If you’re like me, you’ve been waiting a long time for the fifth “Terminator” film, which opens in theatres nationwide this Friday. Despite some pronounced fan outcry in response to alleged reconstruction of the franchise’s overall narrative and a lukewarm advance buzz (excluding, of course, the endorsement from original director James Cameron), there ARE those of us who will buy a ticket on opening day because hey, it might… actually… be good? It’s been a while since the “Terminator” franchise has genuinely rocked our world: Jonathan Mostow’s so-so third film, “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,” has a pretty killer ending but is otherwise more serviceable then awesome. And of course, the less time spent talking about McG’s misbegotten “Terminator Salvation,” the better. But before us “Terminator” nerds get all worked up about this new installment, maybe it’s time we all took a look back at the films that started it all.
A new video tribute, courtesy of JoBlo, spends most of its time recalling loving details about the production of the first two, truly excellent “Terminator” films. James Cameron’s quest to make “the ultimate robot film” paid massive dividends in 1984 – a considerable feat, considering the director’s only credit at the time was “Piranha 2” – and cemented star Arnold Schwarzenegger as one of the most profitable and commercially formidable action stars in the world. The $94-million budgeted “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” boasts the distinction of being an even better film than its predecessor: bigger, crazier, with more brazen and awe-inspiring action and a deeper look into Skynet and, of course, the totally insane T-1000. The narrator doesn’t spend too much time discussing the merits of either “Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines” or “Terminator Salvation,” but I suppose hardcore devotees of the “Terminator” flicks will be curious to see how those film’s disparate pieces fit into some sort of bigger whole. Either way, it seems unlikely that “Terminator Genysis” will scale the explosive, dumb-crazy heights of those first two movies, but hey, I’d love to be surprised. Check out the video below.
