Everything has changed: TERMINATOR GENISYS

I remember seeing Super Mario Bros. in the theater with a couple of my friends. At the end of the movie, Daisy implores Mario and Luigi to return to the parallel world, saying, "You're not gonna believe this!" My friend turned to me and said, "I smell a sequel," but as we got up to leave I couldn't help but notice that we were in an empty theater. I smelled something else. And so it goes with franchise fail-building. This happens all the time of course, movies try to set up big sequels only to crash and burn. Nowadays, instead of just having a tag at the end, studios attempt to structure an entire trilogy (at least) worth of mythos and basically make the first film a sneak peak. If you want the big moments and shocking revelations of the sequels, the first movie needs to make some serious bank. When this fails, the lone film feels very incomplete and as a result replay value suffers. Watching the behind the scenes for 2008's Jumper, I learned about what they had planned to do for the sequels. It was pretty interesting stuff and some of it should have been included in the first, and now only, movie. There are plenty of other (mostly book-based) examples, like The Golden Compass, Eragon, I Am Number Four, Push, where a movie failed to garner interest while setting up a large mythology for the future. What's most annoying is when the movie is actually pretty good or intriguing enough that you want to see more. But that's the consequence for not starting with your best foot forward, audiences haven't seen enough to care about the characters and story yet. If you want to have an Empire Strikes Back-level sequel, you need to make sure that your first movie is a Star Wars. Ironically, the best franchises happened accidentally. That is to say, they weren't trying to do anything more, they were just trying to make the best possible movie at that time. All this brings us to Terminator...

"Tell my mother: There is no fate but what headache-inducing mythology we make for ourselves."

The first movie still stands the test of time. It has, over the years, become my favorite Terminator.  It's a simple, straightforward (and ultra-low budget) sci-fi film that works perfectly. The second movie is a fun, action-oriented behemoth, but still with plenty of heart. Timeless is a good word for these two.  I saw T2 for the first time at a friend's house when I was about 10. I did not have my parents' permission.  It completely blew my face off then. I wanted more, though I wasn't sure what they could do next.  Apparently the studios felt the same way, even though Cameron had told them his story had finished with T2. Enter franchise fail-building mode. Terminator 3 finally came about in 2003 and was originally to be immediately followed up on with a fourth movie the next year. Even though it was a decent hit and got surprisingly good reviews, it missed the mark for most people. At least there are a few moments (that car chase!) where it truly feels like a proper, Terminator-level spectacle. Terminator Salvation became the second attempt to franchise build, trying to set up a new trilogy of movies. Another fail. It's definitely a good looking production and it does have some interesting things to say about finding hope and restoring faith through, of all things, a machine. However, audiences were mostly disappointed because the war wasn't quite the same, happening way too early in the timeline. Also the movie focused too much on the new Marcus Wright character. The complete re-cast seemed pointless as well, but I did like Anton Yelchin as Kyle Reese. I felt like he really tried to channel the character. In hindsight, it would have at least been interesting to see how this plan would have turned out. But none of that matters anymore because one day, while watching 2009's Star Trek, some nervous producer somewhere suddenly had a revelation: "We can do that with Terminator!" And now we have Genisys. Arnie is the Spock character, passing the torch to a new, fresh-faced cast in another attempt for an all new trilogy. So, does Genisys stand on its own two metal feet or does it fall apart into a million pieces like a frozen-fractalled T-1000 that's just been shot in the face? New cast, new fate, new confusion. Let's finally go into that parallel world, Mario, and see what awaits...

GENISYS?!?!

WHAT I LIKED:
Matt Smith. Because Matt Smith. The Doctor does something quite Whovian which I won't give away here. Also, dare I say it, but Jason Clarke might just be my favorite adult John Connor yet. Though, granted, his role is quite unique in this one compared to the other movies, but Clarke really has fun with it. He has good screen presence. Emilia Clarke is also pretty good as the new Sarah. Not perfect mind you, but I see potential here. She needs another movie to really make it her own, but it's a good start. The script has her go through a lot in this one and it's a pretty tall order, but the dragon queen is Game. J.K. Simmons is, of course, a riot. I would have loved more of him. Lastly, kudos to Schwarzenegger for his nifty take on the older T-800. He actually feels like a wise old sage. He may not understand how to smile appropriately, but he does understand companionship and what it is to care. His Guardian (or 'pops') character has spent decades with humans and he really shows what he's capable of learning, while also acting enough like a machine for it to work.  Nice job, I say.

Geronimo this!

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
This is another case of an aspiring franchise holding it's audience ransom, intentionally holding back all the answers for the sequels. Certain things aren't explained, but the writers say they have a plan. Boo. The movie hasn't exactly been lighting it up at the box office, so we may never get to see this full plan. Also, when you have an action scene, one needs to believe it. Not just the CGI, but the physics of how things should move and react to their surroundings. There's an action scene with two helicopters chasing each other, but I had a hard time buying it with the way they were zipping about like X-wing fighters, getting within inches of buildings and cars. Earlier, when the Terminator/Guardian falls out of the back of a bus, he bounces on the road and into another car. Cybernetic organisms shouldn't bounce. In regards to casting, Jai Courtney is a bit too meaty for Reese. Good thing he had time to hit the gym during the war with the machines. He doesn't really feel like the same Reese that Michael Biehn played so well.  And even though it wouldn't make any sense, I wish that the photo Reese looks at in the beginning of the film was still the same photo of Linda Hamilton's Sarah.  Seeing Emilia Clarke's face instead of hers in that iconic picture just felt...wrong.

Dude.  Chill.

Sometimes with these movies I feel like I'm watching the season finale of a TV show that's uncertain of its future, trying to make itself work as both a season finale and a series finale just in case (Which reminds me: no, I haven't seen the TV show yet). Genisys feels more like a mid-season finale, because it's really just beginning. As it stands now, it's quite the timey-wimey paradoxical mess. But to be fair, the other movies had plot and paradox issues as well. For example: how could John Connor have sent Reese back in the first movie if he hadn't technically been conceived yet? Or did the timeline start with a different John from a different father? T2 is set in 1995, but it is said that Cyberdyne Systems will take three years to become the lead supplier in military computers. And by changing the future, Kyle Reese would never get sent back in time in the first place. There's more, but you get the point. The science and techno-babble was never this franchise's strong suit, though. These movies are about character and the human condition. Genisys attempts to deal with the science and paradox issues, but other than "pops", there isn't much character or heart yet. Since I don't know what they're planning to do with this timeline, I'm not sure how to call this one. Is it one-third of a good movie? Will the logic work out when all is revealed? I need to know the full plan, but the princess is in another castle. I actually hope we get to see the sequels. Because I want to know. Because Matt Smith. It's only fair in my mind. And what happens if we don't move forward? Another reboot? What will Cameron do when he gets the rights back in 2019? Certainly it isn't over yet, one way or another. And that's the thing about studios when they have their mind set on building, or rebuilding, a franchise. Look at Fantastic Four or Spider-man. Franchise fail-build, rinse and repeat. In essence, being in this state is not so different than the war with the machines. Studios can't be bargained with, they can't be reasoned with. They don't feel pity or remorse or fear. And they absolutely will not stop EVER until they have another hit. I just want a complete story again. This is a good franchise, let's get back to making films that matter, like Cameron used to do. Can it be done? To quote Mario's final words, "I believe."

I mean...you just can't top this. 

Nuking the entire site from orbit: The loss of Alien 3

When Alien 4 was first announced, I remember the pleas from fans to turn Alien 3 into a dream.  There was still time to undo the damage. Personally, I was never a fan of the dream idea back then, because I like movies to follow each other and have good continuity.  It seemed weird to me.  Alien Resurrection turned out weirder.  Not only did it not do the dream idea, it went in an entirely different direction which most people disliked even more, in spite of the talent involved.  The problem with the franchise was that the first sequel, Aliens, set the bar too high for any follow up.  James Cameron had an ability to do that back then.  With him gone, the producers seemed lost on what to do next.  Good ideas were rejected or deemed too hard to film.  The pre-production on Alien 3 went through ten writers and five directors until they finally managed to cobble something together based on several different ideas.  The end result is widely regarded as a mess, but really it's the first ten minutes that do all the damage.  Then Resurrection continued to send the franchise downward.  Now, finally, people can rejoice because these last two movies no longer count.  At least that's what it sounds like now that Neill Blomkamp has announced a new Alien project with Sigourney Weaver that reportedly will only be tied to the first two movies.  So is this a good thing?

Part of me is happy about this.  Now, everything that Hicks, Newt, Ripley, and Bishop fought for and accomplished won't be tossed aside so carelessly.  Maybe Blomkamp can get the whole band back together.  The possibilities are exciting to think about.  But, there is a part of me that is slightly bummed out.  It took me a long time, but I've come to really like Alien 3.  I see now the hard work that went into it.  The production design is fantastic.  I believe Roger Ebert called it "The best looking bad film" he'd ever seen.  But it's not just the look of the film; the actors do an excellent job creating memorable characters, from Charles Dance's physician with a dark past, Paul McGann's pre-Who Xenomorph worshiper, and Charles S. Dutton as the inspiring leader of the rag tag group of prisoners. The assembly cut brings out even more good character bits, but mainly this is a story about Ripley and her connection with the Xenomorph.  It will never allow her to have a happy ending. And so, she takes control of this connection in a decisive and dramatic final moment.  Sure, the movie is a downer.  It's all sorts of Kobayashi Maru and not just for Ripley. But it's also an intriguing, gorgeous film with strong characters.  And now it's meaningless, because those characters and Ripley's sacrifice never happened.  Is there a point to watching movies that don't matter anymore?

Maybe they can do something creative to acknowledge these films somehow.  At the end of Aliens, Newt asks Ripley, "Can I dream?" To which Ripley replies, "Yes honey, I think we both can." Then I think about the opening lines of Alien Resurrection, which is something Newt says in Aliens, "My mommy always said there were no monsters. No real ones. But there are."  What I'm saying is, I think it would be neat if Alien 3 was Ripley's dream and Alien Resurrection was Newt's dream.  At least then, they could "exist" without existing.  The movies would still be strong character stories, since they get inside the thoughts and lingering fears of both Ripley and Newt, and thus still relevant.  All while they're on their way to some new adventure we haven't seen yet.  So, after a couple decades, I'm finally on board with the dream idea, but only because of how much Alien 3 has grown on me.  All that said, I'm ready for Alien 5. Let's hope they finally get it right this time. Otherwise, I guess they can always make the next film Hicks' dream...