Why I’m Excited for Terminator Gensiys

“I’ll be back, and I’ll be older!”

Arnie promises and Arnie delivers.  The Terminator is a classic example of sci-fi mixed with horror.  James Cameron acknowledged the work of Harlan Ellison, two episodes of The Outer Limits and a dream he had about a robot emerging from fire as his inspiration.  Fast forward to 2015 and we have a fifth Terminator film due out in the summer.  The trailer for Terminator: Genisys (someone needs to teach Hollywood how to spell) came out at the beginning of the year and I was surprised by how excited I was.

“I’ll be back, with my walking stick!”

At first I was sceptical when I heard yet another Terminator sequel was coming out.  2003’s Rise of the Machines was silly nonsense and kind of undid the quality of the first two films. Terminator Salvation just made me want to punch the idiot who cast Sam Worthington in the face.  Both films were average at best.  So imagine my trepidation when I booted up the trailer for the new film on my laptop.

It was good.

Yes, the trailer was good.  Now I admit that a good trailer does not a good movie make, but this one filled me with a ray of hope.  We all know the story from the originals so I’m not going to bore you with yet another recap.  Why this trailer got me excited was the premise of the story.  What if Sarah Connor had already been raised as a fighter by the time Kyle Reese was sent back in time to save her from the Terminator?

The trailer shows Reese being sent back by John Connor to save his Mum just like in the original.  Just like in the original you see Reese running from the police in 1980s LA.  Just like in the original you see him break into a department store to steal shoes.  Then all of a sudden a T1000 (the liquid metal Terminator) attacks right before a truck smashes through the shop window and a very Linda Hamilton-looking Sarah Connor steals the line Reese was meant to say to her “Come with me if you want to live!”

The rest of the trailer flips by with tantalising throwaway lines letting us know that something has happened to the timeline.  Then we realise a T-800 (Arnie) has been protecting Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke, Daenerys from Game of Thrones) for quite a long time, since she was a child in fact.  He also took care of the original Terminator sent back to kill her in the first film.  What has happened?!

Arnie’s BACK!

All in all, the new film could be another dud.  Yet if it delivers on what the trailer promises, it could be highly enjoyable.  Why am I excited?  Because at the very least, the film makers are playing with an old concept by inverting it and making it seem fresh!  All stories are eventually repetitions of even older ones.  What keeps us interested are the ways in which we tell them.  Terminator: Genisys may very well be the dark horse of the summer slate, and I can’t wait to see it!

If you enjoyed Allen’s genisys (okay, it’s not really his first article, but I don’t give a…genisys), you can find more of his work right HERE on Sci-Fi Bloggers. You may also visit his website by clicking HERE or follow him on Twitter @TheOnlyJohnnyA.


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