The Terminator Genisys trailer was released yesterday to yet another mixed response from fans and critics. It seems that the high level of secrecy that shrouded the production of the movie, enforced heavily by Paramount Pictures' zero tolerance for leaked pics, videos and even second hand info, might have backfired, with very few willing to get behind the movie and its curveball premise. It was during the production of last instalment; Terminator Salvation, that co-creator James Cameron advised its director that the future of the franchise is the briefly glimpsed Future War, of which the fans seem to be hungry for. And while this may go some to explaining why many are hating on Terminator Genisys, among many other reasons, we have to ask - are they playing it safe with the tried and tested formula used in the first three instalments, or are they actually daring to break new ground. Yesterdays trailer actually goes someway towards answering that question.
The HK-Centurion, finally on the big screen!
Firstly, I have to give credit where credit is due, and the first half of the trailer is, for all intents and purposes, a reimagining of the unfilmed prologue to 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day. For the movie, director James Cameron had originally scripted a series of scenes where John Connor led his Tech-Comm team into the heart of Skynet and discovered the TDE (Time Displacement Equipment), Skynets time machine, just as a young looking Model 101 T-800 disappeared. Upon learning this Terminator was sent after Johns mother Kyle Reese volunteered to follow the Terminator to the past and protect Sarah Connor. Included in Cameron's script and sketches, and in Steve Burg's accompanying concept art were designs for the TDE and various new machine enemies not seen in the 1984 original. One of these creations, the HK-Centurion (pictured above) has been realised for Terminator Genisys. While this theme of using old ideas does seem to run throughout the trailer, and presumably the movie, for these scenes, they are welcomed; long have the Terminator fans wanted to see these elements realised on the big screen, and Alan Taylor and Skydance Productions have heeded to the fans, and we thank you.
This T-800 looks cross-eyed, I hope he's not carrying a gun!
Many will be assuming that the above paragraph is the only credit the trailer will receive, shame on you. While Emilia Clarke does look a little too young to portray Sarah Connor, and while Arnold doesn't look as threatening as he did in previous instalments, the base idea that Kyle Reese appears in an altered 1984 different to that seen in the first instalment is an interesting one. Think of it from Skynet's point of view – its three previous attempts (1984, 1994 and 2004) at killing John Connor have failed, with 2004 being Judgment Day and the window seemingly closed why not send a Terminator back in time to 1974 and kill his mother while she was a child – a 70's version of T2 in a sense. Unfortunately, it seems that yet again Skynet failed, and the Terminator sent back to protect Sarah has become her guardian, raising her and preparing for what is to come. This is actually an interesting premise.
Something about this image feels... inappropriate!
Next, on to the recycling of T2's iconic villain, portrayed wonderfully in 1991 by Robert Patrick. The T-1000 was a prototype, one of a kind. But it is possible that Terminator Genisys' T-1000 is that very same prototype, sent instead back to 1984 to face off against Sarah Connors father-figure Terminator. Feasibly the character can be reused, as the timeline in which Genisys inhabits is a new, altered version of the one depicted in the previous instalments. I see what the filmmakers are doing here; originally Cameron intended the T-1000 to be in the 1984 movie, pitted against Arnolds infamous T-800. But because the technology didn't exist back then to realise the character he altered his treatment to have the T-800 face off against Kyle Reese instead, later bringing the T-1000 to the screen in the 1991 sequel. Terminator Genisys' T-1000 realises Camerons original vision for the character to be in the 80's setting, the problem is that it is another recycled idea, but unlike the Future War scenes, the T-1000 has been seen before to great effect. It is highly doubtful that fans and the general audience will take Lee Bung-Hun's rendition of the character to their hearts as they did with Patrick's, regardless of Lee's efforts.
Did they not learn from Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles?
Should the movie, as seen in the trailer, had remained with the 1980's setting and explored the possible repurcussions that will ripple outwards from changing the past, yet again, everthing would be feasibly fine with the movie. It would just be a matter of execution on behalf of the director, his crew and his cast to explore those themes amidst fender crushing car chases and explosive gun fights. But, unfortunately this is where the trailer and as such the movie WILL fall apart. At the 1:47 mark (pictured above) in yesterdays trailer is another TDE... in the past, which presumably Sarah and Kyle use to travel to the future. It is at this point the movie will lose the general audience and when fans will start experiencing migraines from attempting to decode the movies effects on its own, and previous timelines. One-way time travel was bad enough, with most fans still oblivious as to the true nature of the timeline of the previous instalments, making it a two-way street opens pandoras box. Add to this the proposed accompanying TV series, which takes events in yet another direction, and even Einstein's head would have exploded trying to figure out all this time hopping back and forth, NEEDLESSLY changing and reseting mutiple timelines.
Alan Taylor must be a fan of Christopher Nolans The Dark Knight!
The accompanying action to this change in the trailer, and the movies direction, also seems to shift needlessly to the bizarre with toppling school buses, a skydiving, grey haired Terminator, and lets not forget the most bizarre – why, at the 2:07 mark (pictured below), is the grey haired Terminator wrestling John Connor through a vending machine and the wall behind? Are the rumors true, did they make John Connor a Terminator, even though McG's “killer” ending to Salvation was shot down for doing just that? Why is John even in the past? Is that the hero Terminator from T2 attacking our heroes with his Harley Davidson? What is Genisys, as seen on the screens? Is this future 2016 as suggested, despite Judgment Day occurring (regardless of time travel infractions) on July 24th, 2004? Theres more, but we dont see those elements in the trailer, so we'll leave them for another time.
Grey Haired Terminator + John Connor = Hole in the Wall?
The first problem with Terminator Genisys and its trailer is that it starts of interestingly enough with scenes that have long been desired which transition into a curveball premise that actually holds a little promise, but soon spirals out of control into recycled, bizzare craziness. Craziness that looks set to be rated PG-13 from the trailers lack of blood and obscenities. I would say nudity, but the Terminator movies have always had their fair share of that! The second prolem with this movie and its trailer, its that it is all needless, pointless – the events of the previous instalments played out to their conclusion would have resulted in mankinds victory over Skynet and its army of machines; a reset of the timeline isn't needed.
