Terminator: Dark Fate

[Punisher_MAX]

I was so stoked for Salvation but man, talk about a dropped ball with that concept.

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

A nice, smaller scale Terminator story on par with T1 and a little mix of Prey would be great for the franchise.

 

[titansupes]

So now both Cameron and Arnold himself have said the franchise needs to move beyond him. Didn't think we'd get to that point, honestly.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I was so stoked for Salvation but man, talk about a dropped ball with that concept.

That's the worst one for me. They had the right set up and a decent cast. Then they let McG direct it. With a budget of around $200 million no less.

 

[Sawyer]

McG is hardly a great director, but you look at his Charlie’s Angels and think that maybe his version of Terminator could’ve at least been visually vibrant, even harkening back to the future scenes in the Cameron films… but then we end up with all that gray.

 

[Spider-Fan]

And the dreaded PG-13. Which for a Terminator movie is bad enough, but worse when you consider its supposed to take place during a war. That just doesn't work

 

[OnLeatherWings]

I'd watch Salvation over any of the other sequels.

Least it had the balls to try something new. It didn't land - but neither did the other sequels but those are worse to me because they tread already trodden ground.

I can appreciate boldness and new ideas even if the execution sucks over a sucky but familiar direction.

 

[TheVileOne]

My big problem is that everything the Terminator movies do now is basically rehashing the first two films and trying to recreate the magic that Cameron made and catch lightning in a bottle again. Cameron made something perfect and everyone loves it but they are just desperately trying to COPY what he did, and it's impossible.

So yeah, Terminator Salvation had the advantage to sort of go to the place we had only seen in glimpses before and actually deliver the future war, but they fumbled on that too. Oh well.

It's kind of why I just want this franchise to die already. They've done everything and tried everything, and everything else post-Cameron has failed. That includes like going into the past and like 1920s New York with the Terminator in like Sarah Connor Chronicles.

Even with Cameron in the room for Dark Fate, he couldn't cook up the special sauce again.

 

[OnLeatherWings]

Even with Cameron in the room for Dark Fate, he couldn't cook up the special sauce again.

I doubt he had much influence.

James Cameron is not a half-ass, collaborate on someone's project kind of guy.

He whole-asses his own project - and he always delivers. Never bet against The Cameron.

But yeah, I don't think he really cared all that much to have significant input on a film he's not directing.

 

[TheVileOne]

I doubt he had much influence.

James Cameron is not a half-ass, collaborate on someone's project kind of guy.

He whole-asses his own project - and he always delivers. Never bet against The Cameron.

But yeah, I don't think he really cared all that much to have significant input on a film he's not directing.

I would beg to differ on that. Case in point. Alita. His company produced it. They used his script he spent years working on, and he handed the reins off to Robert Rodriguez.

Also, Cameron has collaborated on projects for years. Wrote Rambo II, created the Dark Angel TV show. It's not always his show.

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

I just wish Cameron would give the same special attention that he does to Avatar to his Terminator franchise.

So many different things you could do with the property and those characters.

 

[TheVileOne]

I just wish Cameron would give the same special attention that he does to Avatar to his Terminator franchise.

So many different things you could do with the property and those characters.

I think he said everything he truly wanted to say with the first two films.

 

[elgaz]

My big problem is that everything the Terminator movies do now is basically rehashing the first two films and trying to recreate the magic that Cameron made and catch lightning in a bottle again. Cameron made something perfect and everyone loves it but they are just desperately trying to COPY what he did, and it's impossible.

It's this to a tee. Asides from Salvation, all the films so far have still been basically a rehash of "Terminator is sent back to kill the person who will lead the resistance". There's been changes in characters, and new Terminator models and nano techand so on, but it's basically just variances. The story needs to go in a new and wild place.

I think the franchise has potential, but maybe movies are trying too hard to capture that magic. A high quality TV series? Might work better. Chronicles wasn't bad but the game has moved on budget wise, I think they could do better.

 

[titansupes]

An HBO style Future War series could be cool...

 

[Punisher_MAX]

An HBO style Future War series could be cool...

I mean, just Rogue One the **** out of a story set in the Future War. Make it a legit war movie with high stakes, visceral battles, and a straight forward plot. You could tell tons of stories in that era of the Terminator.

 

[OnLeatherWings]

Every sequel took from the second film.

But man, I loved the tone of the first film.

A sci-fi, horror thriller with touches of noir.

 

[KaijuDude1992]

As much as I love T2 the first Terminator will always remain my favorite film in the franchise. I've always loved the gritty, small scale, horror vibe which is something they've never been able to replicate in the sequels.

Arnold as a stone-cold villain makes that movie even more iconic IMO.

 

[TheVileOne]

As much as I love T2 the first Terminator will always remain my favorite film in the franchise. I've always loved the gritty, small scale, horror vibe which is something they've never been able to replicate in the sequels.

Arnold as a stone-cold villain makes that movie even more iconic IMO.

I also like that about the original. It feels like Cameron accomplishes a lot with very little.

 

[elgaz]

As much as I love T2 the first Terminator will always remain my favorite film in the franchise. I've always loved the gritty, small scale, horror vibe which is something they've never been able to replicate in the sequels.

Arnold as a stone-cold villain makes that movie even more iconic IMO.

Agreed. Have rewatched the first one a few times and I still get that sense of slight panic/fear I had when I first watched it as a kid in the 80s. There was no humour and it was almost bordering on a horror movie, with Arnold as this unstoppable machine which would just keep coming after you again and again.

T2 is obviously fantastic but went in a different direction, more big budget spectacle.

I don't know if they'll ever recreate the magic of the original.

 

[Mani-Man]

So now both Cameron and Arnold himself have said the franchise needs to move beyond him. Didn't think we'd get to that point, honestly.

Sad to hear but understandable.
I dont think Arnie was the problem or so, it was always that they just repeated the same Formula.
I love the idea of an Older Arnie as Terminator etc, but its pointless if its just another TR2.

There wasnt really too much room to make this a long lasting Franchise unless you do the War.
The Concept only can hold 2-3 movies.

Like what do you do else with the Concept of a Terminator hunting someone?
TR2 evolved that concept already.
I did like the idea of Genisys until the second half of the movie.
Dark Fate had a interesting idea too, but again...turned into just another TR2 in terms of its plot.
You could have maybe gotten 1-2 good ones by making them downright horror movies or so, but doing just another simple Action movie, really didnt help anything.

That is why Salvation is considered by many one of the better ones after TR2.
They used the War where you have a lot more room for stuff.
A concept still very fresh.

Anyway, i hope that Arnie isnt done with Conan...like give me one more Movie with Arnie as King Conan or so...i need it.

An HBO style Future War series could be cool...

Yup, that would be really neat.

 

[Broseph44]

Am I the only one that actually enjoys Salvation?

 

[elgaz]

Am I the only one that actually enjoys Salvation?

Nope, I liked it also. Had flaws of course, it wasn't perfect, but I like some of the direction they went and Bale/Yelchin/etc were all great.

 

[titansupes]

I didn't like it... dat trailer tho--

 

[Broseph44]

I didn't like it... dat trailer tho--

My girl Bryce

 

[Mani-Man]

Am I the only one that actually enjoys Salvation?

Not at all, the thread is full of people talking about how Salvation was the right direction to go and all that.
it is considered one of the better Terminator movies.
The one thing i dont like is the lack of John Connor Focus in this, otherwise the movie is rather solid imo.