Photo Courtesy: Paramount Pictures
Terminator Genisys is the 5th cinematic chapter in this 30+year-old saga. In the year of reboots, Terminator attempts to make its place in history as an imperative. The series didn’t invent anything new in the way of conceptual sci-fi, but it definitely aims to perfect those recycled concepts, even following the rehashed rules of movie space and time mechanics. But, the pursuit of perfection is futile, as it is unachievable and impossible to attain. The Genisys arch is not for the lack of trying however, and it tells us a narrative filled with broken promises and shattered dreams, if you’ve been dreaming of an apocalypse that is.
How does this Terminator hold up when stacked against the rest? To that question, we look to the cast in Genisys for the answer. Every film in the series was made at least 5 years apart from each other, so you can imagine it would be difficult to reuse the same cast over and over again. On the contrary. This is where Arnold Schwarzenegger proves he’s worth his salt – reprised as the Terminator, and thankfully in the upcoming sequel to Genisys as well.
Like Salvation, Genisys acquired a brand new, updated cast, with the exception of the Gov of course, and makes Genisys a story all about progressing the saga of Sarah Conner. This time, played by Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke. Clarke takes on the role of Conner just as it should, as the protagonist in Terminator. The word’s own existence relies on the continued existence of Sarah Conner.
John Conner is back, played by Jason Clarke (The Great Gatsby, Zero Dark Thirty) while Jai Courtney (Divergent, Jack Reacher) takes on the role of an adult Kyle Reese. James Cameron should be proud his characters are portrayed to the best of how they were written by this brilliantly selected cast. There are no characters that are heroes or saviors, only survivors.
All-in-all, Terminator Genisys will make an excellent addition to this year’s 4th of July line up. Now in theaters nation wide, it is sure to make quite a splash, at the very least among the dedicated Terminator fan base. And word from the wise, stick around through the credits. You get a sneak peak at what the future holds for the series. Fortunately, unlike times in the past, the series will see it’s sequels much quicker than usual, as Genisys is the first in a trilogy and both of its successors are set to be released in the following three years.
Go see Terminator Genisys, and if for any reason following the time jumps becomes too complex to comprehend, just don’t dwell on it much as it’s relevance boils down to semantics. It’s just a movie and you have to enjoy it for what it is, regardless if you are a fan or not. But if you want to get technical, it’s story-telling comes through and should satisfy even the most die-hard Terminator fan. Just check out the official trailer below for a taste to what you’ll be in for:
