Six years after the release of Terminator Salvation, Paramount has another crack at James Cameron’s Duology classic. And the result is kind of  similar to that one kid in your high school who was obsessed with Star Wars so much that he/she wrote a complete new fan fiction piece that would expand far beyond the galaxy far far away. The CGI’s here, the explosives are here, even Arnold Schwarzenegger’s here, so what went wrong to cause such a critically judged continuation?

Director Alan Taylor, most notably known for directing Thor 2: The Dark World and 6 episodes of Game of Thrones, brings his vision and resets the rules in Genisys, in which Kyle Reese travels back to 1984 to rescue Sarah Connor-mother of the resistance leader John Connor in order to ensure the victory of mankind over the future machines. Only to discover upon arrival that the matter at hand escalates beyond the threat predicted.

From the very start of Genisys, audiences would be astounded by the visual effects that were carried out, what follows are intense car chases and action scenes capable of rivalling at least Salvation if not Rise of the Machines; but as soon as the film hits the virtually non-existent second act, the fast-paced thrilling momentum drops, where supposedly the rushing velocity and the chain of stakes should keep audiences at the edges of their seats, however falls short to achieve what it sets out to do with its over-complicated, well intended concepts.

Was it enjoyable or at least watchable as a standalone film? Sure; But was it worthy of the terminator name? Probably not, we’ll see how the two sequels turn out.

-Henri Muye
An overzealous film critic wannabe, Henry Pan makes a trip down cinema lane once a week, in order to decrease his ever-increasing massive watch list.

Screening times: http://www.eventcinemas.com.au/movie/Terminator-Genisys
In theatres Australia-wide in 3D and 2D

MPAA rating: M
ACB rating: M