The first reviews forTerminator Genisyswere posted today, ahead of its release on July 1, and for those hoping it will bring theTerminator franchiseback to its glory days, that may not be the case. At least, according to a handful of critics. As you can already tell from just the trailers and clips that have been released,Terminator Genisysrevisits several aspects of the originalTerminatormovies, while creating a new timeline that takes the franchise in a new direction. It seems, however, that it veers too far off course for some critics.
Just like in the originalTerminator, human resistance leaderJohn Connor(Jason Clarke) sends Sgt. Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) back to 1984 to protect Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) and safeguard the future, an unexpected turn of events creates a fractured timeline. Now, Sgt. Reese finds himself in a new and unfamiliar version of the past, where he is faced with unlikely allies, including the Guardian (Arnold Schwarzenegger), dangerous new enemies, and an unexpected new mission: To reset the future…
Below, we have compiled quotes from the reviews that have surfaced, most of which are negative. But some are positive. Of course, a movie likeTerminator Genisys, with such a huge fan base, could easily go on to be a bigbox officehit, even if more negative reviews come flooding in, but we’ll have to wait until July 1 to find out for sure. Until then, check out these review excerpts below.
“‘I’m old, not obsolete,’ muttersArnold Schwarzenegger’s aging android inTerminator Genisysand his words could be a wishful mantra for this nervy, silly, almost admirably misguided attempt to give the 31-year-old franchise a massive cybernetic facelift. More or less rewriting everything we thought we knew about the Connor genealogy, the properties of liquid metal, and the rules of post-1984 time travel, this f/x-encrusted reboot feels at once back-to-basics and confoundingly revisionist, teeming with alternate timelines and rejiggered character histories (the most perplexing of which finds Sarah Connor now continually referring toArnold Schwarzenegger’sTerminatoras “Pops”). Consider it the 3D blockbuster equivalent of disruptive technology, and while online fans have already voiced their displeasure, the movie’s willingness to veer crazily off-course feels less objectionable than the monotony and sense of self-parody that kick in long before the whimper of a finish.”
The Hollywood Reporter
“Arnold Schwarzeneggeronce again declares, ‘I’ll be back,’ in this fifth installment of theTerminatorfranchise, but enough already. Spending half its time showing unkillable cyborg characters getting shot up only to quickly heal themselves, and the other half trying to explain a plot that rewrites the entire series,Terminator Genisyswill serve as a good litmus test of how keen the public is to see basically the same old thing in a new (but very similar) bottle.
“He said he would be ‘back’ and he is. And the best news about the 5th edition of theTerminatormovie franchise is, as I say in my video review, thatArnold Schwarzeneggeris back, older, cornier, friendlier and, did I say older?”
Screen Daily
“The dark, unknowable spectre of the future haunted the original Terminator, but as this man-versus-machine franchise hits 30 years of age, time itself is proving to be the series' greatest foe.Terminator Genisysis a reasonably entertaining and niftily executed sci-fi action-thriller, and yet its ingenuity and craftsmanship are all in service of justifying its existence, resulting in a sequel that can be appreciated for its cleverness but otherwise regarded with a certain amount of ambivalence.”
“Lets face it: You’re probably not very excited about the newTerminatormovie. And why should you be? The last two films were varying levels of bad, and this one doesn’t look much better. The marketing focuses on a much older-looking Arnold Schwarzenegger, who seems to be regurgitating catch phrases from decades past for what might seem to be nothing more than a paycheck. And maybe that works in Terminator Genisys' favor, as it is much easier to beat expectations when they are low. I was pleasantly surprised byTerminator Genisys, and I think you will be too.
“The stunts and CGI and attendant action scenes are all simply fine; there’s nothing here with the stark simple power ofThe Terminatoror the strong-but-strange brilliant inventions ofTerminator 2: Judgment Day. Instead, it’s all less-than-spectacular “spectacle” and plot convolutions twisting around themselves at the whim of the summer’s least interesting killer artificial intelligence… The least inspiring thing about “Terminator Genisys” is how it’s a fifth film that doesn’t improve or expand on the prior four so much as it’s meant to clearly set up Part Six, Part Seven and possibly even more.”
Are you still looking forward to seeingTerminator Genisysafter these mixed reviews? IfTerminator Genisysfalters at the box office, do you think this will be the final nail in the coffin for the beloved franchise? Let us know what you think.
