As a longtime fan of the Terminator franchise, I must say that my feelings about Terminator: Dark Fate, or as it’s more affectionately known among fans, “Terminator Zero,” are a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
The unexpected box office hit, Terminator 2: Judgment Day – an expensive follow-up film that significantly altered the storyline from a modestly budgeted precursor released almost a decade prior – taught Hollywood some misguided lessons.
Instead of crediting the box office success to James Cameron’s diverse creativity, the industry instead believed that audiences had an unquenchable fascination with anything related to the Terminator. Consequently, following the thoroughly decent sequel, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, came Terminator Salvation and Terminator Genisys and Terminator: Dark Fate – three films that were initially hyped as the beginnings of new trilogies, but collectively failed to produce any sequels. While they each have flashes of creativity and occasional references to the originals, their overall lack of distinctiveness often leaves me puzzled about basic questions such as which movies featured Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron, how many times Jai Courtney appeared, or whether there is a colon in the title or not.
In my opinion as a TV critic, the most successful sequel to the franchise was “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” by Fox, which unfortunately only lasted two seasons between “Terminator 3” and “Terminator Salvation”. Unlike other spin-offs of the Terminator series, this one actually seemed to be telling a story, instead of trying to force audiences to finance a tale that could potentially be told.
I find Netflix’s latest offering, titled “Terminator Zero“, to be my favorite addition to the franchise since “The Sarah Connor Chronicles“. Unlike the more self-explanatory “Terminator: The Anime Series“, this new title is less straightforward. Featuring a unique visual style courtesy of Japanese animation studio Production I.G., and boasting a strong voice cast headlined by Timothy Olyphant, the series has an intriguing setup, even though it’s currently in the stage of establishing its ongoing storyline. However, it shows great promise in this initial phase.
Written by Mattson Tomlin and directed by Masashi Kudō, the series Terminator Zero opens in the year 2022, showcasing an intense action sequence where Eiko (Sonoya Mizuno), a resistance fighter, confronts a nameless cyborg assassin. Michael Olyphant portrays this mechanical menace, although he remains silent throughout the first episode and speaks only a handful of lines across the entire series.
Swiftly, with the marvels of time-travel, everyone is leaping back to the late August of 1997 – a location hinting at franchise enthusiasts that Judgment Day is imminent.
In Tokyo, scientist Malcolm Lee (André Holland) is making an effort to avert an impending catastrophe. With insights that run deeper than most, Malcolm frequently has distressing visions of nuclear explosions and AI uprisings, which are just premonitions of the looming Skynet disaster. To stop the potential extinction of humanity, Malcolm is refining a sophisticated artificial intelligence system he calls “Kokoro,” lent voice by Rosario Dawson in various incarnations.
As time runs out, Malcolm finds himself confined in a room, assessing whether Kokoro is prepared for going online. However, the arrival of the Terminator and Eiko in 1997 with the intention of thwarting Malcolm leads to an uproar of events.
As a fan, pondering over why these two distinct characters seem hell-bent on eliminating Malcolm, I find myself once again tangled in thoughts about the delicate balance between destiny and personal choice. Added to this is my recent contemplation on the time travel conundrums that the last few movies have presented – a puzzle that’s either thrilling or maddening, depending on one’s level of engagement.
As a gamer, let me tell you, time travel ain’t no walk in the park, even in a sci-fi epic like Terminator Zero. It’s not like using a cheat code in the first two movies to escape from trouble. This story is all about grappling with and making sense of what we thought we knew about the consequences of sending killers and soldiers back in time with one clear objective.
Still, there are fresh elements here. Resetting the narrative in Tokyo allows it to move away from yet another blandly messianic coronation of “John Connor” as humanity’s last hope. And it’s a relief that (spoiler alert) the reliance on occasional Easter eggs doesn’t stretch as far as any character saying something dumb like, “Sure, you can call me Bandit, but when I was born, my name was Kyle Reese.” This is a new set of characters loosely tailored for the anime genre — especially Malcolm’s kids Kenta (Armani Jackson), Reika (Gideon Adlon) and Hiro (Carter Rockwood), left under the watch of their nanny/housekeeper Misaki (Sumalee Montano). They manage to be likable and energetic, but not overly cutesy.
In the reimagined 1997 setting of Terminator Zero, robotics, weaponry, and even toys take on unique cultural aspects. Tokyo is swarmed by harmless 1NN0 robots, while the must-have gadget is an artificially intelligent cat. Unlike previous versions where guns were readily available upon arrival in Los Angeles, they become scarce in 90s Japan for both heroes and villains alike. This scarcity necessitates creative problem-solving from Tomlin, allowing Kudō to create action sequences with a personal touch while maintaining the franchise’s moderately graphic content level.
At first, I switched back and forth between the original Japanese version with subtitles and the English-dubbed one. However, I ultimately chose to stick with the English version due to my fondness for Holland’s stern yet wise character and Mizuno’s self-assured demeanor. The English actor, Olyphant, gives his Terminator a touch of Midwestern charm, making him more reminiscent of Robert Patrick than Arnold Schwarzenegger – although it’s worth noting that this Terminator is quite terse. Fans of Olyphant might want to revisit Santa Clarita Diet on Netflix after they finish watching this series.
As a devoted fan, I’ve got a fascinating observation about the audio tracks: The English version occasionally includes subtle, non-offensive profanities that aren’t reflected in the Japanese subtitles. Conversely, there are instances where specific references, such as the iconic “I’ll be back” and “Come with me if you want to live,” are only present in the subtitles and not the English dialogue itself. I merely wish to share this detail without expressing any judgment!
Regardless of which language you watch it in, and despite the small expositional lags and the anticlimactic reveals, Terminator Zero sets a solid framework for an ongoing story that is, like the best parts of the franchise, as much about very human choices as it is about spectacle. Given the brand name and Netflix’s clear success with anime properties, it should be the start of an interesting multi-season run, rather than yet another one-and-done dead end.
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2024-08-29 10:25