“Old but not obsolete!” And he’s back… 
Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) is sent back to 1984 in attempt to stop the original T-800 from killing Sarah Connor, though soon discovers that the 1984 he’s expecting no longer exists. This has already been changed by another time traveller. I will start off by saying, the original is a cult classic. I’m a Terminator fan, and yes, I am also an Arnold fan. The second Terminator film is also one of the greatest action films ever made. Number three however, had its moments. And Salvation was passable. I’d say the less mentioned about these two, the better. Now with the fifth installment of the franchise, The Terminator is once again back on track.
During the first quarter, scenes from the first films are recreated, but with a freshly added touch. I must say, the CGI of young Arnold Schwarzenegger is simply stunningly done. (They could not reuse scenes from the previous films due to legal reasons.) There is however, a lack of investment in the characters. Which, I imagine, a handful of viewers would have hoped to see more of. There were some nutty moments here and there, but it truly feels the closest to the original two films.
As for the cast, Schwarzenegger is, as always, a treat to watch. Emilia Clarke certainly has a resemblance to Linda Hamilton, and also does a great job in terms of acting. J.K. Simmons is very good at playing the role of the overwhelmed cop, freaking out over the time-travelling killer robots. Jason Clarke does a flawless job at portraying John Connor – definitely an actor I would be interested to see more of in the future. Even Doctor Who…I mean, Matt Smith makes a brief appearance! However, Jai Courtney (the new Kyle Reese) is somewhat of a miscast…his performance tiresome and uninspiring. Was he chosen purely for the naked time travel scenes? I guess we’ll never know…
All in all, Terminator Genisys is action-packed glory at its finest. It is filled with just the right amount of nostalgia and special effects to appeal across the generations. Not as mighty as the first two, but not as dreadful as the last two – Terminator Genisys sits right in the middle. A great addition – the wait was worth it. Essential for fans of the franchise and newcomers alike. See this film in either 2D or IMAX, here 3D does not offer much to enhance the viewing experience. I hope this is the final chapter of this franchise, though somehow, I just don’t think Hollywood will leave it there…
Georgina Reviews 
I agree with most of this. Emilia Clarke is good as a replacement for Linda Hamilton, but Schwarzenegger often feels like a self-parody, J.K. Simmons hardly adds anything to the plot, and Jai Courtney is certainly an alternate universe Kyle Reese. This film is meant to reboot the franchise, but I too think that this would be a fitting, if half-baked, place to end. Even though it ties up John Connor’s character arc in the most insulting way possible, it’s the only Terminator movie where no protagonists die.
I agree that it’s better than the last two, neither of which I hated. In fact, I think they’re all more enjoyable than the first half of Terminator 2 (which is filled with too many cynical stereotypes for me to care about), but the second half of that movie almost outdoes the first one.
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You know, Hollywood actually has the next two sequels lined up right to the exact day. They certainly want to keep on going, but if Terminator doesn’t pick up steam at the box office, they may have to cancel it. I certainly agree that this film was quite fun and Arnold is certainly the best character. We also agree on Kyle not being too great. Even more than just the actor, I didn’t care for the character. He just felt a little generic in the grand scheme of things. It was a blast seeing the recreated scenes from the original Terminator and the fight scene of new vs old Arnold was great. This film just had so many hype moments! I certainly enjoyed the film as well, solid review!
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Thank You for reading! I am glad we agree on so many points. Oh wow, two lined up already?! I just hope they don’t overdo it…
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Wel I’m glad you got some enjoyment out of it. This one seemed a little dicey.
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Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it so much!
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Nice review! Apparently there is a TV series planned in addition to another two films hehe I am with you on them leaving the Terminator alone…
I think we all want to see some new creativity 🙂
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A TV series too?! Oh dear, like you said, they really should just leave it be now…haha! Thanks for reading! 🙂
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Perhaps a TV series will allow for the opportunity to flesh out the characters, but yeah, enough is enough hehe
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Great review! Very well written! 🙂
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Thank You very much! 🙂
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Looks like our reviews match up, old but not obsolete sums it up nicely!
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This looked dreadful from the trailers and the story sounds terrible. I think it will be one of those films that I may end up enjoying because my expectations are so low. Salvation becomes more diabolical with each viewing whereas Rise of the Machines isn’t as bad as people make out. For me I prefer the grit of the original and the flare of T2.
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