Wayne Chandler

Reviews of the Terminator films from (and including) Salvation forward suffer from the same malaise as reviews of post-Disney-acquisition Star Wars: nostalgic misremembrance of the original (in this case, two) films. No new entry in the series could reach the artistic heights that hardcore fans inaccurately ascribe to those films from their childhoods. So if you're one of those fans, you might as well stay home rather than seeing Dark Fate. If you're *not* one of those fans--and if you're also not a woman-hating jackass--you'll probably find Dark Fate to be tense, fun, touching, and a welcome redemption of the various things that Genisys seemed to promise but didn't deliver. (You might preface your Dark Fate experience by rewatching Terminator and T2 without rose-colored nostalgia lenses: Dark Fate will benefit from the reminder that those first two films were good but not remotely the cinematic masterpieces that they now often are said to be.)

Don't expect heroics from anyone, including the main character. That's one of the unfortunate points the movie makes: there are no heroes, and those public figures who position themselves as saviors are the most despicable of non-heroes because they have the chance and the ability to improve the lives of everyone else, but they don't. They're not interested in others' lives, only the satisfaction of their own egos. The acting is great. The writing is great. The cinematography is great. All that greatness in the service of a film that makes clear there's not a hell of a lot great about the way we treat each other. This is an important film. Unfortunately, its importance is likely to be wasted since the discussion it could create will be drowned in posturing, and the chance to have a sincere dialog that could result in uplifting those who need it most will be ignored by the people who could make a positive difference. A lot like in the film.