The Rise of Legion

James Cameron’s 1984 sci-fi thriller ‘The Terminator,’ starring Austrian muscle-man Arnold Schwarzenegger, is easily hands-down one of my favorite movies of all time, with its bleak depiction of a post-apocalyptic landscape ruled by a calculating and merciless AI called “Skynet.”   A cautionary tale of unchecked technology running amok and mankind sowing the seeds of its own destruction, Terminators, whether as skeletal chrome-plated killer robots eliminating their erstwhile masters with built-in arm blasters or cool sunglasses-wearing facsimiles in disguise, have rightfully taken their place as one of the most iconic “monsters” in cinematic history.

 

35 years after the original movie, we are treated to the sixth installment of the Terminator franchise, which has certainly seen its share of hits-and-misses (more the latter of late), in ‘Terminator: Dark Fate.’  A direct sequel to 1991’s ‘T2: Judgment Day,’ considered by many to be the best in the series (although I still liked the original a little better), ‘Dark Fate’ picks up 22 years after the events of ‘Judgment Day’ and is set in an alternate timeline (has it gone “Marvel”?) that’s eerily similar to the one that was averted.  Instead of ‘Skynet,’ the dark future portrayed in ‘Dark Fate’ is ruled by an equally merciless AI called “Legion” which, like Skynet, sent a killer robot called Rev-9 back in time to terminate the leader of the resistance who’s been a thorn in its side, an unassuming young Mexican woman named Daniella (“Dani”).

 

‘Dark Fate’ borrowed (okay, so it blatantly ripped off) the plotlines of ‘The Terminator’ and ‘Judgment Day.’  As the soldier sent back in time to protect Dani, Grace (Mackenzie Davis) played the exact same role as Michael Biehn’s Kyle Reese sent back to save Sarah Connor in the first film, and septuagenarian Arnold Schwarzenegger essentially reprised his role in T2 as the “reformed” terminator T-800 aiding Grace and Dani (female John Connor) against the implacable Rev-9 (Gabriel Luna), the latest and greatest Terminator model of them all even if he still ultimately failed in his mission – big surprise.  Why not?  Those two are the best in the franchise, aren’t they?

 

Grade: B+