Though the plot is somewhat incoherent in parts and the characters lack the depth of those in the first two instalments of the franchise, Terminator Genisys is a genuinely entertaining movie.
Terminator Genisys starts in the year 2029 and Skynet, an artificial general intelligence system that will link all technology devices across the world and whose purpose is to eliminate the human race, is about to go online for the first time.
Leading the resistance against Skynet is John Connor (played by Jason Clarke) who in the early scenes appears very much to be the ‘Morpheus’ of the movie, at the helm of the campaign to save humans from the machine world. Shortly before the resistance wins the battle, Skynet activates a time machine and sends back a T-800 Terminator to 1984 to kill John’s mother, Sarah Connor (played by Emilia Clarke). Upon becoming aware of this, John Connor’s right-hand man Kyle Reese (played by Jai Courtney), volunteers to travel back in time to protect her. As Kyle floats in the time machine’s magnetic field, he witnesses John being attacked and receives new memories from his childhood about events in 2017.
The first scene in 1984 is possibly the most visually impressive of the movie – a fight that occurs between Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 Terminator character and a digitally recreated younger version of himself from the original 1984 film. However, this is also where the plot gets a little confusing. Like how was Sarah Conor expecting the T-800s arrival at that particular time and place? And where did Kyle get certain memories from that he never even experienced? The writers of the movie cover this by introducing a concept called ‘nexus points’ which can alter timelines and whereby someone who travels back in time can experience memories of alternative realities. This may seem smart, but it opens the door for unlimited outcomes and waters down the overall plot into a vague haze. At least for those who have been following the previous four Terminator sequels.
However, for those who accept the plot without analysing it too much, Terminator Genisys is an entertaining movie. It’s fast moving, has some impressive (though not ground-breaking) visual effects and revives the original idea of man vs machine; or more accurately, man vs artificial intelligence. The role that aging Arnold Schwarzenegger plays works almost brilliantly and Emilia Clarke plays a strong role as young Sarah Connor. In fact, co-creator of the original franchise, James Cameron voiced his overall support for Terminator Genisys and felt that it reinvigorated the original theme.
There is no doubt that this movie is the best effort since 1991’s Judgment Day and is most certainly entertaining, but it’s just not as ground-breaking or original. Sceptics may feel that it lacks thematic and character depth, is conceptually vague and leaves the viewer with a somewhat unfulfilled feeling at the end. Fans on the other hand, will see this as one of the most best movies of the year and the one which has put the Terminator franchise back on track, opening the door to a new and exciting standalone trilogy.
