The Film
"It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead."
Yeah, that above quote is from the first Terminator movie. It's the only Terminator movie that was really necessary (although I'm willing to let the sequel slide). It also pretty much describes the state of this franchise.
At least Terminator Genisys goes with what it knows. In this installment, it's 2029 and John Conner (Jason Clarke) is about to lead the Human Resistance to victory against Skynet. Instead of fighting in 2029, Skynet opts to send a T-800 Terminator back to 1984 to kill John's mother, Sarah Conner (Game of Thrones' Emilia Clarke). To prevent that from happening, Conner sends Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) back to protect her. Sound familiar?
The movie pulls the nostalgia card a lot. In addition to having Arnold Schwarzenegger as a "good" Terminator, they even superimpose the 1980s bad Schwarzenegger into several opening scenes. The problem is that Terminator Genisys doesn't bother to add in anyone else. If you're going to go the nostalgia route, you need to go all out. Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, and even Bill Paxton don't appear in this movie. And they are sorely missed.
That's not the worst part, though. The film doesn't stay in the 1980s. That's because the computers are the evil ones here -- and not just the robot ones. Mobile devices are out to kill us, people! However, this is not a documentary, it's a Terminator movie. So the action flips from 2029 to 1984 to 2017, which makes things a little confusing. The dialogue and acting aren't exactly helping matters, either.
There are also a ton of new faces, but it doesn't really matter. Note to filmmakers: If you're going to bother to get Matt Smith, Courtney B. Vance, and J.K. Simmons, please actually use them!
Still, Terminator Genisys is cool looking, with lots of action, Schwarzenegger, and wannabe catchphrases. It also completely ignores the last two Terminator films, so props for that. But does that make this installment/reboot necessary? Of course not. It's too long, too confusing, and too cheesy (and not in a good way).
"I'm old, not obsolete," Schwarzenegger's "Pops" character says several times throughout the movie. Maybe he's not, but this franchise is another story.
You don't have to go back in time to read more about this movie; check out Matthew Passantino's theatrical review of Terminator Genisys.
The Picture
Terminator Genisys is bursting with eye candy, in both 2D and 3D. Watching the movie, you'd expect there to be all sorts of pop-outs. Of course, it does have a few, but it's really all about the depth, which carries through every single frame of the film. Even better, the 3D never dims the image, which is a good thing, since so much of it is so dark. Instead, those black levels remain deep and the imagery stays sharp. There are also plenty of colorful moments, which really pop here. While I definitely have more than a few gripes about the movie, it's hard to find any faults with this 2.39:1 image.
The Sound
Oh, how I love thee, Dolby Atmos. The absolute best thing about this Blu-ray is the Dolby Atmos track. If you don't have Dolby Atmos, it will default to the Dolby TrueHD 7.1. In Atmos, there are helicopters, bullets, explosions -- and that's only in the first 10 minutes! The film is filled with awesome surround sound, whether it's crashes, crunches, explosions, or sirens. However, some of the best sounds occur during the time travel sequences. Dialogue is clear throughout, but none of it is too memorable. That surround and overhead sound though? That's the good stuff. (You can find out a little more about how and why Dolby Atmos is used in this movie in the video below.)
Terminator Genisys on Blu-ray with Dolby Atmos from Dolby Laboratories on Vimeo.
The Extras
Terminator Genisys comes with just a trio of special features -- and none of them are in 3D. Meh. The best (and longest) of the bunch is "Infiltration and Termination," which spends 25 minutes focusing on the production of the film. Otherwise, there's a short that covers the characters and the franchise, with another focused on the film's special effects.
Final Thoughts
The best thing I can say about Terminator Genisys is that it's better than the last installment in the franchise. But didn't we learn from Terminator Salvation that our favorite cyborg just doesn't belong in a PG-13 world? This fifth movie is more about eye candy, crashes, and crunches. I think there's some social commentary about smart devices in there, but thankfully, it gets drowned out by the stellar Dolby Atmos track. Proceed at your own risk.
Product Details
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