TERMINATOR: DARK FATE

Arnold Schwarzenegger     Linda Hamilton     Mackenzie Davis     Natalia Reyes     Gabriel Luna

     Opening the film is an apparently normal teenager in Mexico making out with her boyfriend in an isolated area when they see a woman fall off a high bridge. They investigate and determine that she needs medical help, but when they’re approaching potential assistance from policemen who have appeared, they’re seen as suspicious and the police are ready to take them in.  But something amazing happens.

     Be prepared.  Shortly after that, this film directed by Tim Miller, a special effects artist, proceeds with a half-hour(?) of that which is dear to his heart:  All kinds of vehicles (including a plow truck driven by an AI and a pick-up driven by a modified human with a mission) sensationally chasing and crashing into one another on freeways and country roads, with the AI having the ability to throw out a black tar-like substance that magically transforms into a weapon and even his own reconstitution.

     Gradually we hear about the background leading up to this moment.  Cryptically, Grace (modified human majestically portrayed by Mackenzie Davis) has been sent to protect Dani, the teenager (Natalia Reyes), from the AI Rev-9 Terminator (stoically played by Gabriel Luna). They will meet up with characters from previous renditions of the Terminator, a grieving Sarah Connor (Hamilton) and her nemesis T-800 (Schwarzenegger).

     It continues the Terminator theme of man vs. machines, with the message that even though it seems like a losing battle, one should never give up hope of human supremacy.  In the dream world created by the screenwriters of this gem (David S. Goyer, Justin Rhodes, and Billy Ray), where anything can happen and need not have a smidgen of reality or logic attached to it, yes, they can make it happen.  The only problem is that the writers’ imagination is not very imaginative and the dialog is so trite, that after 2+ hours the film becomes tedious to watch:  It’s essentially a series of special effects.  

     Inconsistencies that can be bothersome to a viewer based in reality are frequent, such as Grace being able to bound 50 feet into the air and swoop down with the speed of lightning, but when boarding a train, she walks gingerly up the steps. Sometimes the characters do miraculous feats, yet other times, those same feats are not available to them.

     One of my biggest problems with the film is the glorification of guns, even though they’re often shown to be woefully ineffective.  Still, what is shown is meant to appeal to gun-rights champions.  The joke was on me at one point when the small group of fleers realizes they need weapons—lots of them.  It’s then revealed they’re in Texas, and I laughed, not catching on (thanks to my colleague) to the fact that many in the audience were laughing for opposite reasons than I was.  Was it a laugh at or a laugh with Texas? 

     The only sequence of substance that I picked up on was T-800 Terminator (Schwarzenegger) describing what transpired in him after he became inactive.  He spent the time learning to be human, i.e., having a purpose, seeing the value of caring for others; and learning what a conscience is, which he acts out behaviorally even though the experience is beyond him.  This is a clever bridge between technology and humanity.

     This film is obviously for viewers who love an emphasis on special effects and are less interested in human interactions and the value of well-written dialog that illuminates beyond thrills and chills.

Terminator devotees will likely find the film satisfying; others are likely to find it tedious and boring.

Grade:  D+                                    By Donna R. Copeland

TRANSPECOS

Clifton Collins                  Gabriel Luna                  Johnny Simmons

     Transpecos is a contemporary western populated by border patrol agents and the Mexican cartels rather than the cowboys and Indians of old.  It highlights the insidious threat cartels pose in their broad influence and mercilessness when someone resists them.  It reminds me of the documentary nominated for an Academy Award this year, Cartel Land, the locale of which is Mexico, whereas Transpecos takes place in Luna County, New Mexico, just outside of Deming.  In both countries, the cartels can loom so threateningly, someone caught in their web can experience complete impotence and hopelessness.

       In this drama, Flores (Luna) and his supervisee Davis (Simmons) are reporting to duty where Hobbs (Collins) is stationed at a border inspection station.  They argue about terminology (“wetbacks” vs. job-seeking Mexicans), wonder what the howling winds will blow in, and horse around a bit.  When they go out into the desert, Flores is giving Davis instructions about how to track illegals trying to enter the country.  When they return to the border patrol station, they have a major conflict about whether or not to detain a certain driver and search his car.  This has mildly come up with a few cars previously, but this time one of the agents insists that they let the car proceed, and the central dilemma of the story is revealed.

       In the Q&A after its SXSW premier the Director and co-writer Greg Kwedar and writer Clint Bentley said they spent a fair amount of time getting to know border patrol agents and hearing their stories, and their accounts of the boredom and isolation that are a part of their jobs.  The agency they work for was not as forthcoming, and eventually even issued a “Do not associate” order to their agents not to talk with the filmmakers.  Consequently, members of the crew were responsible for creating the uniforms, trucks, and other equipment appearing in the movie.  One of the film’s strengths is its even-handedness toward all the characters—the agents as well as the immigrants and those trying to cross the border—however, not, of course, the cartels.

      The script is well written, and it moves along at a good pace with continual surprises.  Actors Collins, Luna, and Simmons are convincing in their portrayals, and the cinematography of Jeffrey Waldron accentuates the natural beauty of the New Mexican landscape, including its radiant sunsets.  This is Austin-based Kwedar’s feature directorial debut, which is being well received at its SXSW premier.

A contemporary western thriller pitting US border patrol against Mexican cartels.

Grade:  B                 By Donna R. Copeland