••• The International Writers Magazine - Our 20th Year: Review

TERMINATOR: Dark Fate Directed by Tim Miller (Deadpool) • Sam Hawksmoor review A return to form in the latest Armageddon thrill

Well it's the end of the world again. If only the darn robots would come for Trump we might all be saved.

But sadly they don't seem interested. It's Mexico City this time and first the good one arrives, the beautiful cybernetically enhanced Grace (Mackenzie Davis) who has come to save Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes) and then the bad one arrives (Gabriel Luna) as Rev-9 to kill her at any cost. Who should turn up but Sarah Connor to spoil the party (looking everyone of her hard earned 63 years). She's bitter, resentful and in this timeline her son John was killed, so who now will save the human race? Dark Fate ignores previous more recent Terminator movies and goes right back to Judgement Day with a screenplay by David Goyer, Justin Rhodes and Billy Ray. It helps.

Is Arnie in it? Of course, and although Sara Connor instantly wants to kill him, it turns out that he has been her saviour these past 35 years. As the action unfolds you realise this is very much a female action flick. Grace is super tough, but flawed and quickly runs out of adrenaline. Sara Connor is resourceful, fueled by bitterness, Dani goes from confused to hard core in a steep desperate learning curve. Combined they form a good team to fight the indestructible cyborg.

It a blast, literally. Naturally people die, real estate and vehicles get trashed and there's a not too subtle warning about Ai that's going to destroy the world, but it is constantly fun and if you can get past an ageing robot growing a beard, this is the best Terminator in years played with wit and style and we see Natalia Reyes becoming quite an action star.

Go see. Have fun.

© Sam Hawksmoor Oct 31st 2019
author of:

J & K 4Ever

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