounded fun, so I was looking forward to it. It starts out well, with Kate finding the body quickly. However, the further I went into the book, the more I struggled with it. The plot seemed disjointed at times, but connections are made at the end. Meanwhile, we learn things late in the book about Kate that would have been nice to learn earlier. Finally, the climax only works because Kate is stupid. On the other hand, I really did like the characters, and the cliffhanger is intriguing. Still, I think I will probably pass on the sequel, unfortunately.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2478 KP) rated A Killing in Costumes in Books
May 9, 2025
Memorabilia to Die For
Jay and Cindy were on their way to a successful career in Hollywood until their marriage ended when they both realized they were gay. Now, a couple of decades later, they are opening a Hollywood memorabilia shop in Palm Springs. Things are off to a slow start until aging actress Yana Tosh contacts them about selling her collection of Hollywood costumes. Sheās talking to a larger auction house as well, and when Cindy and Jayās competition dies, they quickly find themselves suspects. Can they clear their names?
This book has been on my radar for a while, and Iām glad I finally picked it up. The writing did make it hard to get into the story originally, but soon I was hooked on the mystery. There were several good twists and surprises on the way to the logical climax. Jay and Cindy share lead character duties, and they lead a cast of characters I enjoyed getting to know. And I smiled at the many references to classic movies, tv shows, and stars of the screen. We also get talk about classic musicians. At this point, this is looking like a standalone novel, but if a sequel does pop up, Iād be happy to visit Cindy and Jay again.
This book has been on my radar for a while, and Iām glad I finally picked it up. The writing did make it hard to get into the story originally, but soon I was hooked on the mystery. There were several good twists and surprises on the way to the logical climax. Jay and Cindy share lead character duties, and they lead a cast of characters I enjoyed getting to know. And I smiled at the many references to classic movies, tv shows, and stars of the screen. We also get talk about classic musicians. At this point, this is looking like a standalone novel, but if a sequel does pop up, Iād be happy to visit Cindy and Jay again.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2478 KP) rated The Last Line in Books
Aug 16, 2025 (Updated Aug 16, 2025)
Murder in a Teacupā¦Live on Stage!
The latest production at the theater Ellie Marlow owns is Murder in a Teacup. Unfortunately, the lead is Reginald Thornton IV, who seems to be going out of his way to alienate everyone. His character is supposed to die as part of the play, but opening night, he really dies. While the state detectives are quick to judge it natural, something doesnāt sit right with Ellie. Can she figure out what happened?
I picked this book up expecting a cozy, but it quickly became evident this is a bit more of a traditional than a lighter cozy. As long as you know this going in, you should be fine. The mystery is good, and I was fooled until the end. Ellie has Touretteās, something that overwhelms at times and proves to be a distraction. On the whole, I did love her character and the co-lead as well, as well as how their marriages were shown. The story is told from several points of view, but at times, we have some head hopping. This feels like a standalone instead of a series opener, but if we get a sequel, Iād be interested in revisiting the characters.
I picked this book up expecting a cozy, but it quickly became evident this is a bit more of a traditional than a lighter cozy. As long as you know this going in, you should be fine. The mystery is good, and I was fooled until the end. Ellie has Touretteās, something that overwhelms at times and proves to be a distraction. On the whole, I did love her character and the co-lead as well, as well as how their marriages were shown. The story is told from several points of view, but at times, we have some head hopping. This feels like a standalone instead of a series opener, but if we get a sequel, Iād be interested in revisiting the characters.
David McK (3702 KP) rated Destiny's Way (The Doomed Earth #2) in Books
Apr 6, 2025
This is a direct sequel to Jack Campbell's earlier "In Our Stars", picking up almost directly where that finished with Lieutenant Selene Genji and Lieutenant Kayl Owen making their way back to Earth, still on a mission to stop the destruction of Earth 40 years into the future on June 12, 2180, which Selene Genji witnessed happen and was somehow thrust back in time.
From the future in which she comes, she is what is known as a Alloy: a human with alien DNA. In that future, they are feared and mistrusted.
And so do certain section of the Earth Guard, the forerunner to the Unified Fleet for which Selene works, who are doing their best to hunt down and kill Genji, believing her to be the monstrous spearhead of an alien invasion (with said First Contact happening towards the end of the previous novel).
With the way this novel ends, I think it's unlikely there will be any more in this series. Or, if there are, that it will concentrate on the same two characters.
Sometimes it's nice ending on a hopeful high note (think how much better the Terminator series would have been if it had ended with T2: Judgment Day, for example).
From the future in which she comes, she is what is known as a Alloy: a human with alien DNA. In that future, they are feared and mistrusted.
And so do certain section of the Earth Guard, the forerunner to the Unified Fleet for which Selene works, who are doing their best to hunt down and kill Genji, believing her to be the monstrous spearhead of an alien invasion (with said First Contact happening towards the end of the previous novel).
With the way this novel ends, I think it's unlikely there will be any more in this series. Or, if there are, that it will concentrate on the same two characters.
Sometimes it's nice ending on a hopeful high note (think how much better the Terminator series would have been if it had ended with T2: Judgment Day, for example).
Twisted Cysts (13 KP) rated Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) in Movies
Oct 24, 2019
Action (2 more)
Performances
VFX
Terminator 3?
I need your clothes, your Re-boot and your motorcycle.
Thatās the second l pun Iāve made out of that infamous terminator 2 line this week and I feel dirty because of it;
Dirty, much like how I imagine the Terminator franchise feels after Genisys (or however they spelt it)
Terminator:Dark Fate however is billed as a follow up to Terminator & T2;
The former an 80ās classic that sparked a franchise & its sequel that has easily landed itself as one of the best sequels of all time.
So you probably know that this one is ditching all those other terminator films that came in the couple of decades that came between & aims to be the definitive third instalment of franchise (for the third time after Rise Against The Machines & Gen-I-size also promised to do the same) and itās actually succeeds somewhat, but maybe not in the way a lot of die-hards will want it to.
Itās the āDay After Judgement Dayā and Dark Fate opens strong; using footage of Sarah Connorās crazed speech of Judgement day & machines whilst being interviewed by doctors from T2.
youāll immediately appreciate Linda Hamiltonās presence one again & from the first scene that follows itās immediately clear that the previous sequels were missing her presence on screen.
We get a very brief tease of that 80ās style future of skulls on beaches and red & blue lasers that youāve now seen in 6 films before it but This film doesnāt mess about, Judgement Day didnāt Happen, Sarah, John & The T-800 stopped it in terminator 2 and this film wants you to know that.
You see this film takes a huge risk that may divide fans, but imo itās a risk that needed to be taken;
itās no longer about John Connor, not anymore.
Weāre introduced to Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes) & her brother Diego (Diego Boneta) as factory workers facing replacement my machines (see what they did there, Iāll forgive it though as it gets good).
Next up is the rather brutal and badass introduction to the new Kyle Reese in the form of McKenzie Davisās Grace & then a similar although ironically more Graceful introduction to the new Terminator (Gabriel Luna) both coming back in time via the iconic time bubble effect of series has had since 1984.
And heās The most polite & possibly menacing Terminator since the T-1000ā¦
Yes I said polite but Iāll get back to that later.
This new āblack metalā terminator or āRev-9ā as its referred to is a sort of 2 for 1 deal Terminator, like a T-800 and a T-1000 at the same time, able to split up and act independently as liquid and skeleton simultaneously.
Unlike previous attempts though this terminator is genuinely threatening, he isnāt messing around and finds his new target Dani within minutes.
Heās lightening fast, intelligent and creepy.
The VFX on him thankfully holds up as well and look fantastic other than a few shoddy cgi jumps that can be forgiven.
Within minutes weāre into an explosive highway car chase and the action rarely lets up after.
Genuinelyā¦ theres a Mexican border assault, a US detention pen riot, a fight on fucking C5-M plane (itās big) and then some.
The action in this film Is relentless, gripping and satisfying as fuck.
But story itself, is Terminator 1984, againā¦
New familiar threat from the future under a different name and thatās all thatās really new at its core.
Thatās because Terminator Dark Fate actually serves as a Star Wars: The Force Awakens style Reboot.
T2ās Judgement Day didnāt happen, Skynet didnāt happen, Terminators as we know and love didnāt happenā¦
But eventually another A.I does and forces our incredibly toned soldier & the black-metal Rev-9 to Time Travel back to our present day.
Despite the opening chase echoing T2 this film matches Terminator 1 in tone entirely,
Everything is very desperate and our character are almost constantly on the run. If anything this is a beat for beat remake that also happens to be a sequel by bringing along the old cast (No J.J Abrams was not involved.
The cast are fantastic, every single member, this film is stollen by McKenzie Davis and Natalia Reyes, they own their roles.
Gabriel Luna as mentioned before is fantastically creepy, this terminator has one mission and wonāt waste time killing innocent bystanders, heās even well mannered! Which just adds to the creep factor.
And donāt worry, his eye-rolling one liner of āmy whole body is a weaponā from the trailer is thankfully immediately shut down by an extra in the full scene.
As a re-boot these cast need to be the ones you care about. Wether you like it or not this is a passing of the torch from old to new and luckily They deliver.
I cared about them more than I did about Sarah Connor!
Who Now bitter as fuck, as ruthless as ever and making it known that she had nothing in life other than a vengeance for Terminators and a fear of a Judgement Day sheās actually prevented.
Linda Hamilton is also great as expected. Her character being even more cold, cynical and sarcastic than ever and if you think about thatās how it should be. Her presence is essential though and makes it feel like a sequel to terminator 2.
The comedy of T2 is missing until weāre eventually re-introduced to Arnieās Terminator.
I genuinely found him hilarious, and his humour it not forced, heās the most dead-Pan heās ever been and of course you know that Sarah Connor isnāt going to trust this weirdly humorous rust-bucket.
But his story is quite a hard one to swallow, without spoiling we get an evolution of his character, one thatās definitely an interesting take, one that also create its own Jokes out it. But itās doesnāt quite land. Itās too much.
That having been said Arnie is also absolutely fantastic with what heās been given but unfortunately I didnāt care for him as much as I wanted to.
Youāll have questions multiple times throughout this film but thankfully our characters are intelligent enough to ask them before too long whilst the action is unfolding.
The film never hangs around too much and suffers a little for it, the story comes off as very little more than a remake and passing of the torch.
We get the sorry of this new threatening 2042 future via flashbacks (or is it flash forwards? time travel) and itās grittier than weāre used to.
More in vein of Salvations dusty, military future than the synth wave metal and blue lasers, which is a shame but ultimately makes sense and enforces the idea that the future we saw in T1 & T2 was actually prevented by John & Sarah back in T2.
Itās risky but itās the deviation from the formulae of the past attempts at a new Terminator that the franchise needs.
Luckily the risks set up also give us an appropriately emotional if predictable ending. Thereās just not enough of the touching character development the the first two films had.
The film succeeded in making me care about the new characters but I left feeling like I didnāt get enough despite a bit of fleshing out via flashbacks that unfold as the film progressed.
Tim Miller (Deadpool) has directed one hell of an action film, Dark Fate is a sequel that wipes the slate clean for a future of new terminator films and just about succeeds buy the skin of itās endo-skeleton teeth.
Itās not the best, itās essentially the first film again with new and old cast but itās good enough for a new series to blossom off it and thrill ride for the most part.
There are few questions left for the sequel and three-quel that I know are already planned (what the fuck does Rev-9 actually stand for anyway?) but thatās understandable, I just hope we get that sequel and that itās as good or even better because this is the only terminator film I cared about since terminator 2.
The box office will ultimately be the decider and I can already hear the keyboard warriors that havenāt even seen the movie panning it on twitter but I for one, really enjoyed Terminator: Dark Fate.
Photo courtesy of Skydance & Paramount VIa talent house media.
7/10
Thatās the second l pun Iāve made out of that infamous terminator 2 line this week and I feel dirty because of it;
Dirty, much like how I imagine the Terminator franchise feels after Genisys (or however they spelt it)
Terminator:Dark Fate however is billed as a follow up to Terminator & T2;
The former an 80ās classic that sparked a franchise & its sequel that has easily landed itself as one of the best sequels of all time.
So you probably know that this one is ditching all those other terminator films that came in the couple of decades that came between & aims to be the definitive third instalment of franchise (for the third time after Rise Against The Machines & Gen-I-size also promised to do the same) and itās actually succeeds somewhat, but maybe not in the way a lot of die-hards will want it to.
Itās the āDay After Judgement Dayā and Dark Fate opens strong; using footage of Sarah Connorās crazed speech of Judgement day & machines whilst being interviewed by doctors from T2.
youāll immediately appreciate Linda Hamiltonās presence one again & from the first scene that follows itās immediately clear that the previous sequels were missing her presence on screen.
We get a very brief tease of that 80ās style future of skulls on beaches and red & blue lasers that youāve now seen in 6 films before it but This film doesnāt mess about, Judgement Day didnāt Happen, Sarah, John & The T-800 stopped it in terminator 2 and this film wants you to know that.
You see this film takes a huge risk that may divide fans, but imo itās a risk that needed to be taken;
itās no longer about John Connor, not anymore.
Weāre introduced to Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes) & her brother Diego (Diego Boneta) as factory workers facing replacement my machines (see what they did there, Iāll forgive it though as it gets good).
Next up is the rather brutal and badass introduction to the new Kyle Reese in the form of McKenzie Davisās Grace & then a similar although ironically more Graceful introduction to the new Terminator (Gabriel Luna) both coming back in time via the iconic time bubble effect of series has had since 1984.
And heās The most polite & possibly menacing Terminator since the T-1000ā¦
Yes I said polite but Iāll get back to that later.
This new āblack metalā terminator or āRev-9ā as its referred to is a sort of 2 for 1 deal Terminator, like a T-800 and a T-1000 at the same time, able to split up and act independently as liquid and skeleton simultaneously.
Unlike previous attempts though this terminator is genuinely threatening, he isnāt messing around and finds his new target Dani within minutes.
Heās lightening fast, intelligent and creepy.
The VFX on him thankfully holds up as well and look fantastic other than a few shoddy cgi jumps that can be forgiven.
Within minutes weāre into an explosive highway car chase and the action rarely lets up after.
Genuinelyā¦ theres a Mexican border assault, a US detention pen riot, a fight on fucking C5-M plane (itās big) and then some.
The action in this film Is relentless, gripping and satisfying as fuck.
But story itself, is Terminator 1984, againā¦
New familiar threat from the future under a different name and thatās all thatās really new at its core.
Thatās because Terminator Dark Fate actually serves as a Star Wars: The Force Awakens style Reboot.
T2ās Judgement Day didnāt happen, Skynet didnāt happen, Terminators as we know and love didnāt happenā¦
But eventually another A.I does and forces our incredibly toned soldier & the black-metal Rev-9 to Time Travel back to our present day.
Despite the opening chase echoing T2 this film matches Terminator 1 in tone entirely,
Everything is very desperate and our character are almost constantly on the run. If anything this is a beat for beat remake that also happens to be a sequel by bringing along the old cast (No J.J Abrams was not involved.
The cast are fantastic, every single member, this film is stollen by McKenzie Davis and Natalia Reyes, they own their roles.
Gabriel Luna as mentioned before is fantastically creepy, this terminator has one mission and wonāt waste time killing innocent bystanders, heās even well mannered! Which just adds to the creep factor.
And donāt worry, his eye-rolling one liner of āmy whole body is a weaponā from the trailer is thankfully immediately shut down by an extra in the full scene.
As a re-boot these cast need to be the ones you care about. Wether you like it or not this is a passing of the torch from old to new and luckily They deliver.
I cared about them more than I did about Sarah Connor!
Who Now bitter as fuck, as ruthless as ever and making it known that she had nothing in life other than a vengeance for Terminators and a fear of a Judgement Day sheās actually prevented.
Linda Hamilton is also great as expected. Her character being even more cold, cynical and sarcastic than ever and if you think about thatās how it should be. Her presence is essential though and makes it feel like a sequel to terminator 2.
The comedy of T2 is missing until weāre eventually re-introduced to Arnieās Terminator.
I genuinely found him hilarious, and his humour it not forced, heās the most dead-Pan heās ever been and of course you know that Sarah Connor isnāt going to trust this weirdly humorous rust-bucket.
But his story is quite a hard one to swallow, without spoiling we get an evolution of his character, one thatās definitely an interesting take, one that also create its own Jokes out it. But itās doesnāt quite land. Itās too much.
That having been said Arnie is also absolutely fantastic with what heās been given but unfortunately I didnāt care for him as much as I wanted to.
Youāll have questions multiple times throughout this film but thankfully our characters are intelligent enough to ask them before too long whilst the action is unfolding.
The film never hangs around too much and suffers a little for it, the story comes off as very little more than a remake and passing of the torch.
We get the sorry of this new threatening 2042 future via flashbacks (or is it flash forwards? time travel) and itās grittier than weāre used to.
More in vein of Salvations dusty, military future than the synth wave metal and blue lasers, which is a shame but ultimately makes sense and enforces the idea that the future we saw in T1 & T2 was actually prevented by John & Sarah back in T2.
Itās risky but itās the deviation from the formulae of the past attempts at a new Terminator that the franchise needs.
Luckily the risks set up also give us an appropriately emotional if predictable ending. Thereās just not enough of the touching character development the the first two films had.
The film succeeded in making me care about the new characters but I left feeling like I didnāt get enough despite a bit of fleshing out via flashbacks that unfold as the film progressed.
Tim Miller (Deadpool) has directed one hell of an action film, Dark Fate is a sequel that wipes the slate clean for a future of new terminator films and just about succeeds buy the skin of itās endo-skeleton teeth.
Itās not the best, itās essentially the first film again with new and old cast but itās good enough for a new series to blossom off it and thrill ride for the most part.
There are few questions left for the sequel and three-quel that I know are already planned (what the fuck does Rev-9 actually stand for anyway?) but thatās understandable, I just hope we get that sequel and that itās as good or even better because this is the only terminator film I cared about since terminator 2.
The box office will ultimately be the decider and I can already hear the keyboard warriors that havenāt even seen the movie panning it on twitter but I for one, really enjoyed Terminator: Dark Fate.
Photo courtesy of Skydance & Paramount VIa talent house media.
7/10