Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) Movie Review or Terminator: Same thing, different timeline

Hello guys and welcome back for another round of movie reviews with Movie Nerd, a place where you can be nerdy about movies!

So, it took longer than expected but I finally put together a review for this movie and I hope that you guys are going to appreciate it.

The question on my mind and, I suppose, on everybody else's was do we really need another Terminator movie, since the last three, especially the fifth one, were from decent to bad to a total shit storm. I very much enjoyed the first movie, which was a nice blend of action, sci-fi and thriller with some horror elements as well. The second movie was, in my opinion and as a general opinion as well, superior to the first, with greater special effects, a tone of action and one of the best villains in movie history. Also, the first two movies introduced Arnold to the world and his catchphrases as well. The third one was decent, it was OK for me, it has some good things going on in there. Terminator: Salvation was bad, bleak and, I dare say, boring. Terminator: Genysis was, without a doubt, the worst of the bunch because it made a mess to the timeline.

As you can see, after the fifth one, I kinda gave up hope that I will see another Terminator movie that was going to be not better than the first two but as good as the first two. Well, with Dark Fate, my hope has been restored a bit.

Before I dive in to the review, here is a bit of a synopsis: more than two decades have passed since Sarah Connor prevented Judgment Day, changed the future, and re-wrote the fate of the human race. Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes) is living a simple life in Mexico City with her brother (Diego Boneta) and father when a highly advanced and deadly new Terminator – a Rev-9 (Gabriel Luna) – travels back through time to hunt and kill her. Dani's survival depends on her joining forces with two warriors: Grace (Mackenzie Davis), an enhanced super-soldier from the future, and a battle-hardened Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). As the Rev-9 ruthlessly destroys everything and everyone in its path on the hunt for Dani, the three are led to a T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) from Sarah’s past that may be their last best hope.

So, as you can see, this is a direct sequel to Judgement Day and what happened in the movies that came after was scrapped. It's the same thing that happened with the Halloween movie from last year. Also, you can see some parallels between the two film franchises and, basically, Dark Fate is the Halloween movie from 2018.

Like I said, my hope has been restored, not fully but a little still has been restored because I really liked this movie, even without being as explosive and intense as the first two. I can safely say that this is a upgrade in quality, action, special effects, story and characters from the three movie that came before it. Also, there are some hints and Easter eggs from all of the 5 movies that came out in the years before this one.

However, as good as this movie is and as good of a job it did by fixing the timeline and actually giving it a logical story to it that actually makes sense, it still has the same plot device as the other two. With a couple of minor changes but, at it's core, it's still the same plot. It does not bring anything new or original and I am guessing that is because they tried to do that with the other three movies but it did not work. Now they have decided to do the same but different. It's OK, I guess but I think that is one of the reasons why the movie bombed at the box office. People were not that eager for another Terminator movie.

The movie, for me, is good, is satisfying, it's the Terminator movie that should have been made after T2. It has good action sequences, great fighting, good performances, especially from Davis and Hamilton. Arnold is present as well, a bigger presence that I initially thought he was going to be but this movie is Linda Hamilton's movie.

The new Terminator, the REV-9 looks cool but it does not have the stance, pose and intensity as the T-1000.

Overall, this movie was not a disappointment. It's the best Terminator movie since T2, the real third one, it fixed the timeline and it is a definite upgrade from the sub par movies that came before it, except, of course, the first two movies. 7.2/10

OK guys, that is my review for this one. Next, will be, I think, Doctor Sleep and Frozen 2. Not sure if I will see Midway but, if I will, I will surely post a review for it. Until then, take care, stay movie nerdy and keep on reviewing!