I liked the last "Terminator" to the point that "Genisys" has become my favorite in the saga. It spun a web of alternate-reality fun that (in my humble opinion) can't be beat , with an ending left wide open for endless possibilities and interpretations.
The latest chapter, "Dark Fate", produced by James Cameron, directed by Tim "Deadpool" Miller and scripted by David Goyer, Justin Rhodes and Billy Ray, performs the same intent, taking the franchise in another zigzagged but gripping direction. But is it the best possible path? I don't know. I'm only glad that this submission didn't rub me the wrong way, for I was certain it would pile on that SJW crap, of which I and so many film buffs have had our fill.
With that said, I still wouldn't argue with anyone who'd call "Dark Fate" a girlie film, but at least its females are foible-based kick-assers and not infallible Mary Sues. The ladies include Linda Hamilton, reprising her legendary role as Sarah Connor (re-entering the series much like Jamie Lee Curtis returned {again} to "Halloween"), Mackenzie Davis as Grace (a compassionate, cyborg protector) and Natalia Reyes as the amiable, must-be-saved-so-she-may-save-the-world Dani Ramos.
To offset the girl power, there's a relentless, Robert Patrick variant played by Gabriel Luna, who's a real liquefied son of a gun, as he damn well should be.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is also part of the package (how could he not be?) and once more, he's "old but not obsolete". That means he's sympathetic yet lethal. It's a swell touch which worked well in "Genisys" and gives the new plot a positive pulse, no matter how heavy the gloom.
Because of the characters' empathetic and sacrificial qualities, "Dark Fate" hits a satisfying mark. It's otherwise jammed with the expected action, glare and redundancy. In regard to the latter, the idea of Judgment Day coming and going time and again has become a bit much, but on the other hand, isn't that time-tripping-of-reality angle the whole point of this franchise?
No matter if one dares to nitpick it, "Dark Fate" does what it's supposed to do. Sure, it ain't "Blade Runner 2049" (though why should it be?), but more so, it sure ain't the lame "Last Jedi". It's just another faithful-to-the-core chapter in a popular franchise, and I, for one, embraced it without a speck of apology.
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