In 2019 Terminator: Dark Fate was attempting to forge a new future for the Terminator franchise, one that was going to pass the torch to new characters and reinvigorate the franchise by ignoring failed reboots and sequels in an attempt to retcon, and continue on, from the most successful entry in the franchise; Terminator 2: Judgment Day (or at least that was the intention).
What Terminator Fans got instead was best described by the movie’s Director Tim Miller as a slap in the face.
“You want to slap the audience in the face and say, ‘Wake up. This is going to be different.“
Tim Miller
That slap in the face was served up via the opening scenes, as future legend and savior of mankind, adolescent John Connor, was blown away by a shotgun wielded by a T-800 who later grew a conscience and became a drapery salesman, known as ‘Carl‘. Yeah, that played out as ridiculously on screen as it did to read it back.
Following John Connor’s termination we were introduced to a new future leader, Commander Ramos AKA Dani, played by Natalia Reyes, though the true new lead character of the Terminator franchise was actually Grace Harper (Mackenzie Davis).
Dani Ramos, if we study the movie, is just the next John Connor waiting to be unceremoniously bumped off; Terminator: Dark Fate transformed the character into a yet another disposable McGuffin – delivering to Dani Ramos the poisoned chalice of fate.
It was initially sold to fans that Dani Ramos would be the new Sarah Connor of the franchise and that Grace was the new T-800, though there was however at least some truth to what we were told…
Grace – Super Future Soldier
Grace was the embodiment of not only the T-800 but also Sarah Connor. Yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton were relegated to supporting roles, all the while a new character took on both their characters traits, the studios even added a pinch of Kyle Reese to the recipe in an attempt to seal the deal, and… well, you get the picture.
Without a doubt Mackenzie Davis was the star of Terminator: Dark Fate, it was her image and name which were pushed the hardest in promotion, and Grace died under the sentiment that she was the new T-800 / Arnold, so it was always intended that she would be back, as villain or hero in a sequel.
Grace had the arms / physique of Sarah Connor and the strongly feminist edge of Sarah Connor (though delivered in a much more contrived way), she even wore a white tank top similar to that of Sarah Connor to invoke the nostalgia that Hollywood is so reliant upon nowadays.
Not only did we have elements of Sarah Connor being assimilated by the Grace character, but also the T-800 was coursing through the character’s veins (along with some fuel that looked like cod liver oil).
Does the franchise deserve to live on? I believe so. The franchise deserves to live beyond the involvement of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton, beyond the studios, its creators and beyond the box office failures. Why? Because it’s come this far already. This franchise, and its fans, deserve better than to go out on a death-rattle of bum notes.
If we were fans of the actors alone then we may have a different opinion but first and foremost this is about Terminator… Sarah Connor and the T-800 have been integral to the Terminator franchise, especially the first two movies which are considered superior in the eyes of many.
The possibility of renewed success should have required that the character of Grace be solid enough to carry the series forward; to be a fusion of the two of the most beloved characters in the Terminator franchise, yet the story, the execution, the dialogue, the acting (blame the script for that one) left Mackenzie Davis’ role both praised and hated in equal measure. The character never reached the required heights to place the franchise on Davis’ shoulders for the long-term; that being a full on fight for the future against LEGION in a Terminator: Dark Fate trilogy.
Where Grace is a character of unrealised potential, Dani Ramos became the proverbial replacement child in a franchise looking to be reborn, but one without the skill or imagination to achieve it.
Was it a mistake to put the potential success of Terminator: Dark Fate on the shoulders of unknown characters rather than established and beloved characters? Many fans did not want John Connor killed off in the first place.
Terminator: Dark Fate has left many fans opposed to wanting more Terminator movies, though in the meantime, those who hunger for more Terminator can sink their teeth into Skydance and Netflix‘s upcoming Terminator Anime Series.
Will Grace be back in the Anime, or was the character laid to rest in Terminator: Dark Fate?
Would you have liked to have seen Mackenzie Davis be the face, and the future, of the Terminator franchise?
Do you think Dark Fate deserves another shot at a sequel, or not?
Leave a comment…
9 Comments
It definitely won’t get a sequel. That was decided already. Grace was great. The problem was killing John Connor and just a general rehash and repeating a story.
We needed the story taking in a new direction. Why not the future war or atleast an older John Connor struggling. I don’t think Sarah Connor was needed tbh and although I’m an Arnie fan there’s never been a need for a benevolent Arnie terminator beyond T2 really. His character was a bit silly.
I liked Dark fate but it was disappointing too as it didn’t generate anything new for the franchise.
Sarah Connor chronicles remains the best entry following T2. Bringing that back would be great.
Mackenzie Davis sim ela se emcaixa com outro personaje como dion conor ele se aliaria com ela indo ao emcotro dela em uma realidade par comvocar ele para ajuda ele a lida com as ameça da skai nte juntos com sua mae lutando o filme meciona um poto que tem coneccao mas mesmo asim jon velho recuperado do seus tormento vivido com ela Mackenzie Davis daria uma estoria imveul e sou ideia
eu acho que todos os trabalho ficou muito bom todos os filme do exterminado mas o bom de ter muitas estorias de ferente varias mundo diferente contado nos filme com muta linha temporal mas eu acho que 1 filme e 2 filme mas sei la poderia iniciar um filme contado uma estoria depois que sara e seu filho no final do filme dali eles foram mora luja de tudo o que aconteceu e sua mae ja mas velha e seu filho mas velho tendo que linda com sua juventude atormanta pelas maquina sua mae ja de idade e surje uma nova ameaça uma vigaça por pate daquele homen que moreu no predia pela bombar que tinha explodido o filho dele lembrou e resolve arma uma vingamça contra sara e jon mas skai nete acha o filho daquele ome que expldiu no predio e comvence juto a vigar o pai e sara sabendo diso tem que comvece que seu pai nao moreu em vam e comvece ele que teria que ser unir para destruir skai nete junto e sara teria que resgata o joncona mergulhado em mundo de vicios e tormento para ele recobra o comciencia que ele er um lider na resitencia e tinha que luta pela mas uma nova amesa e jon poderia resucita uma vercao de um andride de arno para ajuda nessa iso e so uma idei
e as cronicas de sra e muito boa na minha opininha mas deicha um tormento nas cabesa de quem viu tem muito misterio que tem que ser respodido no final da uma ideia de que jom teve que volta para sua guerra em outra realidade que muitas mquina seria imviada para matalo mas seria lega destrincha mas essa tempora eu acho que quando as coisa tabem todos ta gostando alguem nao termina as coisa deixa muitos misterios mas pode ser comtinuada as tempora aparti 3 com comtinuaçao e pode desnvolver outro filme aparti do dois mes que muito nao gostou desse filme eu gostei mas o filme sai da historia muito criando outras linha temporal mas misterios descup p excreve assim so ideia mas se comtunua as estoria de sara conar sera bom aparti do 2 temporada nada de comesa de novo
esa questao de mata diom foi naquele fime com uma realidade mas dion conor esta vivo em outras linha do tempo e so volta numa linha onde ele e mas velho e cria outra estoria eu acho q esse filme exterminado eu vou more e tera muito pessoa criando muito projeto sobre isso
No. I didn’t like it at all. You don’t have to be a filmmaker to know that working with characters and building some tension was very bad.
But what I don’t understand at all is that Cammeron somehow endorsed it. When you pay for a masterclass and look at his approaches, you will fully understand what he did. Basically, he repeated the rules of good filmmaking there. But if you making a movie, it depends on your priorities and focus, even if you know it all. The problem is that his aproaches contradicts what was in the last two terminators. I also don’t understand why Cameron wants to do big spectacles at all costs, instead of being modest and devoting himself to something he understands and loves the most … Rolecoasters at a time when people are used to effects and you lose priority, is a little suicide.
Not to mention Skydance, which is completely out of reality. If they don’t have a Cruise, they’re out of bysnys…
T2:
Starting to follows the path of the T800, T100, John and Sarah to the first conflict. He watches their actions, concentrates on it, think about it ….
Dark Fate? 😀
Booom. The Terminator will appear. Swap a sentence with your father, take a quick look at the gate in factory. And quickly the first conflict. Example of antiphysics, like in on FF, and let it them through the air. Coooool. Big hammer!! More coool lokink liquids … 😀 Then start they talking abou feelings, stone of their souls…. as at a women’s party, feelings are discussed and hurray to another cool visual – the feelings feelings have been discussed before, you dont need to thinking about characters thru their actions in scene 😀
If they got a good screenwriter. Director, given the weight of the character and the priority i their production wil be different, might even remember the film what was about, not like now – just only title and scenes, which gave me bitterness in my mouth. I never want to see anything from skydance again. Paramount is the same (the resulting quality also depends on the taste of the management).
I even glad, that Fincher wil not be working with them on WWZ2.
i have been a hardcore Terminator fan from the beginning of the franchise’s first film. One thing that I have realized throughout its entire run, the producers don’t see to eye with their audience. Even if this turns out to be not the truth, they don’t seem to understand what it is to please them…example: the future war. This is something they all Know the fans want. Also, they know we want a continuation of the Sarah Connor Chronicles! NEITHER of these things the fans have been asking for have materialized…. Spoiler: What were they thinking in terms of what it would be to franchise to “terminate” the central character John Connor? His character was the MAIN focus, and the main one to root for. His importance was just Too Great to push aside in the manner that is was. Film makers are going to have to get it through their heads that we as the audience become weary and eventually uninterested in franchises that delete and retcon away things and events that become important to the viewers. There Are exceptions with some success, but not enough of them to take on this gamble. There is an unwritten “lack of trust” that automatically becomes involved when they start messing around with story canon. What do they think they did when they stole John’s arc of the story and just gave it away to some unknown character. Did they ever ask themselves “What did this character do to Deserve to be the main focus? It IS a slap in the face and many in the script room for T:DF should have the courage to say this, even to Mr. Cameron. So if they Want fans to Want someone like Grace or Commander Reyes to continue on in the franchise, do this. Try taking the time to do it right, and NOT at the expense of what has already been established as canon in the story. It becomes too much like a book with pages torn out or missing. How much satisfaction can be expected from engaging time in something like that? Just show thought and care with this and we as the audience will most likely respond positively.
eu como um fan gostraia que JAMES CAMERON criasse outro filme e dirigisse outro filme com suas ideias todos espera algo diferente
100% agree