So lucky that I managed to watch “Terminator Genesis” I was one of the first, and I liked it, but there is a feeling that soon there will come “film critics” with reviews such as “This is neither” or “Not impressed” and I would like to speak about this (I am not chasing a rating and I still click “yes” or “no”).
The Terminator, as a film for thirty years and throughout this time he was a legend, shocked by his entertainment and generally earned the title of cult, and even understandable, because in 1984, when the first film was released, people were easier to surprise and impress, their unsophisticated mind took “hurrah” any special effects, and in general was more loyal. Now everyone who went to the cinema can call themselves a film critic, say “no, this is not what I expected” and pour tons of negative reviews, something that has not yet passed the test of time and is literally just getting ready to take your place in someone’s hierarchy of favorite / unloved films. It took many years, of course, that this Terminator will not be the way you remember him as a child, then everything was perceived differently, for example, I deliberately do not watch now films that I liked as a child, because with the life experience that I have now and what I was then, I will perceive them differently and those who are especially acute and painful to endure the continuation of legendary franchises, I can advise only one thing: “Keep your warm childhood memories, protect your nervous system and just refrain from watching the sequel.” Heraclitus said that you cannot enter the same river twice, and now you will not experience the same emotions and sensations of watching as when you were younger and sat with bated breath in front of the twinkling blue screen of a small TV. Yes, since then, a lot has changed, technology has become cooler, special effects are brighter, and screens are larger, only people have become more critical, show less feelings and generally “the principle of dissatisfaction with everything” becomes almost basic in the modern world. Just do not look for the blame outside, you choose how and what you perceive! And the new Terminator is worth giving it a chance, because it's always easier to criticize than to do! And some will never please, if you filmed something approximately similar to what was, would say: “I’ve already seen it, the authors have a limited imagination”, if they remove something different, say: “This has nothing to do with the film”, and you think about what you imagined your life 10-15 years ago and what it became, whether it coincided with your expectations, this life and it goes by its own laws and it doesn’t matter what plans you build for it, also with the movie, you can expect one thing, but the authors are not obliged to do so that you would like the plot, and be happy.
Yes, this is a new turn in the history of the Terminator, new faces and ideas and all the same Schwarzeneger, albeit a little older, another proof that time does not stand still and everything changes, even the movie heroes of childhood!
One of the thoughts of the film, which probably not many will notice (especially those in whose garden now fly stones), the problem of universal informatization, that people more and more go into their virtual worlds and cease to live real life, if you go outside, probably you will see 99% of passers-by who go somewhere immersed in the screens of their phones/tablets/gadgets and it is not surprising that any artificial intelligence will ever want to destroy humanity, because the era of consumption reaches its climax, we destroy more than we create, for the Earth, humanity simply becomes useless and perhaps, that the filmmakers may become dissatisfied with the reality, when the storyline / printer becomes harsh.
Terminator: Genesis is a spectacular film, there are many special effects and there is something to see, new faces are well perceived, such as Emilia Clarke (very cute) and Jai Courtney (I am beginning to see an actor in it), Iron Arnie, as always worthy of praise, he is a legend and this is all said, I like the final soundtrack and elements of humor in the film I am pleased that there will be a sequel, such films are needed, they give hope that the future is yet to come and no one knows what it will be!
10 out of 10
Knowing how awe fans feel about Cameron’s films, the creators decided to take the path of least resistance, giving viewers the opportunity to rediscover many key episodes of the legendary films. Recreated scenes can not but rejoice: a black truck driver fleeing flashes on the arrival of the Terminator, and Kyle Reese, stealing pants from a homeless man and wearing sneakers of a famous brand. And, of course, three punks, who this time are destined to survive, because "history is rewritten." The first part of the film turns into a real geek happiness - it is interesting to watch how this or that moment is played out in the new version, and notice similarities and differences. And the battle of two T-800s is just... well, just cool. It's really cool. And somewhere in the first hour there is a real hope that it is he – that chic restart, which was worth waiting for all these years, and the creators will succeed. But it wasn't.
Around the moment when the main antagonist appears on the screen, whom we will not name (despite the fact that his personality is godlessly spoiled in all the latest promotional materials), the film begins to rapidly lose its fuse. And it's not about the dynamics that are abundant here -- it's about history and its heroes. The decision to recreate many of the scenes of the original worked in the first half of the film - but it eventually came to him sideways. And the fact is that in the second hour, in view of the general contrast between the old and the new, it becomes obvious that everything that was good in the film came from Cameron, and all the positive emotions that you feel at the beginning are no more than ordinary nostalgia, because at the moment when history takes a new path, you feel nothing. First of all, there is no atmosphere. Cameron, in addition to action, was also characterized by an incredible suspense: there were many moments where, for example, the characters had to stare tensely into the darkness in search of an enemy and so on – there was an incredible tension and a sense of threat. In “Genesis” there is none of this in sight: there are many fights and explosions – but little use. Some key episodes where suspense should be present (when, for example, one of the characters can die), the director quickly squanders here, killing all tension and a sense of real danger. And in place with this, the degree of intrigue significantly decreases: the twists that worked in the “Doomsday” simply do not work here. The soundtrack plays an important role in terms of atmosphere - and here it is terrible. The first film had analog synthesizers and the concept of futurism, for the second Brad Fidel created a full-fledged symphonic speed, and the music bore a pronounced touch of “industriality”, which perfectly emphasized the atmosphere and the idea of “murder machines”. In Genesis, we hear the standard and faceless symphonic passages of a medium hand, which can be heard in any consumer store, like the San Andreas Fault - the music does not emphasize the individuality of the film. The only successful musical number is an axe cover of Fidel on the final credits. But it is scary to imagine what could do with such material the same Stephen Price.
The lack of atmosphere and a clear emphasis on dynamics do not have the best effect on the characters and the general mood. Cameron’s films were literally imbued with some aching sense of hopelessness, making the appearance of rays of hope with each victory of the heroes looked even brighter. In Genesis, everything is too tight and mechanical to cause any emotional resonance. There are several heartfelt scenes, mostly related to Schwarzenegger's character - but these are only scraps that cannot affect the general mood. To be fair, it is worth noting that the main star of the show here looks decent. The actor has noticeably aged - and the creators carefully played this fact with his character. This applies not only to appearance, but also to behavior and physical functions - thanks to all this, Schwarzenegger fits into the image very organically. But there are problems with Jay Courtney as Kyle Reese – probably everyone on the planet except the casting director of Genesis initially understood that this is not his type. Courtney is good at brutal antagonists (" Jack Reacher, Divergent, etc.), and in the background he can look good (" Unbroken, "Water Seeker") - but here, looking into the eyes of his hero, it is simply impossible to believe that he was in love with Sarah Connor for many years and waited to meet her. But Emilia Clarke, on the contrary, despite her pretty face, fits very well into the image of a new combative and emotionless Sarah (here, based on the plot, the character should resemble Sarah from Judgment Day, only ten years younger with all the ensuing). However, the field for the actors is significantly lacking. Too many factors are pushing the drama to the periphery, putting the priority of fast but uninteresting action. I'm sorry for the next comparison with "Judgment Day", but, again, the action there was competently dosed, and, plus, looked much more realistic (due to the specifics of production). There, the helicopter chase looked real - here it looks like it was a Marvel movie (we love Marvel - but that's not the point).
While one of the franchise’s main tenets is that “the future is not predetermined,” the new Terminator movie is evidence to the contrary. The term “Murphy’s Law” is more appropriate. No post-Cameron film could ever come close to the level of original dilogy - why would Genesis suddenly become a revelation? Of course, there was no miracle this time. Genesis, like its preposterous predecessors, ignores much of what made Cameron’s films a classic, but it doesn’t bring anything of its own to the franchise, in a ridiculous way turning into a standard and completely faceless blockbuster that no one will remember by the end of the year. Theoretically.
I didn’t expect much from the trailers, but as a fan of the franchise, I decided to watch it. And that's really NOTHING. I don’t want to spoil it, but a similar story could have been born only under the many restrictions imposed by the film’s producers and previous events in the Terminator universe. From everything that happens on the screen really begins to hurt the head. What to say if the characters of the film use a time machine more often than using a phone?
In general, this is all forgivable and normal, because it is fiction and action-movie, but the legacy of canonical Cameron films, viewed in their time to holes, does not allow you to take seriously the story of the new Terminator. Everything that happens on the screen is perceived as an unfortunate parody of the canon. However, the director did not hide that he tried to take all the best from the first and second parts, but he did not add anything from himself, except, as I mentioned above, an exceptionally delusional plot.
What else? Action, yes. First, it is catastrophically small. I will not say that there is no action at all, but for 2 hours of screen time - action is not enough. But quantity is not everything. In terms of quality, there are also questions. Let me give you a simple example: with the T-1000, the main antagonist of the second part, they sort of got it in between, really, broke up like a cat. The action is very fleeting, and often just ridiculous - what is the scene in which Kyle Reese beats with a torn arm of the T-800? Most of all, I was saddened by the structure of the film, and it is something like this: a few meaningful conversations about the fate of humanity, then a fleeting action, and a joke from Arnold (by the way, he had quite successful jokes). From the beginning to the end of the movie.
Arnold's level, by the way. If it were taken out of the movie, Terminator 5 would be an absolutely passable movie that you wouldn’t watch at all. Including because the other actors, how to put it mildly, looked weak. Except, perhaps, the Simmons da Emilia Clark characters. John Connor - disgusting (began to piss right from the moment of laughs and jokes in the catacombs of resistance), Kyle Reese - neither give nor take, just a moron. Just blatant miscasting after the successful Michael Bien and the relatively successful Anton Yelchin! The other characters are there because they should be.
It is a pity that for almost 25 years since the release of Part 2, none of the directors, producers and writers have been able to reboot the series. The current film is another fake that wants to be on a par with the canonical films of childhood. But an experienced viewer can easily recognize a fake, much like a dog can accurately distinguish a cyborg from a human. I do not rule out that viewers who are not familiar with Cameron’s films may even like the new Terminator, but definitely will not be able to count on cult status. This is not a masterpiece, this is a passing summer blockbuster that you can not watch.
Bottom line: Terminator 2 was the one that ended the story, and I sincerely hope this Terminator will be the last.
3 out of 10
New 'Terminator: Genesis', press screening. Get a poster, T-shirt and press release at the entrance - done. Over the weekend, the four previous parts are done.
Blablabla, the first two parts are monumental. Blablabla - the third part breaks the perfect completeness of the dilogy, but with a beer will pull. Blabbleblah, the fourth, though fits into the story, but it needed to be much better. Blablabla, fifth.
Typical review of the fifth 'Terminator':
- return of Schwarzenegger;
- squabbling with fans;
- the best action in the whole series minus the crane chase in the third part;
- mimicry at the meeting of old and young Arnold in '84;
- too many jokes - oh where are you, the gloom of the first part. . . ;
- Sarah Connor could have been thinner.
From about the middle of the film level decreases.
- 'papps'are you serious? 'papps'???
Still in ' typical review' will describe the twist from the situation with the old and gray Terminator. This one is pretty elegant - and understandable, given that it's said to be Cameron's idea. In fact, most likely from the fifth film and will remain in the memory of the people only a new version of the events of May 12 84, and the idea that even cyborgs are aging - no more. Ave, David.
So, the story begins a couple of hours before the events of the first film - John Connor sends Kyle Reese back in time to find out what. It is not clear why Kyle is dating already prepared Sarah - she was raised by the Terminator since childhood. 'Hi, Kyle, although you do not know, but you and I should conceive your boss' The following is all that is described above in ' typical review'. Events are developing ambiguously and in no way claim a new canonicity: yes, it could be so, it could be different - depending on who comes up with the script. It is only a pity that the one whose inventions would be most interesting to learn is occupied with 'Avatar'. Ave'tar, David.
As a result: watch for the sake of fan joy in the first half and for the sake of urchin further. Well, old-fashioned to complain that ' That's before the Terminator was wow-go...', where without it.
P.S. In fact, there’s a more reliable way to kill Sarah and John Connors: send robots to her great-great-great-great-great-grandparents in the year 1200—there won’t be any heavy presses or chemical fluids that can determine Thermic (hell, I once called Termic). Maximum, burn at the stake. The Inquisition will be surprised.