Film Review: Terminator Genisys

Arnold Schwarzenegger returns for the latest instalment of the sci-fi action franchise. Terminator Genisys is not a patch on the first two movies, but is an improvement on Terminator Salvation.

In the battle against Skynet, John Connor sends Kyle Reese back in time to 1984, to protect his mother Sarah Connor. When Reese arrives, things are not quite what he expected…

Terminator Genisys rewrites the previous two Terminator films, taking viewers back to the events of Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Director Alan Taylor’s film is not so much a sequel or reboot of the original two films; it functions more as a parallel version. Terminator Genisys is very much about time travel, switching up as the action progresses to different eras and alternate realities.

The premise in Terminator Genisys is much the same as the others; the mission to stop Skynet. Despite the opening gambit looking like a rehash of the first film, the screenwriters here decide to add a completely different spin. This involves various twists, some of these are more effective than others.

The narrative progresses reasonably well, with the momentum building at a good pace. Terminator Genisys‘ main detraction is that it does not feel like a satisfying next instalment in the franchise. Compared to the first two films, this update does not seem to be at the same level. The homages to the earlier films is certainly a nice touch, but it is unlikely Terminator Genisys hold the same status as the first two Terminator films decades later.

Arnold Schwarzenegger gives a slightly hammy performance in the film, seeming to enjoy the references his character makes. Emilia Clarke does a decent job as Sarah Connor, as does Jason Clarke as John Connor. Special effects in the film are superb, and action is well executed.

Watching Terminator Genisys will most likely have cinemagoers craving another viewing of the first two films. Whilst this is no bad thing, it is a shame the film does not do more than this.

Stuff To Look At

Plenty of film previews this week, with Mad Max: Fury Road, Spy, Poltergeist and more…

Amy

Above is the teaser trailer for documentary Amy. Filmmaker Asif Kapadia looks at the life of late singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse. From the footage here, she is depicted as quiet personality, perhaps debunking tabloid representations. Amy is set for release in UK cinemas on 3rd July 2015.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Here is the latest trailer for Mad Max: Fury Road, starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron. It was announced this morning that six minutes of footage from Mad Max: Road Fury will be shown before screenings of Fast & Furious 7 exclusively at Odeon cinemas from 3rd April. Mad Max: Fury Road will hit the big screen on 14th May 2015.

Spy

Director Paul Feig teams up again with Melissa McCarthy for Spy. Also starring Jason Statham and Jude Law, McCarthy plays a desk-bound CIA agent who goes undercover on a dangerous case. Spy will be released in UK cinemas on 5th June 2015.

Poltergeist

I have chosen to feature this terrifying-looking poster as I want everyone to experience the same discomfort I felt when first glancing upon it. The Poltergeist remake, which stars Sam Rockwell, is set for release in UK cinemas on 22nd May 2015.

Terminator: Genisys

What this latest TV spot for Terminator: Genisys shows us is that robots age. This latest Terminator film stars Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney and, of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger. It will be interesting to see whether Schwarzenegger can bring back the magic of the first two films. Terminator: Genisys hits the big screen on 3rd July 2015.

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation

Speaking of ageing action heroes… No! The trailer for the latest Mission: Impossible movie is here, and looks as action-packed as ever. Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation sees the return of Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner, alongside newcomers Rebecca Ferguson and Alec Baldwin. The film is released in UK cinemas on 30th July 2015.

The Falling

Carol Morley’s The Falling is about a fainting epidemic at a girls’ school in the 1960s. Starring Game of Thrones‘ Maisie Williams and newcomer Florence Pugh, The Falling is out in cinemas on 24th April in the UK.

Film Review: Looper

Rian Johnson’s Looper is entertaining dystopian science fiction. It is not entirely satisfying, but does the trick overall.

In 2044, Joe is a Looper, ready to assassinate anyone who the mob of 2077 send back in time. When hired guns like Joe have their contract terminated, they find out by having their future bodies sent back to 2044 to be exterminated. When Joe’s future self gets sent back it triggers a momentous chain of events…

On the surface, Looper is very much like a cross between The Terminator and X-Men. Strong elements of these earlier science fiction movies are overt in Rian Johnson’s film. Johnson paints the future with the kind of dystopic imagery often seen in films of this genre from the 1980s.The film does make overt an overt reference to the styling, which perhaps acts as a metaphor for the narrative itself.

There is a distinct split in Looper from when Joe reaches the farmhouse. Prior to this, the film runs in the Terminator vein. With the change in scenery however, Looper appears to ape X-Men. The first half of the film is stronger than the second. The futuristic depiction and pacing in the first half makes the second half less satisfying.

With its allusions to the 1% and a corruption-led future, Looper feels very contemporary. Despite the bleak vision of the future, Johnson’s film is ultimately positive. The ending points to more traditional values, despite all that has preceded it.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt put in a solid performance as Joe, despite some distracting prosthetics. Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt offer good support. Pierce Gagnon is excellently cast as Cid, bringing the right sense of unnerving to the character.

Like some other time-travel movies, Looper throws up questions over plotting. However, the film is never dull. Looper is a enjoyable addition to the genre.

Looper is out on DVD and Blu-Ray from 28th January 2013.

Film Review: Repo Men

If you are looking for a fast-paced violent thriller, and do not mind too much about originality, Repo Men is probably the film for you. If, however, you are expecting something more than this, you will most likely be disappointed by the end of this film.

Set in the near future, Remy, played by Jude Law, is works for a company that creates artificial organs. Along with partner Jake (Forest Whitaker), Remy repossess the organs of those who default on their payments. It is only after Remy has a heart replacement himself that he starts to have a conscious about what he and his partner do for a living…

The premise of the film is really quite interesting, until you realise how close it is to Repo! The Genetic Opera. Furthermore, elements of a number of other films appear to be present. Shots of the futuristic metropolis are immediately reminiscent of Blade Runner, whilst some of the technology can be likened to Total Recall.

Overall, the film imbues a feeling of technophobia. Like the aforementioned Blade Runner, as well as The Terminator and Brazil, there is a real sense of the ‘evil corporation’. Repo Men would, in fact, not be out of place with these mid- to early-1980s films. With a 2010 release, however, the ideas the film projects seem a little outdated.

Repo Men is an entertaining enough film, if it is not taken seriously. The action scenes well executed by director Miguel Sapochnik, and the performances are adequate. Furthermore, the soundtrack works well, using a range of songs from different eras to accompany at times disjointed scenes. The main problem with the film is that it is very much a case of ‘seen it all before’.