Terminator Genisys: What is this I can't even

My rating – 6/10
Terminator Genisys, the fifth instalment in the franchise, takes place in a post Judgement Day 2029, where a group of humans are at war against Skynet, an artificial general intelligence seeking to wipe out the human race. John Connor, leader of the Resistance, sends Kyle Reese back in time from 2029 to 1984 to save Connor's mother, Sarah Connor, who is being targeted by Skynet. The sequence of events is similar to 1984's The Terminator, except- Reese is in for a number of surprises in this unfamiliar version of the past.

What follows next is two hours of action-packed science fiction riddled with complicated time travelling. This is probably the main setback of the film. While it should be a good thing that changes have been made from the initial movies of the franchise, we instead see a sequel/reboot that wipes out, and overwrites most of the events of the previous films without giving the audience clear explanations as to why or how this occurs. The scarce explanations we get in the form of characters' dialogue seem like stabs in the dark. The result is equal parts confusing and disappointing. 

Needless to say it doesn't top, or even come close to The Terminator, but let's just forget that bit for a while and look at the movie like it is. There's a decent amount of man versus machine fighting; the movie doesn't drown you in endless action. Much of the battle scenes take place in 2017 ensuring newer and modern weapons which makes the battle scenes more fun to watch. While a fresh new cast has been used for the same old characters, there's still a good amount of Arnold Schwarzenegger, which franchise fans should be happy about.

In fact at points it was Arnold, his new catchphrases and his classic "I'll be back" that saved the movie from being a thorough disappointment. Emilia Clarke wasn't a let-down either as a confident, badass, saviour version of Sarah Connor. Thankfully there is sufficient emotional and character development, even for Arnold's character. Both Jai Courtney and Jason Clarke gave genuine performances as Kyle Reese and John Connor, respectively. 

There are also some interesting themes at play like implications of being over-reliant on technology and staying "connected," that relate with current times but the plot holes and unanswered questions can't really be overlooked. That being said if you're looking for some meaningless weekend sci-fi fun in addition to a few laughs and suspenseful battle scenes and you don't mind a clichéd ending, book a ticket for Terminator Genisys now. But if you're a franchise fan or just anyone who hoped that a return after six years would blow your mind with new, meaningful twists and events you will be disappointed.

Salma Mohammad Ali fears she is becoming a crazy cat lady and uses writing as a means to grasp on to sanity. Send her your views/hate/love at https://www.facebook.com/salma.ali209