Terminator: Dark Fate
Sep. 28th, 2021 08:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iariaI loved it.
Good
+ I thought this was a great reimagining of the story and a neat new direction to take it in. It's always been about defeating Skynet - but what if they actually did it? Then what? The answer that a new AI would rise up in his place and judgment day would still happen isn't especially optimistic but definitely enjoyable.
+ I figured out that Dani was the Commander of the Resistance during Grace's first flashback but I still enjoyed the reveal. I love that it wasn't as Sarah thought and Dani wasn't simply the vessel to bring about the new saviour but the saviour herself. I love the usual time shenanigans of Legion creating the Commander by sending back a terminator to murder her and thus giving her the push to become more. That it brought Sarah into her life.
+ I liked Dani a lot. I loved her "What matters are the choices we make now" attitude, that she was willing to put herself at risk, that she refused to let despair get to her ('it's not zero chance'), that she was cautious but open to trusting people, that in the end she did cut out Grace's power-source.
+ I thought Sarah was great even as I felt terribly sorry for her. That short moment with Dani in the woods where she tearfully confesses that she never allowed pictures of John and is forgetting his face was deeply sad. Her gruff, still grief-stricken and rage-filled demeanour was excellent. I loved her getting the "I'll be back" line. I liked her taking out the border guards so easily even handcuffed.
+ I am super pleased that Sarah survived. I thought for sure she would be killed off in the usual way the old guard often is. Sacrificing herself to save Dani/the future.
+ A+ ending. I loved Sarah surviving. I loved her and Dani as a new duo, teaming up to save the future, teaming up to change the future.
+ I really loved Sarah's reaction shots when Dani's real identity was revealed and she realised that Dani wasn't her but that she was John.
+ Dani/Grace were fabulous. I loved them. I really love the trope of people coming back in time to interact with someone who was important to them but who didn't know them and this was so good. Grace's unwavering devotion to Dani, her protectiveness and willingness to do anything to protect her including dying was so great. I really loved their final exchange of "I'm sorry." / "I'm not." I loved the many, many times Grace protected Dani with her own body and/or protectively cradled her against herself.
It bothered me at first how weirdly blasé Grace was over Carl even after learning he was a terminator. She was a hell of a lot more suspicious of Sarah and Sarah had saved their lives only hours before. I found it confusing and weird but then as I mulled it over I realised that Grace was so unconcerned because it was Dani who sent her there and her belief in her Commander is that absolute. If she sent them there, then it's safe. For Grace that's how simple it is.
+ Grace herself was excellent.
+ I loved the story of Carl. I loved how different a direction they took him. I loved him being the last of the Skynet Terminators and how after completing his mission and being abandoned without orders in the past he was able to change and become something new.
"She appreciated that I could change diapers efficiently and without any complaints. I'm reliable. I'm a very good listener. And I'm extremely funny." LOL. Basically the perfect man then?
The Sarah/Carl relationship was also great. I loved that he spent those decades watching over Sarah and trying to help her, that he did the 'For John' texts to give her a new purpose. I loved that his last line was 'For John' and his last sight focusing in on Sarah. I liked the little exchanges between them - Sarah choosing not to shoot him off the plane, him handing her the gun at the dam, her calling him Carl.
+ I loved future!Dani's reaction when Grace told her her name.
+ I enjoyed this new version of a Terminator. In fact I found the Rev-9 rather fascinating. He blended so well! He came off surprisingly human at points. I mean we even get "Sorry about your shed" which was a completely unnecessary thing for him to say. He knew so much about 2020 and how to manoeuvre in it that it made me think he had to have been there before.
+ I loved this little moment of humour from Sarah, which really landed with me:
Grace: Strap in.
Sarah: Great, otherwise it could be dangerous.
It was so wryly accepting.
+ I really like the contrast between Dani and Sarah. Sure, Dani ended up 'being John' but honestly she's also Sarah. They are before and after images of basically the same character and I liked that.
+ The action was excellent. I enjoyed it all. I loved the freeway fight at the beginning. The plane fight was fun.
Other
+ I'm so disappointed that the movie didn't do well enough and the planned sequels were scrapped. Boo!
+ I admit while I love the twist this gave the Terminator franchise, the new characters and the new direction John's death and being wiped from the future left me sad and disappointed. I wanted some hint that there could be a way to save him, that he wasn't completely gone. For both John and Sarah.
+ It would have been a lot more meaningful if they'd had Sarah look over to see Carl hugging his son not his wife. I honestly don't understand why the hell they wouldn't. That was such a glaring missed opportunity that it honestly leaves me a little flabbergasted. ?????
+ Sarah's initial reaction to seeing Carl should have been a lot more shooting. Sure, Grace took control very quickly and Sarah was in shock when she first saw him but it makes more sense to me that she would see him and immediately shoot him - and then Grace could grab her.
+ I wish when Sarah called 'Carl, help her!' she had been more obviously immobilized and unable to do anything herself.
+ Why the hell wouldn't Grace have taken both the EMP and Dani to the cockpit? Or why wouldn't they have been placed away from the open bay? That was simply dumb.
+ I was a little surprised the Rev-9 wasn't more interested in this randomly appearing brand new robot he's probably never encountered before.
+ You know the obvious solution to Grace's power-source dilemma would have been if the Commander had order two power-sources implanted into Grace before her mission to the past. She knows how this plays out.
Deleted Scenes
+ I see why most of the deleted scenes were deleted. They weren't really needed. The extended river crossing scene I'm actively glad they cut because it didn't work for me. And I'm glad that in the final cut Dani's uncle's fate is left open. Though I do miss that we didn't get the Dani/Sarah exchange of Dani hoping she isn't like Sarah in her future and Sarah replying "So do I".
But there was one scene I wish had been in the movie. The very short scene of Grace and her Commander just before Grace was sent back was great. I loved the kneeling. I loved Grace pushing to be sent back and begging to be allowed to save Dani. I loved Dani's hesitation and tear. And I really loved the reveal that at some point Dani clearly told Grace the truth about the past. She didn't send Grace back unknowing. Was it after Dani woke from her injuries to find Grace augmented?
Good
+ I thought this was a great reimagining of the story and a neat new direction to take it in. It's always been about defeating Skynet - but what if they actually did it? Then what? The answer that a new AI would rise up in his place and judgment day would still happen isn't especially optimistic but definitely enjoyable.
+ I figured out that Dani was the Commander of the Resistance during Grace's first flashback but I still enjoyed the reveal. I love that it wasn't as Sarah thought and Dani wasn't simply the vessel to bring about the new saviour but the saviour herself. I love the usual time shenanigans of Legion creating the Commander by sending back a terminator to murder her and thus giving her the push to become more. That it brought Sarah into her life.
+ I liked Dani a lot. I loved her "What matters are the choices we make now" attitude, that she was willing to put herself at risk, that she refused to let despair get to her ('it's not zero chance'), that she was cautious but open to trusting people, that in the end she did cut out Grace's power-source.
+ I thought Sarah was great even as I felt terribly sorry for her. That short moment with Dani in the woods where she tearfully confesses that she never allowed pictures of John and is forgetting his face was deeply sad. Her gruff, still grief-stricken and rage-filled demeanour was excellent. I loved her getting the "I'll be back" line. I liked her taking out the border guards so easily even handcuffed.
+ I am super pleased that Sarah survived. I thought for sure she would be killed off in the usual way the old guard often is. Sacrificing herself to save Dani/the future.
+ A+ ending. I loved Sarah surviving. I loved her and Dani as a new duo, teaming up to save the future, teaming up to change the future.
+ I really loved Sarah's reaction shots when Dani's real identity was revealed and she realised that Dani wasn't her but that she was John.
+ Dani/Grace were fabulous. I loved them. I really love the trope of people coming back in time to interact with someone who was important to them but who didn't know them and this was so good. Grace's unwavering devotion to Dani, her protectiveness and willingness to do anything to protect her including dying was so great. I really loved their final exchange of "I'm sorry." / "I'm not." I loved the many, many times Grace protected Dani with her own body and/or protectively cradled her against herself.
It bothered me at first how weirdly blasé Grace was over Carl even after learning he was a terminator. She was a hell of a lot more suspicious of Sarah and Sarah had saved their lives only hours before. I found it confusing and weird but then as I mulled it over I realised that Grace was so unconcerned because it was Dani who sent her there and her belief in her Commander is that absolute. If she sent them there, then it's safe. For Grace that's how simple it is.
+ Grace herself was excellent.
+ I loved the story of Carl. I loved how different a direction they took him. I loved him being the last of the Skynet Terminators and how after completing his mission and being abandoned without orders in the past he was able to change and become something new.
"She appreciated that I could change diapers efficiently and without any complaints. I'm reliable. I'm a very good listener. And I'm extremely funny." LOL. Basically the perfect man then?
The Sarah/Carl relationship was also great. I loved that he spent those decades watching over Sarah and trying to help her, that he did the 'For John' texts to give her a new purpose. I loved that his last line was 'For John' and his last sight focusing in on Sarah. I liked the little exchanges between them - Sarah choosing not to shoot him off the plane, him handing her the gun at the dam, her calling him Carl.
+ I loved future!Dani's reaction when Grace told her her name.
+ I enjoyed this new version of a Terminator. In fact I found the Rev-9 rather fascinating. He blended so well! He came off surprisingly human at points. I mean we even get "Sorry about your shed" which was a completely unnecessary thing for him to say. He knew so much about 2020 and how to manoeuvre in it that it made me think he had to have been there before.
+ I loved this little moment of humour from Sarah, which really landed with me:
Grace: Strap in.
Sarah: Great, otherwise it could be dangerous.
It was so wryly accepting.
+ I really like the contrast between Dani and Sarah. Sure, Dani ended up 'being John' but honestly she's also Sarah. They are before and after images of basically the same character and I liked that.
+ The action was excellent. I enjoyed it all. I loved the freeway fight at the beginning. The plane fight was fun.
Other
+ I'm so disappointed that the movie didn't do well enough and the planned sequels were scrapped. Boo!
+ I admit while I love the twist this gave the Terminator franchise, the new characters and the new direction John's death and being wiped from the future left me sad and disappointed. I wanted some hint that there could be a way to save him, that he wasn't completely gone. For both John and Sarah.
+ It would have been a lot more meaningful if they'd had Sarah look over to see Carl hugging his son not his wife. I honestly don't understand why the hell they wouldn't. That was such a glaring missed opportunity that it honestly leaves me a little flabbergasted. ?????
+ Sarah's initial reaction to seeing Carl should have been a lot more shooting. Sure, Grace took control very quickly and Sarah was in shock when she first saw him but it makes more sense to me that she would see him and immediately shoot him - and then Grace could grab her.
+ I wish when Sarah called 'Carl, help her!' she had been more obviously immobilized and unable to do anything herself.
+ Why the hell wouldn't Grace have taken both the EMP and Dani to the cockpit? Or why wouldn't they have been placed away from the open bay? That was simply dumb.
+ I was a little surprised the Rev-9 wasn't more interested in this randomly appearing brand new robot he's probably never encountered before.
+ You know the obvious solution to Grace's power-source dilemma would have been if the Commander had order two power-sources implanted into Grace before her mission to the past. She knows how this plays out.
Deleted Scenes
+ I see why most of the deleted scenes were deleted. They weren't really needed. The extended river crossing scene I'm actively glad they cut because it didn't work for me. And I'm glad that in the final cut Dani's uncle's fate is left open. Though I do miss that we didn't get the Dani/Sarah exchange of Dani hoping she isn't like Sarah in her future and Sarah replying "So do I".
But there was one scene I wish had been in the movie. The very short scene of Grace and her Commander just before Grace was sent back was great. I loved the kneeling. I loved Grace pushing to be sent back and begging to be allowed to save Dani. I loved Dani's hesitation and tear. And I really loved the reveal that at some point Dani clearly told Grace the truth about the past. She didn't send Grace back unknowing. Was it after Dani woke from her injuries to find Grace augmented?
