A soldier, Grace, who is half human and half machine goes back in time. Her mission is to protect a woman by the name of Dani from two different Terminators sent back to assassinate her. Grace and Dani get help from a veteran who has dealt with killer machines, Sarah Connor.
Blaine: 2018’s “Halloween” was a rewritten sequel to show how the “Halloween” franchise should have continued after the first original film. Now, “Terminator” has done the same with a sequel that is worthy to show how things should have continued after the second movie, “Judgement Day”. James Cameron is the creator of “Terminator”. He wrote and directed the first two “Terminator” movies, but he was never involved with the sequels that came after because he was moving on to other projects like “Titanic”. And then James Cameron spent several years experimenting with visual effects in order to take it to the next level with his biggest project “AVATAR”. The other “Terminator” movies didn’t do so well. “Terminator” 1 & 2 are the only successful movies of the franchise. James Cameron was interested in exploring the world of “Terminator” again. James Cameron had never seen the other “Terminator” movies, “Rise of the Machines”, “Salvation” and “Genisys”. He looked through them to see what the problem was with each one. James Cameron wanted to make a fresh new start and collaborated with other screenwriters to write what should have been the third “Terminator” movie. James Cameron wasn’t happy with how the script for “Terminator: Dare Fate” turned out in the end, even though that script was the start to a perfect movie. James Cameron wasn’t going to direct “Dark Fate” because he was too focussed on his “AVATAR” sequels, so Tim Miller was put in charge.
While Tim Miller was working on “Deadpool” one of his friends visited the set and wanted to talk about “Terminator” because the franchise is what made him want to be in the film business. Tim loves the “Terminator” franchise himself and Tim’s friend told him that a new “Terminator” was in works and he asked Tim if he would be interested in directing. Tim thought enough has already been told through the franchise and the last three weren’t that great. Tim thought what else is there to tell? Unless it was completely new. Then Tim was informed that the plan was to bring back Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor and continue the story where “T2” left off. That sounded awesome to Tim.
James Cameron wanted Sarah Connor back for “Dark Fate”. The character has been played by Lena Headey and Emilia Clarke, who I may point out are “Game of Thrones” actors, but there is only one actress who truly is Sarah Connor and that is Linda Hamilton. Linda wasn’t needed after “Judgement Day” because the studio had other plans for how “Terminator” could continue. James Cameron wasn’t sure if Linda would want to return as the character that made her career. Linda didn’t know what to think at first, but she put a lot of thought into it. Sarah Connor started off as the damsel in distress, then became a bad ass and Linda’s thoughts were how she had become something more than what she was in the beginning and it would be nice to continue taking Sarah Connor to the next level. It all sounded exciting to her and so after that she was in. Tim Miller was afraid to be working with Linda Hamilton because she is a powerful presence. Of course he wasn’t alone. Everyone on set felt the same way. Linda Hamilton took a liking to Tim because of his honesty, him being himself, being steady. Linda thought Tim would make a great leader. Linda Hamilton was the best part about “Dark Fate” because it’s been 28 years since she played the character and as nervous as everyone was to be working with a legend, they also felt lucky.
Sarah Connor’s son, John Connor, was supposed to have a future in protecting humanity and lead them to fight against the machines. That all changed in “T2” when Sarah Connor, John and the Terminator sent back to protect him destroyed the company that would cause the robot apocalypse. Of course that changed nothing. There are still machines in the future that want to destroy man kind and the reason how they exist is because there are still companies who will never learn and only care about money, which is similar to what people are doing today. At the beginning of “Dark Fate” it shows Linda Hamilton, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Edward Furlong the same ages they looked twenty eight years ago. It’s not footage used from “T2”, it’s new footage they shot for “Dark Fate”. Computer technology has enhanced over the years and now it has given cinema the Fountain of Youth. It’s happened with other movies like “Rogue One”, “Blade Runner 2049” and “Captain Marvel”. A lot of Terminators have gone back in time to assassinate who ever their target was, but they always failed. For the first time one has succeeded. A new Arnold Schwarzenegger Terminator kills John Connor, which devastates Sarah. So in order to take away the pain she hunts down Terminators, sense they keep going back in time.
After the Terminator killed John, that was it. He did his job and he had nothing else to do, so he made a new goal for himself. Arnold Schwarzenegger has played different Terminators that do the same thing over and over again. Go back in time, protect, take a lot of damage and then become a sacrifice. It was time to show something different like him having a life. In “T2”, Terminator was learning what life is like for a human and he was starting to understand what it is like to have feelings. “Dark Fate” shows what that Terminator could have had. He goes by the name Carl in “Dark Fate”. Carl met a human woman, became the perfect husband to her and became the stepfather to her boy. It would be impossible if Carl was that boy’s biological father because Terminators don’t have sperm. But he can still show a woman pleasure, if you know what I mean LOL. When Carl has to say goodbye in order to help, Sarah Conner looks at him. And it’s like Carl gets to have a life, but Sarah can’t. She spent her whole life in tragedy because his kind kept killing everyone she loved. Now that John is gone, Sarah really has nothing, but hate.
Arnold Schwarzenegger loves playing Terminator. He thinks of it as the highlight of his career. Arnold was already involved with the last “Terminator”, “Genisys”, one of those disaster “Terminator” movies. Arnold was more excited to be doing “Dark Fate” because one, James Cameron was involved in writing the story and two, it was going to be rated R. After the third “Terminator”, Rise of the Machines”, “Terminator” went PG-13 and fans wanted “Terminator” to be rated R instead. Arnold agreed with the fans on “Terminator” being R rated. He feels they can’t be extreme if they are not R rated. Arnold was happy to be working with Linda Hamilton again. Both Linda and Arnold were involved with the franchise when it began and Arnold really admires Linda for who she is an actress because she went through a lot to make Sarah Conner an icon. Linda is an actress who is up for anything. Arnold loved every moment working with Linda on “Dark Fate”. What Arnold doesn’t like about playing Terminator is that he doesn’t have that much dialog, although Terminator does have popular lines like “Ill Be Back”. But Linda Hamilton has stolen that line in “Dark Fate”. Linda had to practice how she would say the line her way and not Arnold’s. Linda had to practice a hundred times. Arnold Schwarzenegger is proud with how “Dark Fate” turned out in the end. He knew fans would love this “Terminator”.
The film business is rising with female power, but before then, James Cameron was already writing strong female parts, like Sarah Connor for one. A lot of James Cameron’s movies have women who are strong spirited, bad ass and won’t take shit. There’s Sigourney Weaver in “Aliens”, Jamie Lee Curtis in “True Lies”, Kate Winslet in “Titanic” and Zoe Saldana in “AVATAR”. James Cameron continues to show his support for women with two new characters introduced in the “Terminator” franchise, Grace and Dani.
Tim Miller had seen Mackenzie Davis’ work and it was his idea to cast her as Grace. Mackenzie Davis really wanted to be involved with this project, but she wasn’t sure if she was right for the part. Mackenzie thought someone with athletic abilities should play Grace instead of her. Tim thought Mackenzie could do it and looking at her he could see deep within her how much she wanted the job. Mackenzie had what Tim wanted to see in Grace and once Mackenzie got the job she devoted herself to it. It was a scary trip for Mackenzie because it’s not everyday you get to be in a “Terminator” movie, doing big action scenes, playing an awesome character and working with two legendary icons. Linda showed Mackenzie she can be as tough as her and both of them show strong performances in “Dark Fate”. Mackenzie Davis is an incredible actress and her character Grace is part human, part machine. Grace has been in a lot of battles in the future and her last one gave her serious injuries to the body, so they had replace certain parts with metal, which makes her a strong human being. Grace has all these incredible fighting and athletic skills. She doesn’t need a gun all the time because she herself is like a weapon. Grace is very devoted to her mission in protecting Dani. Grace makes sure not one scratch gets on Dani. Put Grace up for number one bodyguard. Of course Grace will need help, not from a man, but from Sarah Connor.
The first time Natalia Reyes saw the “Terminator” movies she was amazed with the Sarah Connor character. Natalia thought Sarah Connor was a very protective mother. Natalia also saw a woman who is good at facing her worst fear, which is Terminator. Natalia looked up to Sarah Connor and wanted to be just like her growing up. Natalia never thought she would be lucky enough to work with the person who brought that character to life, Linda Hamilton. It was a lot for Natalia to take in working with the one and only Linda Hamilton. Natalia wanted to make sure she did her job 100% right in front of Linda. Natalia was also nervous being in a “Terminator” film, but she had to keep reminding herself how lucky she was to have gotten this job and to have her first leading role.
Natalia plays Dani and you don’t know why she needs protection, but my guess was she is a leader in the future. Sarah Connor assumes Dani will give birth to a leader, but Dani doesn’t have any kids at all in the future. Although Dani is like a mother to Grace because she found Grace when she was a little girl and raised her to be a fighter. What Grace feels for Dani is love and the relationship between them is like a mother and daughter thing. But you don’t know that till later on. But I did feel the love as I was seeing them together. Dani is not a hard warrior, she’s a carrying one. Dani cares for everyone else. A lot of the humans are like hobos because they are looking for food, sleeping in uncomfortable areas, but Dani gives them hope and reminds them who the enemy is. Dani can see that Carl has heart, even though he is a machine underneath the skin. She can see that Sarah Connor has lost a lot just like her. And she cares for Grace.
Before the machine war began I don’t think Dani was a fan of robots because her brother’s job gets replaced by a machine.
In “Terminator”, there was always one villain who went back in time to kill whoever the target was, but in “Dark Fate” there is more than one assassin after Dani. There’s two different machines combined as one. One is made of metal and the other is liquid metal covering the metal one as it’s skin. That’s one of the new things I love in “Terminator: Dark Fate”.
James Cameron wasn’t around when they filmed “Dark Fate” and that made Tim Miller nervous knowing he was going to do this project on his own. Directing something popular like “Terminator” is big for someone who is a fan like Tim Miller. Tim wanted to make sure this “Terminator” film would be the best thing since the second film.
Arnold Schwarzenegger believed in Tim because he saw a man with talent and it was good enough to have the support of someone who knows how “Terminator” works.
Everyone showed love and support for Tim on the set and that’s what got him through.
Tim did a spectacular job at making “Dark Fate” awesome. The style of “Dark Fate” represents everything that made the first two “Terminator” films classics, with characters you have grown to love, clever dialog and lots and lots of action.
Dani is sick and tired of running. She decides to face the machine that is after her. When you hang around women who are unlike anyone else it inspires you and helps you to become stronger than you were before.
Everytime someone who is supposed to be the bodyguard goes in the past they end their job with a sacrifice. Both Grace and Carl give their lives for Dani. Carl’s sacrifice is taking both him and the metal Terminator down a hole and before he does that he looks at Sarah and Dani. I thought Carl would say another famous Terminator line, “Hasta la vista baby”. But he didn’t. He just stared at Sarah and Dani for a couple of seconds and then let go. I would have added in the line.
Dani has already lost enough loved ones, she doesn’t want Grace to go too. Now that Dani knows how much she meant to Grace she is going to make sure that her future self doesn’t send Grace back in time just to be a sacrifice. A mother’s job is to make sure nothing happens to her child.
Sarah Connor will never die. How else is Dani gonna learn what it takes to be a brave warrior? I love every minute of “Terminator: Dark Fate”. It’s the best blockbuster of 2019 and my rating on it is five out of five stars!
