Film Review: Terminator Genisys

Terminator Genisys. Rated M (science fiction violence and infrequent coarse language). 126 minutes. Directed by Alan Taylor. Screenplay by Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier.

The mighty Terminator series of films, which began with James Cameron’s The Terminator (1984), can easily be credited with having influenced an entire generation. Not only did Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “I’ll be back” enter the popular vernacular, there was the inspired premise of his T-800 model robot being sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor, who was yet to give birth to John, the boy who would eventually grow up to destroy the robots’ nuclear-powered weapon of human annihilation, Skynet.

Kalogridis (the brilliant Shutter Island) and Lussier’s screenplay wisely holds fast and true to the original premise, but adds an additional layer of mind-bending time-play that evolves from an early blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scene involving John Connor (Jason Clarke).

John is again leading the armed resistance fighters, including Jai Courtney’s Kyle Reese, in a battle to destroy Skynet. Similarly, Schwarzenegger’s terminator is sent back to 1984 to assassinate Sarah (Emilia Clarke), and Kyle volunteers to go back and make sure she survives. But it is when John, who hadn’t been born yet, suddenly arrives back in 1984 and comes face-to-face with Sarah and Kyle that things really start to get new and interesting.

As much as Genisys is a refreshing take on the original’s storyline and the origins of Skynet, it is actually all about Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is a particular kind of cinematic royalty. While it makes no sense that ‘Pops’, (his older terminator character who now protects Sarah) meets his younger self in terminator mode, the face-off scenes between the younger and older Arnie are, like the rest of Taylor’s assured handling of this hugely entertaining adventure, an absolute treat.

This review was commissioned by the West Australian Newspaper Group.

Film Review: Thor: The Dark World

Thor: The Dark World. Rated M (action violence). 112 minutes. Directed by Alan Taylor. Screenplay by Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely.

Verdict: A severe case of thunder-less sequelitis.

If there is a constant dilemma in our wonderful world of cinema, it’s the catalogue of problems associated with ‘making the sequel’. In the case of this follow-up to the terrific Thor (2011), those problems are many and obvious – resulting in an unsatisfying outing in the company of Chris Hemsworth’s love-struck God of Thunder.

Equal parts romantic comedy and Star Wars/Lord of the Rings wannabe, The Dark World begins with Thor’s bitter nemesis Loki (Tom Hiddleston) disinherited and locked away for the rest of his life by the stroppy Odin (Anthony Hopkins). Meanwhile, on Earth, Thor’s clever girlfriend Jane (Natalie Portman) stumbles upon a mysterious portal where she becomes consumed by the powerful substance ‘Aether’, which the evil Dark Elf Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) wants so that he and his Dark Elf warriors can destroy everyone and everything.

Markus (Captain America: The First Avenger, The Chronicles of Narnia films) and his collaborators have fashioned a superhero-by-the-numbers screenplay that, while boasting some welcome comedic banter, remains steadfastly ordinary.

Taylor (episodes of Sex and the City, The Sopranos, Mad Men, Game of Thrones) follows suit, and with the exception of a brilliant slap-down sequence involving Thor, Malkeith and some inter-planetary trickery, The Dark World never manages to feel as though it’s holding together. It is helped by some flashy visual effects (particularly a powerful funeral sequence), and Thor’s home planet of Asgard is superbly realised by production designer Charles Wood (Wrath of the Titans).

Hemsworth, once again, looks every inch the part but suffers as a result of the script’s many inane moments and sloppy pacing, while Hiddleston clearly relishes his return as the entertaining Loki. The sequences on Earth play out with an almost moribund sense of familiarity that it becomes impossible to take any of it seriously.

This review was commissioned by the West Australian Newspaper Group