Terminator
For better or worse, he just keeps coming back.
If the Terminator franchise was a person, it would be that guy who peaked in high school and then never shut up about it despite getting older and more out of shape. Terminator 1 and 2 are cinematic icons, cementing their characters as essential heroes of Hollywood. Then came a bunch of follow-ups that could never quite gain the approval that the first two got. And look, Terminator 2 is tough to beat. I get it. But that doesn’t mean the other ones had to suck.
Here’s the thing. In pretty much every single one of these movies, a giant truck chases a smaller car down a road with much mess and mayhem along the way. A human always runs through a factory in the finale while trying to take on a half-melted or half-frozen robot with nothing but their wits. Someone always says “Come with me if you want to live” or “I’ll be back”. Now, that’s not to say that there aren’t fun moments here. There definitely are. But even so, you certainly won’t regret skipping the last two thirds of this franchise.
The Terminator (***1/2)
The 80s synth soundtrack was as inescapable as the Terminator himself – and not in a good way. But iconic leads and (relatively) impressive special effects made this a fun ride.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day (****1/2)
An instant action classic that injects a hefty dose of heart into a story about a heartless killing machine.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (**1/2)
There’s some interesting plot elements here, but forgettable performances and a script that can’t justify the need for a third film bog this Terminator down.
Terminator Salvation (**1/2)
This bleak star-studded post-apocalyptic action flick has a cool heart at its center, but a couple missteps including a completely horrendous quote about cancer and an ending where a hero takes another hero’s life to save himself keep me from loving this next iteration in the Terminator saga.
Terminator Genisys (*1/2)
There’s so much wibbly-wobbly time travel nonsense here that the cool story of a robo-father learning to let go of his human daughter really gets drowned out.
Terminator: Dark Fate (***)
Sarah Connor's return makes this the best Terminator in nearly 30 years, though that's not saying much. Leave any attachments to chronology or sensibility at the door.