The real test of a marriage isn't dealing with conflict well, deciding who takes out the rubbish, or even remembering to put the toilet seat down, its asking to go and watch the new Terminator movie on your honeymoon. That's what I did, nearly five years ago, and my new bride and I settled down in the little cinema in Rarotonga and watched Terminator: Genisys.  Despite the critical slaying that it got I still thought it was a fairly decent action flick. I've gotta be honest I was looking forward to seeing Terminator: Dark Fate but I wasn't super excited to see it. But I was happily surprised as I was swept up in this action packed ride. 

 

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.

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Its been ages since I've seen all of the Terminator movies and it seems that there have been so many narrative reboots over the years that you don't really know where you are in the timeline of things anymore. That doesn’t matter at all. Everything is explained and you’re thrust right back into the story. 

 

Sarah Connor’s return is beautifully simple in the way that she fits into the narrative. Its a joy to have Linda Hamilton with all her sass and swagger accompanied by a hail of bullets. Just brilliant. She joins newcomers Grace, a cybernetically - enhanced human, and Dani who is the ‘new’ John Connor; the chosen one who will save humanity. 

 

The whole film essentially is Sarah Connor, Grace, and Dani running away from the newly improved terminator Rev-9, sent to kill Dani. They meet up with the old T-800 and that’s about it. Pretty simple story. Even though the car chases, the action sequences, the obvious that its CGI but its super far fetched and cool, and Arnie being hilarious all make watching Terminator: Dark Fate more than worth while, you have the sneaky suspicion that we’re going over old ground, that we’ve seen this all before. I kinda want to see them do something fresh with the franchise. 

 

But because Terminator: Dark Fate is a bit of a reset, by the end of the tale you can tell where they could be headed. It's a new and exciting direction filled with endless new and fresh possibilities. Can’t wait.

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Although it feels though it covers familiar ground, Terminator: Dark Fate brings action packed fury to the big screen like nothing else.