As someone who has grown up watching “The Terminator” and its sequels countless times, I can’t help but feel a mix of emotions when reading James Cameron’s candid assessment of the failure that was “Terminator: Dark Fate.” On one hand, it’s refreshing to see such honesty from a filmmaker of his caliber. On the other, it’s disheartening to hear him admit to “torpedoing” the movie before it even got off the ground.
The upcoming 2024 TV lineup boasts triumph with the Netflix original series “Terminator Zero,” but it’s been five years since a sequel to one of the top sci-fi movies hit the big screen, largely due to the significant financial flop that was “Terminator: Dark Fate.” This cinematic letdown is a blunder that some are still recovering from. Interestingly, series creator James Cameron appears to share in the criticism, as he candidly explained why the sixth film failed in its mission.
James Cameron’s Blunt Reasons Why He Doomed Terminator: Dark Fate To Failure
A more suitable moment for Cameron to discuss the failure of “Dark Fate” with Empire might be during an interview celebrating the 40th anniversary of “The Terminator”. In this conversation, he acknowledged that despite his continued affection for the movie, a significant error contributed to the disappointing box office performance of “Dark Fate”, both in its initial release and overall run.
In his own opinion, here’s what James Cameron thinks went wrong with Terminator: Dark Fate:
The issue wasn’t with the film itself; it was the lack of attendance. I’ve admitted my role in this numerous times to Tim Miller, saying, “I sunk that movie before we even started writing or shooting a single frame.” … We accomplished our aim. We produced a genuine sequel to a film where the audience who were attending theaters at the time of its release are now either deceased, retired, disabled, or suffering from dementia. It simply didn’t take off. There was nothing in the movie that appealed to a new generation.
Surprisingly, Mr. Cameron, I previously believed that Terminators couldn’t self-destruct, but these recent critiques have me reconsidering. It’s unusual to see such frankness from the director of Titanic, who is often referred to as the “king of the world.” However, this honesty seems to be a characteristic of this renowned filmmaker, as we’ve also observed in James Cameron’s straightforward response to criticisms about the 4K remaster of Aliens.
What struck me most unexpectedly about this breakdown was the assertion that a significant portion of the audience who watched The Terminator in 1984 are now beyond the demographic that studios typically cater to. While I might not have been so bold as to suggest all the health issues that could keep original fans from attending Terminator: Dark Fate, perhaps that’s why he’s James Cameron and I’m not.
Don’t Worry, James Cameron Still Loves Terminator: Dark Fate
Despite the producer and story contributor of “Terminator: Dark Fate” acknowledging defeat, they don’t disavow this film altogether. And while James Cameron was quick to criticize the mistakes made, he did offer praise for aspects of the film that Tim Miller directed which he appreciated.
To be completely honest, I found the Rev-9 to be nothing short of amazing. It’s a testament to the creators’ talent and ingenuity that such a character was brought to life. In terms of the overall quality, I’d say it stands toe-to-toe with some of the best work from that era. As for the film itself, I must admit it’s quite impressive. While I still hold my past favorites in high regard, this one definitely earns a solid third place in my book.
As a die-hard Terminator fan who found Dark Fate less than satisfying, I can acknowledge that the Rev-9 was undeniably “awesome.” However, even Gabriel Luna’s exceptional portrayal of a lethal robot could not compensate for the fact that by then, the John Connor narrative had grown rather stale within the series.
At that juncture, you had two options: either to advance or come up with something groundbreaking using the potential human savior; this is why I believe that both “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” and “Terminator: Genysis” were more successful than “Terminator: Dark Fate”.
Growing up, I was constantly exposed to both the original Terminator movie on HBO and frequent rewatches of Terminator 2: Judgment Day on VHS. The only film I missed in cinemas was one entry, but I did eventually rent Terminator: Salvation when it became available on DVD. Thus, I consider myself a testament to the idea that there were many Terminator fans who could have attended the theater screening of Dark Fate.
Indeed, I wholeheartedly agree with James Cameron’s suggestion that John and Sarah Connor might not need to reappear in the storyline. As we’ve seen in “Terminator: Dark Flesh” (or “Terminator Zero”), their role has already been beautifully demonstrated, and even Cameron himself is advocating for a fresh approach.
Despite Linda Hamilton’s viewpoint on Terminator: Dark Fate seemingly having merit, a fresh installment under the guidance of an evolved Cameron could potentially save the franchise from a self-inflicted disaster similar to Judgment Day. Even a machine would find it intriguing to witness the groundbreaking director reflect on what truly damaged the series.
To check out the opinions on Terminator: Dark Fate, you can stream it now on TBS, TNT, or truTV’s cable-adjacent platforms. Alternatively, to explore a John Connor-less future, I highly suggest using your Netflix account to watch the entire first season of Terminator Zero. It’s currently available for viewing as well.
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2024-09-23 22:38