Terminator: Dark Fate

[Shinobi Shaw]

I think it varies depending on the movie but 15 is probably equivalent to R here. If it's something that's really racy then I think it gets slapped with an 18. It's funny now that I remember it because that summer of 2003 both T3 and The Matrix Reloaded were both rated R and they probably could have gotten away with a PG-13 with a few edits here and there.

If Reloaded chilled with the f bombs here and there I'm sure it could've been PG-13. Or the orgasm cake scene with the Merovingian could've done it LOL.

 

[Drizzle]

If Reloaded chilled with the f bombs here and there I'm sure it could've been PG-13. Or the orgasm cake scene with the Merovingian could've done it LOL.

It hasn't been that long since I last rewatched it but that Zion orgy stood out more than the language, lol.

 

[samsnee]

Good interview if you’re an Arnold fan. He talks about Terminator’s future
Arnold Schwarzenegger: “My Plan Is to Live Forever” – The Hollywood Reporter

 

[Spider-Fan]

He is right about them being poorly written

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Interesting. I wouldn't say DF was poorly written overall they just made some bad choices that rubbed many fans the wrong way.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Dark Fate was very poorly written

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Dark Fate was very poorly written

Eh I wouldn't say so

 

[Spider-Fan]

Eh I wouldn't say so

As with anything, it's a matter of preference. But the script was garbage. Just T1 but without any semblance of heart or soul to it. Just like it was ran through an algorithm and crapped into existence

 

[DarkKnight88]

Genysis was poorly written. DF needed a few more drafts.

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

Dark Fate needed to do something else than kill off John Connor.

But I agree with Ah-nuld.

 

[samsnee]

DF was enjoyable but was just T2 again more or less.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

As with anything, it's a matter of preference. But the script was garbage. Just T1 but without any semblance of heart or soul to it. Just like it was ran through an algorithm and crapped into existence

Agree to disagree buddy. T2 was mainly a rework of T1 when you boil it down. It's how that plot is executed and DF did it quite well but it was too little too late as Salvation and Genesis ruined the franchise.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Agree to disagree buddy. T2 was mainly a rework of T1 when you boil it down. It's how that plot is executed and DF did it quite well but it was too little too late as Salvation and Genesis ruined the franchise.

Yes T2 is, but T2 is that story done right. Cause that had James Cameron doing more than a few Zoom Meetings on it. DF is that story done cause the franchise made money at one point in time so we will prey on that nostril while doing everything with far less effort and far worse. It's an abysmal film

 

[Sawyer]

I think Dark Fate is the best non-Cameron entry we’ve gotten, but that’s faint praise considering how horrible a few of those are. I liked it, but it’s not like I looked at it and saw a bright future and a way forward for the franchise.

If anything, when the best one we’ve gotten post-T2 still leaves you feeling “ehh”… then maybe it’s just time to throw in the towel.

 

[Spider-Fan]

I think everything post T2 has been some degree of suck, so doesn't really matter which was best. They're all bad

 

[Deck Rickard]

I think everything post T2 has been some degree of suck, so doesn't really matter which was best. They're all bad

This. None of those movies are good. Salvation was the one that had a chance of being good since it wasn’t just a rehash of the “send a Terminator back in time” plot, but they hired McG and he did McG things. They just should have given up after that. But somehow they managed to make Genysis, which managed to be the worst movie in the franchise.

 

[Drizzle]

T3, Salvation and Dark Fate are more forgettable than outright bad IMO. I didn't even bother with Genisys.

 

[Sawyer]

The only thing T3 had going for it was the ending. Otherwise it was like “Let’s do T2 again, but this time Robert Patrick is a hot girl.”

 

[The Chris]

This. None of those movies are good. Salvation was the one that had a chance of being good since it wasn’t just a rehash of the “send a Terminator back in time” plot, but they hired McG and he did McG things. They just should have given up after that. But somehow they managed to make Genysis, which managed to be the worst movie in the franchise.

It’s funny because whenever I rewatch Salvation I can’t help but give McG some points for trying. Dude really tried to direct his ass off, but it just didn’t come together. Still watch it over Genysis tho. I feel nothing but contempt for that one.

 

[DarkKnight88]

Genysis is awful. Hands down the worst of the Part 3s.

Unfortunately for Dark Fate, it might’ve had more of a chance financially had Genysis not destroyed any goodwill of seeing Arnold back in the iconic role after 15 years.

 

[Spider-Fan]

If the movie had been better, it would have got better WOM and thus would have seen more success. Genisys didn't help it out, certainly. But it's own quality didn't elevate that perception, either

 

[DarkKnight88]

If the movie had been better, it would have got better WOM and thus would have seen more success. Genisys didn't help it out, certainly. But it's own quality didn't elevate that perception, either

It would’ve opened better at the very least, which in this day and age, might’ve been all it really needed to become successful. But even reviews weren’t terrible compared to some franchise sequels.

Again, Genysis damaged the brand and the hype for the return of these characters… more than I think they expected. The fact that Genysis grossed close to 500M as terrible as it was showed there at least was some initial excitement. Dark Fate only grossed half of that four years later.

 

[Spider-Fan]

It would’ve opened better at the very least, which in this day and age, might’ve been all it really needed to become successful. But even reviews weren’t terrible compared to some franchise sequels.

Again, Genysis damaged the brand and the hype for the return of these characters… more than I think they expected. The fact that Genysis grossed close to 500M as terrible as it was showed there at least was some initial excitement. Dark Fate only grossed half of that four years later.

I agree that it hurt the opening. But it didn't have good drops week to week either and only scored a B+ Cinemascore. Not great stuff. Look at GOTG3. Opened disappointing, but small drops and good WOM. Dark Fate was not a movie anyone cared to recommend.

 

[The Chris]

I agree that it hurt the opening. But it didn't have good drops week to week either and only scored a B+ Cinemascore. Not great stuff. Look at GOTG3. Opened disappointing, but small drops and good WOM. Dark Fate was not a movie anyone cared to recommend.

Can’t argue with that. Now Dark Fate I was actually entertained by, but the things that a lot of people didn’t like I can’t say I was too fond of either. I don’t like what they did with John. I don’t really buy Dani too much (especially the future scene. They should have cast an older actress for that scene big time). I wasn’t too much of a fan of Grace either, particularly in the beginning (not the fault of the actress, I just found Grace written as kind of unlikable. I hated the way she acted towards Sarah early in the movie. Felt like they were trying too hard to have her come off as badass, and she paled in comparison to the effortless bad ass right in front of her). I did like the Rev 9 tho. But yeah it may not have been helped by the previous piece of garbage , but it still didn’t help its own case with the audience.

 

[elgaz]

Good interview if you’re an Arnold fan. He talks about Terminator’s future
Arnold Schwarzenegger: “My Plan Is to Live Forever” – The Hollywood Reporter

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I'm kinda glad that he's acknowledged the franchise must go on without him. I've been saying this in here for years, but in my mind the reason the storylines have suffered in recent Terminator films have been due to Hollywood's constant attempts to keep Arnold involved in them.

That means you have a visibly aged Terminator, which by effect means your storyline is compromised as you have to somehow build a long time period into it to explain away the fact that there is now a Terminator on screen who looks geriatric. And sure, they can use CGi or Deepfake to show a younger version in short segments like they did in Genisys, but this is not cost effective or realistic enough to carry throughout the entire running time of the movie.

Asides from a small scene, Salvation was the only film which didn't try to have Arnold's Terminator as an integral player in the storyline. And although the film didn't succeed critically, it did at least allow them the freedom and scope to move to a post-apocalyptic scenario and try and do something different.

Of course, there's other things which haven't helped - trying to shoehorn more humour into the films, have less compelling characters and so on. They all lack the really dark and almost horror-like nature of the first film. But letting go of Arnold would be a big step to getting a story in place which can get the franchise back on track.