Did Michael Dougherty’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters feature a souped-up Godzilla punching his massive three-pronged nemesis Ghidorah right in the goddamn face before eating his entire head for dinner? You bet your butt it did, and sometimes that’s what’s really important. Was director Michael Dougherty’s Godzilla: King of the Monstersthe most tightly told story of the year? Not exactly, no. Dark Fate is a heck of an action film, a well-constructed Terminator sequel, but it also shines because the story embraces the possibility of the sci-fi genre, spinning out a new but familiar timeline and furthering the mythology of Terminator/Human mythology in sometimes surprising, but not unearned ways. Without a doubt this is the best use of Arnold Schwarzenegger since his initial appearances, playing up the actor's easy charisma and action prowess without too much posturing, but it's also the triumphant return of Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor, along with the introduction of standout newcomers in Natalia Reyes' Dani and Mackenzie Davis's Grace. We've been waiting a long time for another good Terminator movie, but thankfully director Tim Miller finally delivered with Terminator: Dark Fate, a sequel that gets back to basics, focusing on solid character arcs punctuated by killer action beats, and sticking faithfully to the playbook of James Cameron's genre-defining first two films.
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