Terminator Genisys

[Powerage5]

Still third best in the series. And I actually like T3.

[Black Sabbath]

Still third best in the series. And I actually like T3.

It's been so long since I saw T3 I'd have to watch it again to say for sure, but I probably agree with that too.

[Estranged Reality]

I have to disagree with you guys. I thought it was truly one of the worst films of the year, and not even just mediocre. I thought it was really, really bad. (Dan, I remember talking to you about it last month and you said you liked it; don't take offense to my comments.)

Arnold is the only bright spot on it. He approached the film with a fresh take on an iconic character, and despite the fact that he's basically neutered the once-badass unstoppable killing machine, given the context of the story and where the franchise has been left off, there wasn't really anywhere else to go with it. He did well, and every time he was on screen I had at least a bit of enjoyment.

But Courtney and both Clarkes are really miscast, especially Emilia. Holy cow, she delivers one of the worst performances I think I've ever seen in a leading role, which especially stands out given how well Hamilton did the same thing. This Sarah Connor is supposed to be along the lines of the militant Connor from T2, but Clarke just can't even begin to embody that, and she comes across like a dolled-up girly sexpot trying to play gruff. Her line readings are bloody awful -- granted, the script's dialogue is naff to begin with and much of it literally doesn't even make sense (they've never seen the John Connor Terminator before yet she somehow knows the MRI machine "won't hold it for long" when it appears to be destroying him piece by piece?). There's a few moments in the film, like after an explosion at the end, where she lets out really loud yelping screams, and it's so incongruous with the Connor character both as we know her from previous films, and as she's rewritten for this one. You can never get too held up on action heroines appearing like they just got done applying makeup because that's Hollywood for you, but it particularly stands out because she seems absolutely out of her league playing this role. She's just baaad. And she has zero chemistry with Courtney, which isn't really her fault, as he's one of the absolute worst actors around, absolutely devoid of anything resembling charisma or screen presence. He's a bore and he's upsetting to watch because he just constantly looks miserable on screen, the dickishness of Miles Teller without the charm. Since they comprise the majority of the film's running time, often together, this is a huge problem, and even JK Simmons can't save the middle of the film (his role seems like something that was originally larger but left on the cutting room floor; he just kind of disappears at one point).

T3 had a ballsy ending and some terrific set pieces (like the crane chase) which immediately puts it leagues above this film. Everything about it -- from the generic dull directorial style, lazy special effects, poor editing, to the atrocious casting and dialogue -- was just bad. I'm not trying to be a jerk to you guys who liked it, I'm glad you did, but I'm sitting here honestly wondering how the hell you could. I went into it with very low expectations as it were, and I still found myself becoming alternately bored and frustrated over the whole thing. I'm also shocked that with a near-$200 mil budget the effects look like something from a film made ten years ago.

I'll give it two strong credits: Arnold is great, and at some point along the way they did try to take the story in a new direction. I think you can feel the ghost of Megan Ellison in the early beats of the film, when it actually does, however briefly, seem like it could pull off something interesting. But then it devolves into the mess described above.

[Uncle Bob]

I'm in, the 3rd best Terminator movie, not perfect but didn't have the excesive pathetic humour of T3, John wasn't a crybaby, it wasn't a copy of T2 like T3 (EVIDENCE: http://www.jamescamerononline.com/T3special.htm )

It's not written by people who hated T2, it wasn't a weird experiment that didn't feel like Terminator and didn't had a lot of filler and useless scenes with nothing relevant happening in the whole movie like Salvation.

Edited August 9, 2015 by Raykugen

[Estranged Reality]

didn't have the excesive pathetic humour of T3, John wasn't a crybaby, it wasn't a copy of T2 like T3 (EVIDENCE: http://www.jamescamerononline.com/T3special.htm )

It's not written by people who hated T2, it wasn't a weird experiment that didn't feel like Terminator and didn't had a lot of filler and useless scenes with nothing relevant happening in the whole movie like Salvation.

I felt like it had far more attempts at cutesy humour than T3. The constant "Nice to see you" gags (it was, um, kind of, but not really, funny the first time? Why does he say it three times? It reminded me of McClane's weird catchphrase in Die Hard 5, the one about being on vacation, even though he wasn't on vacation and his sole purpose to be in Russia was to save his idiot son? ). Then there were all the "Pops Terminator" gags, some of which were amusing, but I felt like they really killed it toward the end. The "Bad Boys" arrest segment alone was cheesier than anything in T3, imo (yeah, the talk to the hand bit was kind of daft, but it was at least thrown in there was a winking nod to his T2 entrance).

T3 wasn't a great movie but it was at least somewhat competent and had some cool action sequences. Genisys didn't have a single suspenseful or impressive set piece, IMO.

Also, the Matt Smith stuff was total cringe.

[Uncle Bob]

didn't have the excesive pathetic humour of T3, John wasn't a crybaby, it wasn't a copy of T2 like T3 (EVIDENCE: http://www.jamescamerononline.com/T3special.htm )

It's not written by people who hated T2, it wasn't a weird experiment that didn't feel like Terminator and didn't had a lot of filler and useless scenes with nothing relevant happening in the whole movie like Salvation.

I felt like it had far more attempts at cutesy humour than T3. The constant "Nice to see you" gags (it was, um, kind of, but not really, funny the first time? Why does he say it three times? It reminded me of McClane's weird catchphrase in Die Hard 5, the one about being on vacation, even though he wasn't on vacation and his sole purpose to be in Russia was to save his idiot son? ). Then there were all the "Pops Terminator" gags, some of which were amusing, but I felt like they really killed it toward the end. The "Bad Boys" arrest segment alone was cheesier than anything in T3, imo (yeah, the talk to the hand bit was kind of daft, but it was at least thrown in there was a winking nod to his T2 entrance).

T3 wasn't a great movie but it was at least somewhat competent and had some cool action sequences. Genisys didn't have a single suspenseful or impressive set piece, IMO.

Also, the Matt Smith stuff was total cringe.

It has humour, but not that many and so pathetic as T3, is more like a mix between marvel humor and T2 humour. The only thing that stinks me is why he has to say 3 times the old but not obsolete line and smile 3 times. One time is enough. I agree with you with the "Bad Boys" scene, but at least it made me laugh, and all the theater, so I forgive them that sin.

Guess Matt Smith will be way relevant in future sequels.

I've watched T3 a lot of times, and watched a couple of days before watching Genisys, because my gf didn't ever watched the movie. It can sound weird to you, but I literally counted the amount of humour lines/scenes on the movie, and it was massive, bigger than Genisys. And it even destroyed some cool battles. They added the terminators some kind of quick movement on the neck when they look at the right or left, a movement that was a humour intention, very cryngeworthy. There's the scene where the T-X grabs the T-800 on the cock, for the love of god.

There is a fan edit on the net called T3 - the storm that comes or something like that. They cut almost all the humour, and the movie gained a lot, even if it's still a T2 copy. The humour of that movie ruined it.

Genisys at least is not a copy, and even when it doesn't even shines when it comes about character development or dept story, it has definitelly more than T3.

Edited August 9, 2015 by Raykugen

[Black Sabbath]

I didn't like the bit when they roll up in the truck and Emilia says "Come with me if you want to live" and when Arnold busts through the cop car windshield and said "Nice to see you". Those were bad. But honestly nothing else off the top of my head that stuck out as really bad when it comes to the attempted humor.

Also, Target is getting a cool steelbook:

[Powerage5]

I'll buy that steelbook.

I have to disagree with you guys. I thought it was truly one of the worst films of the year, and not even just mediocre. I thought it was really, really bad. (Dan, I remember talking to you about it last month and you said you liked it; don't take offense to my comments.)

Arnold is the only bright spot on it. He approached the film with a fresh take on an iconic character, and despite the fact that he's basically neutered the once-badass unstoppable killing machine, given the context of the story and where the franchise has been left off, there wasn't really anywhere else to go with it. He did well, and every time he was on screen I had at least a bit of enjoyment.

But Courtney and both Clarkes are really miscast, especially Emilia. Holy cow, she delivers one of the worst performances I think I've ever seen in a leading role, which especially stands out given how well Hamilton did the same thing. This Sarah Connor is supposed to be along the lines of the militant Connor from T2, but Clarke just can't even begin to embody that, and she comes across like a dolled-up girly sexpot trying to play gruff. Her line readings are bloody awful -- granted, the script's dialogue is naff to begin with and much of it literally doesn't even make sense (they've never seen the John Connor Terminator before yet she somehow knows the MRI machine "won't hold it for long" when it appears to be destroying him piece by piece?). There's a few moments in the film, like after an explosion at the end, where she lets out really loud yelping screams, and it's so incongruous with the Connor character both as we know her from previous films, and as she's rewritten for this one. You can never get too held up on action heroines appearing like they just got done applying makeup because that's Hollywood for you, but it particularly stands out because she seems absolutely out of her league playing this role. She's just baaad. And she has zero chemistry with Courtney, which isn't really her fault, as he's one of the absolute worst actors around, absolutely devoid of anything resembling charisma or screen presence. He's a bore and he's upsetting to watch because he just constantly looks miserable on screen, the dickishness of Miles Teller without the charm. Since they comprise the majority of the film's running time, often together, this is a huge problem, and even JK Simmons can't save the middle of the film (his role seems like something that was originally larger but left on the cutting room floor; he just kind of disappears at one point).

T3 had a ballsy ending and some terrific set pieces (like the crane chase) which immediately puts it leagues above this film. Everything about it -- from the generic dull directorial style, lazy special effects, poor editing, to the atrocious casting and dialogue -- was just bad. I'm not trying to be a jerk to you guys who liked it, I'm glad you did, but I'm sitting here honestly wondering how the hell you could. I went into it with very low expectations as it were, and I still found myself becoming alternately bored and frustrated over the whole thing. I'm also shocked that with a near-$200 mil budget the effects look like something from a film made ten years ago.

I'll give it two strong credits: Arnold is great, and at some point along the way they did try to take the story in a new direction. I think you can feel the ghost of Megan Ellison in the early beats of the film, when it actually does, however briefly, seem like it could pull off something interesting. But then it devolves into the mess described above.

I'm so offended by this post.

But seriously, I know I'm in the minority that thoroughly enjoyed this one.

[arnold layne]

The beginning was awesome.

[wasted]

Were they robots killing shit. At all?

[MrPoe]

I still think Genysis is the third sequel. There's nothing in the other two movies that are remotely interesting to me. If you HAD to have a sequel to T2, TG is it. The one big problem is how they are going to have a John Connor for the future war in this new timeline they've created. They're stuck in 2017, and unless they go back to 1984 and Kyle and Sarah bang, there's no John Connor to lead a resistance against Skynet. This is certainly not the first Terminator movie with plotholes, but I'm wondering how they are going to address this.

[wasted]

Going back to 1984 sounds like a great idea.

Going back to 1984 sounds like a great idea.

[Uncle Bob]

I'll buy that steelbook.

I'm so offended by this post.

But seriously, I know I'm in the minority that thoroughly enjoyed this one.

I don't think we are the minority, I'm tired to read comments like "I thought it was shit because of the bad reviews and other comments, but I liked the movie" That's the kind of comment I see in all Spanish sites.

Edited August 10, 2015 by Raykugen

[arnold layne]

Making a good Terminator film wouldn't be that hard. The problem is that they try to make it a time traveling movie when it doesn't have to be anymore.

[Dazey]

Making a good Terminator film wouldn't be that hard. The problem is that they try to make it a time traveling movie when it doesn't have to be anymore.

Agreed. Make it a hard R, cast a whole set of new characters and set it 100% during the future war.

[wasted]

Forget the back story. I only just worked out Skynet are the baddies? Is that right?

My favorite scene is in T1 where the girl is dancing with headphones on gettig ready to go out and Terminator is coming. I think Arnie finds her in a disco.

[ZoSoRose]

This movie sucked

And it literally is a T/T2/T3 copy. Its a SUPER NEW BADASS TERMINATOR MODEL tries to kill main characters chase movie again

[Nosaj Thing]

Arnold was good, definitely. But the entire plot was bonkers. Emilia Clarke acting was damn awful.

Also, the post-credit scene lol. A two-hour movie for nothing.

[wasted]

This movie sucked

And it literally is a T/T2/T3 copy. Its a SUPER NEW BADASS TERMINATOR MODEL tries to kill main characters chase movie again

Isnt that what Terminator supposed to be? Or are we trying to convince ourselves it could do more. like do a war movie I guess. Arnie as soldier in Terminator army trenches fighting Skynet on the beaches.