James Cameron, director of the first two Terminator movies, hails this latest instalment as a “renaissance”, denouncing the two previous sequels
[dropcap]Y[/dropcap]ou may think that director James Cameron piling praise on Terminator: Genisys is simply him being polite, or even patting his own back. After all, Cameron was behind the first two Terminator movies, The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991).
But Cameron can in fact be pretty stingy with his compliments, as shown in his cold response to the two flopped sequels that followed, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) and Terminator Salvation (2009).
So when he endorsed Genisys, the fifth movie, as the “renaissance” of the series, you can bet every kernel of popcorn he means it.
Seal of Approval
In an interview video from Paramount Pictures, Cameron – who also directed blockbuster hits Titanic (1997) and Avatar (2009) – reveals that he “think[s] of [Genisys] as the third film” in the series. It sounds like he’s pretending that the last two sequels didn’t exist.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines was directed by Jonathan Mostow, and Terminator Salvation by Joseph McGinty “McG” Nichol. Genisys is directed by Alan Taylor, of Thor: The Dark World.
So what exactly was it about Genisys that rubbed Cameron the right way? After viewing the finished product, he said, “[Genisys is] being very respectful of the first two films… I feel like the franchise has been reinvigorated, like this is a renaissance.”
[quote]Genisys pulls a total 180-degree turn on the original Terminator time line, creating some interesting scenarios.
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A New Terminator Time line
This feeling of “renaissance” might stem from the fact that Genisys pulls a total 180-degree turn on the original Terminator time line, creating some interesting scenarios.
It features reinvented characters such as a father-figure Terminator (Schwarzenegger), who bands with Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke, of “Game of Thrones”) instead of trying to kill her like in the original 1984 film.
Nonetheless, this isn’t the same Sarah Connor that Terminator fans are familiar with. This Sarah lost her parents to a Terminator attack but was raised by an older model of Schwarzenegger’s T-800.
Sarah meets Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney), sent back in time to save her but ends up needing her help when an Asian model of the Alpha T-1000 (Lee Byung-hun, Storm Shadow from G.I. Joe) and another terrifying new enemy, threatens entire existence with total annihilation.
Turning Filmmaker into Fanboy
Having removed himself from the Terminator franchise after Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Cameron explained he had no creative input in Genisys. So he approached the movie as a “fanboy” – and, boy, was he gushing about it.
“It must have been fun for Arnold to watch the film, and see him fighting a 30-year-younger version of himself. I think the young Arnold that they created is flawless,” said Cameron, as reported by Entertainment Weekly.
“If you like the Terminator films, you’re going to like this movie,” he said in the Paramount video, locking Gensisys in as the new golden child of the Terminator family.
If you need more reason to catch Terminator: Genisys, this is it!
By Pamela Chow
Terminator: Genisys [PG13]
Director: Alan Taylor
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, Lee Byung-hun & JK Simmons
Genre: Action, Adventure
Run length: 126 min
Release: 25 Jun
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