It’s almost inevitable that every valuable property in Hollywood is going to be rebooted eventually, but the producers behind the Terminator franchise seem to be trying especially hard in this regard. The upcoming sixth outing for the series, Terminator: Dark Fate, will be the third hybrid of reboot we’ve seen in ten years, but given that it’s set to be the spiritual successor to James Cameron’s iconic sci-fi sequel Judgment Day, hopes are high that it’ll be a success.
Of course, it’s not like we haven’t had high hopes before only to be incredibly disappointed. After all, both Salvation and Genisys were touted as having the potential to spawn new storytelling opportunities and ultimately, new franchises, but both movies failed to deliver. The potential was definitely there, but each film faltered in its execution as neither McG nor Alan Taylor proved to be capable of pulling off a successful Terminator flick.
Thankfully, though, Deadpool director Tim Miller seems like he was up to the task, as the first reactions for Dark Fate hit the web tonight and for the most part, they’re pretty positive, with most agreeing that it’s the best Terminator movie since the second one. Then again, that’s not saying a whole lot, but you can check out the responses from a few critics down below and see what they had to say.
#TerminatorDarkFate is easily the best Terminator movie since T2. Has some fantastic action and loved how the film features 3 female protagonists that all kick-ass. So awesome seeing Linda Hamilton back as Sarah Connor. pic.twitter.com/15Yb6cC18W
— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) October 21, 2019
I've been a fan of Mackenzie Davis since seeing her in 'Halt and Catch Fire'. But she takes it to another level in #TerminatorDarkFate where she kicks all kinds of ass. If you like her work in Dark Fate, go back and watch #HaltandCatchFire. pic.twitter.com/P5gnqoXjFL
— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) October 21, 2019
Oh the film, you ask? It’s solid. Super well articulated action. Linda Hamilton is aces. Easily the best sequel since T2. #DarkFate takes The Force Awakens’ “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality to Cameron’s films and turns out it ain’t broke.
— Haleigh Foutch (@HaleighFoutch) October 21, 2019
Is #TerminatorDarkFate the best since T2? Yup. Linda Hamilton’s return makes a BIG difference, Mackenzie Davis kicks all the ass, & Natalia Reyes is an excellent anchor. Gabriel Luna’s Rev-9 is a winner too. Physicality, VFX, fights – all spot on! Glad they gave this another go. pic.twitter.com/4Q1FNN49Hw
— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) October 21, 2019
TERMINATOR’s thought of as Arnold’s franchise. DARK FATE makes it clear he wasn’t the key ingredient that made it work. It was Linda Hamilton. She’s incredible in this, and the movie’s very solid. (I recently defended all the TERMINATOR sequels, so make of this what you will.) pic.twitter.com/3JSsac7LrL
— Matt Singer / mattsinger.bsky.social (@mattsinger) October 21, 2019
I was skeptical of TERMINATOR: DARK FATE. Thought the trailers were not great. But I would up enjoying it quite a bit, and the difference maker (vs the other post T2 sequels) is Linda Hamilton. It’s always been HER story and Hamilton adds the needed weight here.
— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) October 21, 2019
Terminator: Dark Fate is basically Terminator: The Force Awakens. A satisfying, exciting reboot that’s essentially the best parts of T1 & T2 in a blender. Davis, Reyes & Hamilton are excellent, the action wows & while it’s familiar, it’s easily the best T3 yet. Terminator is back pic.twitter.com/W1emrXIq5C
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) October 21, 2019
#TerminatorDarkFate is the best of the TERMINATOR sequels after T2. Easily among the year’s most entertaining action films, it’s thrilling, intense & non-stop, but also a sweet story about making things right. Arnold is great & Linda rules, but Mackenzie Davis THROWS DOWN pic.twitter.com/8TQ4Gpkkdr
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) October 21, 2019
#TerminatorDarkFate is better than you think it’s going to be. Its trying hard to be the Force Awakens of Terminator movies, and mostly succeeds. But it’s lacking Cameron’s innovation, evolution and directing. Arnold is fantastic, the best of his post T2 Terminator appearances.
— /Film (@slashfilm) October 21, 2019
Excited to report Terminator: Dark Fate is the best sequel in the franchise since T2. It's a "return to basics" movie — reminiscent of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in that way — but the new heroes are fantastic, it's great to see the legends kicking ass, and the action is great. pic.twitter.com/aAHSXhFyA4
— Eric Eisenberg (@eeisenberg) October 21, 2019
Said to be the beginning of a new trilogy for the franchise, Terminator: Dark Fate blasts into theaters on November 1st. And while these first reactions are certainly exciting, it’s important to remember that they only represent a small portion of critics and may not be in line with what the general public think. Still, they’re a good start for the film and we’ll see for ourselves if they’re on the mark in just a few weeks.