Do we really need another Terminator movie?

Movie:    Terminator Genisys

PG-13, 1 hour 59 minutes

Grade:    B-

In a Nutshell:   Fun for The Terminator fans, but not necessary for others.   I mean, do we really need a reboot of this James Cameron franchise?  This is supposedly the first of a new trilogy.  Yikes.   Don’t get me wrong…I really like The Terminator movies.

My biggest gripe about this film is that I just don’t care anymore.  It’s hard to feel invested in a story that will probably be redone AGAIN in another sequel or prequel.  I just didn’t care if any of the characters lived or died, because I knew that a future movie might completely reverse what happened in this film anyway. 

There is a lot of time traveling that will make your brain begin to hurt if you try to figure it all out.   It’s not exactly logical, but it’s sure going to make the studio a lot of money….because, as Arnold says…”I’ll be back”.

Good for Arnold Schwarzenegger for keeping his acting career going.   We all love to watch him kick bady-guy butt.   (Forget he told us he was going to retire.)  As his character, Terminator/”Pops” says in the movie, “I’m old, not obsolete.”

Uplifting Theme:

·         “There is no fate, but that which we make for ourselves.” – John Connor (Jason Clarke)

·         “Straight line.  You just go and you don’t look back.” – Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) , Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke)

·         “One thing we know for sure…the future is not set.” - Kyle

Things I liked:

·         The best moment in the movie for me was watching the young Arnold Schwarzenegger fight the old one.   Epic.

·         I loved traveling back to 1984 with punk rock hair do’s and Velcro-strapped shoes.

·         They poke fun at 2017 Americans who can’t live without their cell phones.  True.

·         The script explains away Arnold Schwarzenegger’s older look by saying that the machine has human skin over it, which ages.  Oh, ok.  That works for me.  It’s a good thing Arnold doesn’t have to do much running; The Terminator always walks slow and determined.

·         The jail scene is hilarious.  Bad boys, bad boys!

·         J.K. Simmons (Detective O’Brien) is such a likeable guy. 

·         Lots of action scenes.  Lots.

Things I didn’t like:

·         This Sarah Connor (played by Emilia Clarke) is cranky and barks at everyone during the entire movie, allowing very little time for us to like her.  She’s not vulnerable and endearing like Linda Hamilton in the original The Terminator

·         The T-1000 liquid metal, shape-shifting terminators are extremely cool, but it’s not anything we haven’t seen already before.

·         If you haven’t seen the original, you won’t appreciate the nuances of how the story has veered off in different directions.

      It's so hokey when they change the spelling of a word to make it seem cooler.  (Genesis)

Funny lines:

·         “Bite me!” – Sarah

“That is a very immature response.”  - Terminator/”Pops”

·         “We have approximately 35 seconds.” – Terminator/”Pops”

A bad guy crashes through a window and the Terminator says “One less.”

·         “Can you stop him talking like that?  Is there a switch or something?” –  Kyle  (referring not only to the Terminator’s content, but Austrian accent)  ha ha

·         “We’re not even sure he speaks English.” – random cop in the jail scene   (another funny poke at Arnold’s Austrian accent)

·         “We’re here to stop the end of the world!” – Sarah Connor

“I can work with that.” –  Detective O’Brien

·         “I read about this on GunsandAmmo.com” – The Terminator/”Pops”.   Hilarious.  It’s a real web site.

·         “I thought you were dead.” – Sarah

“No, just upgraded.” – The Terminator/”Pops”

Overly dramatic lines:

·         “We take it tonight or there is no tomorrow.” – John Connor

·         “Come with me if you want to live!  Now, soldier!” – Sarah Connor

·         “We’re exiles in time.” – Reese

·         “You are nothing but a relic from a deleted time line.” – John Connor

Tips for Parents:

·         Like in the other The Terminator movies, you see Arnold Schwarzenegger naked (from the rear) as he transports through the time traveling machine.  A few other people travel through it naked as well, but you don’t see too much.

·         1 F-bomb

·         “Mild” profanity, intense fighting.

       Some of the terminator skeleton robots may be too scary for young children.

Need to catch up on the films in this futuristic franchise?

The Imitation Game is the real deal

Movie:  The Imitation Game

Grade: A

PG-13, 1 hour 54 minutes

In a Nutshell:  Two words:  Benedict Cumberbatch

Endless are the movies about WWII that are thought-provoking, inspiring, heartbreaking, and touching.  This is definitely one of them.  I’m embarrassed to admit that I knew nothing of Alan Turing’s history before viewing this film. In fact, his story has been hidden for 50 years.

Based on the book Alan Turing: The Enigma: The Book That Inspired the Film "The Imitation Game" by Andrew Hodges, the movie is a fascinating character study of a British mathematical genius who broke the unbreakable German code during the war and who created the first computer.  He was also a homosexual during a time when it was illegal. Especially engrossing is watching Cumberbatch’s multi-layered facial expressions that reveal impressive depth and deserve Oscar recognition.

Uplifting Theme:

·         Alan’s childhood friend explained it well when he said “You know Alan, sometimes it’s the very people who no one imagines anything of who do the things no one can imagine.” -  Christopher

Things I liked:

·         I love movie titles that have double meaning.

·         I thought the suspenseful music at the beginning set the tone well for the movie.

·         The interview between Alan and Commander Denniston was hilarious.

·         Keira Knightley is always mesmerizing to watch.

Things I didn’t like:

·         It may be a little slow-moving for some, but I was intrigued the entire time.

Funny lines:

·         “You’re serious!” – Commander Denniston (Charles Dance)

“Would you prefer I made a joke?” – Alan

“I don’t think you know what those are.”  - Commander Denniston

·         “How the He** were you supposed to decrypt German communications if you don’t speak German?” – Commander Denniston

“Well, I’m really quite good at crossword puzzles.” – Alan

·         “What is it about women with little hats?” – Hugh (Matthew Goode)

·         “Even a broken clock is right twice a day.  That’s not progress; that’s just blind luck.” – Alan

·         “Well, this is inhuman, even for you.” – Hugh

Interesting lines:

·         “Do you know why people like violence?  It is because it feels good.  Humans find violence deeply satisfying. But remove the satisfaction, the act becomes hollow.  I didn’t learn this on my own, of course.  I had help.” – Alan

·         “They only beat me up because I’m smarter than they are.” – Alan

“No, they beat you up because you are different.” -  Christopher

·         “Some people thought we were at war with Germany.   Incorrect. We were at war with the clock.” – Alan

·         “I’m a woman in a man’s job and I don’t have the luxury of being an a$$.” – Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley)

·         “The interesting question is just because something thinks differently from you, does that mean it’s not thinking?” – Alan

·         “Are you paying attention?  Good.  If you’re not listening carefully, you WILL miss things.  Important things.”   “What I will need from you now is a commitment.  You will listen closely and you will not judge me until I am finished.” - Alan

Tips for Parents:

·         Discussion of homosexuality, school bullying, smoking, actual war footage from WWII.

·         The language is mostly clean and even eloquent.

·         It’s a bit slow-moving, so children may get bored.