Terminator: Dark Fate 2019 5 out of 10 (Time Travel Movie # 18)

 

Terminator: Dark Fate 2019  5out of 10 (Time Travel Movie # 18) 

I have to be honest .....  I was really disappointed with this film.  It brought back Linda Hamilton --who has been absent from the franchise since T-2.  It brought back James Cameron (at least being involved in the series again) and it brought back an older more out of shape Arnold.  Honestly watching this film made me really question whether Disney should do Indy 5 with Harrison Ford.     I don't mean to be mean --but bringing back Linda Hamilton seemed like a good idea on paper -but instead of the bad-ass I remember from T-2, I felt like I was watching someones grumpy old grandma going on adventures.  

Instead of following the events of the past Terminator (which I enjoyed) the series tries unsuccessfully to reboot itself yet again further damaging the brand.   It is like some weird attempt at doing a bad sequel to T-2.  It takes the franchise in another new direction where apparently John Connor has been killed by an Arnold Terminator after Skynet was stopped and yet further in the Timeline the robots still rise and now a new girl is the one that will lead the rebellion.    I didn't find myself liking any of the new characters that were introduced to the franchise.  The story seemed uninspired and unoriginal.   It was only watchable because there were some fun action sequences in the film.   As a Terminator fan I  would consider this film an unnecessary watch.  Box office wise this sixth installment was a disaster and may have permanently damaged a once thriving series.  

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Terminator Genisys 2015 9 out of 10 (Time Travel Movie # 17)

Terminator Genisys 2015   9 out of 10

The original Terminator was a terrific time travel action movie done on a low budget and starring a pretty much unknown at the time Arnold Schwarzenegger.  By the time they made the sequel T-2 Arnold was the biggest movie star in the world.  T-2 had cutting edge special effects and is one of the best sci-fi action movies ever made in my opinion.  It was a non stop roller coaster ride and a box office success.   The first 2 films were a perfect 1-2 punch--but of course like many other franchises --whether the story dictates it or not they keep trying to cash in on the franchise name. There was a third Terminator without James Cameron's involvement which was a good action packed film - but was the first piece in ruining the story laid out in the first 2 films.  It is almost like the franchise just abandoned all concept of connecting with the previous films which is why this once powerful franchise is less valuable today.  Sure some of the films were still enjoyable --but the franchise gets ruined a little with each unconnected film.

That being said I personally enjoyed Terminator Genisys as a solo film on its own.  If  T-3 and Terminator Salvation hadn't already happened this soft reboot that took some of the basic ideas from the original film and went in a new direction with them was satisfying to watch.   This film brought Arnold back deaged to look like he did in 1984.  It follows the Kyle Reese character sent back from 2029 to 1984 to stop Sarah Conners death (played by the talented Emilia Clarke).  When Kyle arrives in 1984 he finds that the past he thought he was being sent to has already been altered and the clueless girl he thought he was supposed to protect has been raised by a reprogrammed older Arnold. If the two previous films in the franchise hadn't happened this would have been an excellent addition to the franchise.  Unfortunately as a fan you pretty much have to pick and choose which films you personally consider canon to make any of the films work together.    I just really wish the franchise could have been run better from the beginning.  It is a shame that T-2 was so amazing and the franchise never even got close to being that good again.

Putting the franchise issues aside,   I really enjoyed this film much more than a lot of other people apparently did.  I thought the action and story were fun.  I actually loved Emilia Clarke way better than Linda Hamilton from the original 2 Terminator films. The old Arnold versus the younger Arnold was a cool element.

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The Expendables 3 2014 8+ out of 10

The Expendables 3  2014    8+ out of 10

For this third installment the 1980's action dream team has added Harrison Ford, Antonio Banderas, Wesley Snipes and Mel Gibson   I'm still trying to imagine how much money these movies would have made if they could have put this cast together back in 1989.   The Expendable movies are just a fun.  These films are throwbacks to the time when action movies were the biggest movies of the summer.  

This third installment gives us more of what we got with the previous films.   A bunch of tough guys taking on an impossible job and facing off against Mel Gibson in top form as the villain.   Wesley Snipes has come out of hiding from tax evasion to co-star in the film and even jokes about it.  Then of course the addition of my favorite actor of all-time Harrison Ford joins in a role that starts out more like what Bruce Willis and Arnold's characters were in the first 2 films ---but he eventually joins in the action as a daring helicopter pilot.

The action sequences:  The action was top notch.  Michael Bay would be proud of the explosions in this flick.  Each star basically gets their moment to shine in this action packed film.  The movie starts with the crew breaking Wesley Snipes character out of a moving train jail.  Then the move on to another job that ends with one of their crew getting shot by Mel Gibson's character that is supposed to be dead.   Mel Gibson used to be an Expendable himself, but has turned evil so the rest of the story is Sly trying to bring him down.  The plot is just an excuse to get these actors into an arena for an fun action battle royale.  The whole third act of the film is one big long action scene.

I personally enjoyed Expendables 2 better because it seemed like the ending was a little better,  but I would keep watching   this franchise for as long as they keep making them, unfortunately it sounds like Sly has decided not to continue with the franchise.

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Escape Plan 2013 7 out of 10

Escape Plan    2013  7 out of 10

My quick thoughts on Escape Plan.

Can you imagine how big this movie would have been if it had been made 15 years ago?  It would have been one of the most anticipated movies of the year.   Now not so much.

1.  Despite their advanced age both Sly and Arnold both still have a presence on the big screen.

2. Although neither actor has ever really impressed with their acting ability, they both just have it.   What is it?   It is just an incredible  screen presence.   Since the death of the big overblown action films of  80’s and 90’s only the Rock has convincingly captured the same level of screen presence that Sly and Arnold have.  

3.   It was great to see Sly and Arnold finally team up.   Arnold  of course had a cameo in the first Expendables and an expanded role in Expendables 2  which was great.  The Escape Plan really is the first film to really put Arnold and Sly on equal footing.

4    The movie itself was pretty good, but could have been better.  The pacing of the film which centers on Sky’s character going into a super secure prison and then having to break out was a little slow at times.   The character had to spend much of the movie planning his escape which takes place at the end of the film,  so it wasn’t as action packed as you would hoped an Arnold and Sly film would be.  Still it was enjoyable to watch.  The movie definitely has moments though and gives nostalgic action movies fans a look at what an early team up of these two action legends might have been.   Arnold and Sly still kick butt and if you enjoyed the the Expendable movies you will probably like this as well --even if it is on a smaller scale than those fun flicks.

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The Expendables 2 2012 9+ out of 10

The Expendables 2    2012    9+ out of 10

Stallone sure had a great idea.   Assembling the most well know action stars from a different era into one movie.  The first Expendables was an enjoyable film, but number 2 is even better.   The movie knows what it is and executes it almost flawlessly.

  It has so much aged testosterone on the screen that the screen itself may blow up.   The film kicks off with a great action scene of the group storming some facility in order to rescue someone.  There are a lot of explosions and kick ass action scenes that make you feel like you are in a 1980's action movie (where most of these movie stars  kicked ass in there own films).   The genius of this film is that it assembles all of these stars together.   Bruce Willis and Arnold just had cameos the first time around,  this time they get to join in the fun.    And this time we also get Van Damme and Chuck Norris.....(Seriously you should be drinking a beer and lifting weights just reading about this movie).   It gets a little cheesy at times  with its self awareness.  The movie references  lines from the actors other roles with a cheesy wink and nod.           I actually loved those cheesy little moments.   For example: The group is taking heavy fire in this town in Russia and all of a sudden an unseen figure rescues them.   He walks out of the debris and we see Chuck Norris and Stallone greets him and there are a bunch of Chuck Norris jokes about his character.   Great Stuff.   Sign me up for Expendables 3 right now.  The 1980's and early 1990's  was the heyday of great action movies and even with some of these actors being older than dirt....they still have it on screen in a weird fun nostalgic way.  The movie doesn't even really need a great plot....because the interaction of this larger than life macho action stars is just as good as the action scenes themselves.    It reminds me of one of my favorite sports shows on TV   Open Court on NBA Tv,  where a bunch of great retired players talk about their heydays.   I'd love to just watch this group of actors sit around and tell stories from the set of their old movies....getting to watch them altogether on screen is a true joy.

Some the of the individual posters are too good not to share.  Here are some of the best ones.

Is Batman and Robin from 1997 actually SO bad that it is GOOD?

Batman and Robin  1997  6 out 10   SO BAD it is GOOD?

The movie starts out with a huge big budget museum set with Arnold saying some of the worst one liners ever.   It turns into  Batman on Ice or a really bad  Universal Studios Stunt show.   Batman and Robin is by far the worst of any of the Batman movies.   But is it actually SO BAD that it is GOOD.   It has way too many characters......Batman,  Robin,  Mr Freeze, Poison Ivy --Bat Girl  and Bane.  BANE the main star of the most recent Batman is reduced to a grunting  Mexican Wrestler taxi driver for Poison Ivy.   With huge stars and an enormous budget in the right hands it could have been a good movie---but it is so cheesy and so over the top and silly that it is utterly terrible.    Re-watching the beginning of this film for the first time in over a decade today I was amazed at how incredibly terrible the movie was.    Which begs the question  Is it actually SO BAD that it is GOOD.   Watching it now it is almost pure gold like   Showgirls.   This movie should have its own midnight screenings with villains skating around on ice skates and people dressed in bad Superhero outfits.   So again I ask is Batman and Robin actually SO BAD that is is GOOD????  It is so weird to see this version of Batman as played by George Clooney that makes Adam West look serious....(Okay Adam West could never look serious, but you get the point).   George Clooney, Chris O'Donnell,  Arnold,  Uma,  and that girl from Clueless mix them all together and you get an absolute big budget mess,  which is so laughable I'm almost enjoying it.....   Well Almost.... They should have gone all the way and made it into  a Musical.

Instead of a movie trailer......I give you all the bad lines from Mr Freeze.