When it comes to violent sci-fi epics, it’s hard to beat the original THE TERMINATOR. The 1984 feature directed by James Cameron took audiences by surprise with a menacing turn from Arnold Schwarzenegger, and some of the coolest science fiction action fans had ever seen. Even with a relatively small budget, Cameron managed to make a thrilling adventure with impressive low budget effects. The filmmaker also offered us two great leads courtesy of Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor and Michael Biehn as Kyle Reese. With the success of THE TERMINATOR, it was no surprise that a sequel would happen. What is unusual, at least in today’s market, is that this sequel didn’t arrive until 1991.
TERMINATOR 2, or T2, is one of the most satisfying and intelligent science fiction movies ever created. Both Schwarzenegger and Hamilton return, and newcomer Edward Furlong shows up to take on the role of young John Connor. And as great as it was to see Arnold return to play The Terminator, this version was a brilliant twist on the character. And when it came to creepy bad guys, Robert Patrick is fantastic as the unstoppable T-1000. James Cameron took his original idea and turned it into one of the most respected sci-fi films of all time. It also helped that Ms. Hamilton’s Sarah Connor became an instant icon with her incredible work here. However, the magic of these two films didn’t carry over into he following sequels.
With two amazing entries, it became all the more disappointing as filmmakers would try to carry on Cameron’s legacy. Jonathan Mostow gave us the serviceable TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES. This time, Nick Stahl took on the role of John Connor, and Kristanna Lokan offered her services as the film’s villain. And then came one of he most disappointing sequels considering the talent behind it. When you put the massively watchable Christian Bale in a TERMINATOR flick, it has to be cool. But unfortunately, the McG directed TERMINATOR: SALVATION was a bit of a wreck for this viewer. It’s a shame too, simply because it had an intriguing idea and a solid cast.
There have been a ton of TERMINATOR concepts come to life – and even attractions like the one at Universal – and of course the short lived series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, yet none of it led to a film worthy of the first two features. Then, in 2015, audiences were hoping for a return to form with TERMINATOR GENISYS. While it wasn’t as terrible as some would have you believe, it wasn’t the story to really reinvigorate this franchise. While it was a bit of a disappointment box office wise here in the states, it did do enough business overseas to warrant another try. Yet is it actually worth another try? Do audiences still care about Sarah and John Connor? Crazy enough, I think there is still a shot for this series.
With yet another upcoming – and currently untitled – sequel coming, we are seeing a few hugely positive aspects. First thing that gives me hope is Tim Miller directing. The DEADPOOL filmmaker may give this new feature a different kind of energy which may not be a bad thing. I also love the new cast members including Mackenzie Davis, Gabriel Luna, Diego Boneta and Natalie Reyes. However, the one thing that really thrills me? The film stars Arnold and Linda together! With Linda Hamilton coming back (much like Jamie Lee Curtis in HALLOWEEN) there is a heightened interest to see what has happened to Sarah Connor. Maybe if HALLOWEEN and TERMINATOR sequels do well enough, perhaps we can finally get a proper ALIEN movie with Sigourney Weaver returning.
Maybe it’s the booze talkin’, We are going to give the Terminator franchise “one” more chance. You really can’t name too many film franchises that start off as brilliantly as THE TERMINATOR and continue so seamlessly into T2, yet flounder into basic sci-fi action flicks. This is why the less-than-stellar sequels are so disappointing. For this viewer however, the idea of seeing Linda Hamilton return to the role of Sarah Connor, and Tim Miller taking on directorial duties gets me excited. I’m hoping we have something that lives up to the promise of what this series held. If this one doesn’t work, it may be just be time to switch the power off on the TERMINATOR franchise.