We’ve shared how much we enjoyed Terminator: Dark Fate on a few different levels but there is definitely more to unpack. We’re going to tell you what we loved about this movie but, beware, there will be spoilers!
Sarah and Carl’s Complicated Relationship
The biggest spoiler in the early part of the film belongs to Carl and Sarah’s relationship. Carl was a T-800 sent back after they’d stopped Judgement Day and terminated John Connor. We were all shook by the craziness of this plot twist. What’s the resistance with John Connor? We’ll get to that answer.
The T-800 went on to live a quiet life with a family where he goes by the name of Carl and owns a drapes business. Having a family allowed him to understand what he took from Sarah when he killed John. We absolutely loved that Carl was the mystery texter sending Sarah the locations of Terminators being sent back so that she could destroy them. Sarah had to put aside her anger to work with Carl but their connection went much deeper than she ever could have imagined.
Even though Carl died in the end, we were really relieved Sarah wasn’t the one to do it. She promised him she’d kill him when the mission was over. We’re not really sure she would have but we’re super glad it never came to that. We also wish Carl had survived, though, if we’re being honest.
A New Savior for the Human Race
What is the Terminator series without John Connor? The answer to that question brings us to another piece of the new film we loved. Dani as the hero is as refreshing as hell! Sarah was convinced throughout most of the film that Dani was destined to give birth to another ‘great man’. Grace corrected her and we learned that Dani was the one who would lead the resistance. Having a woman be the hero of the future is awesome!
Having a woman be the hero of the future is awesome! Dark Fate gave us a woman hero in a male-dominated (sort of because Sarah has always kicked ass) franchise without making it feel forced. That is an achievement! We want all the Terminator movies with Dani and Grace from now on with some doses of Sarah thrown in there too!
It would be fascinating to watch Grace’s story from the beginning and how it weaves into Dani’s and then comes full circle with the events in Dark Fate. We’re especially interested in watching how Dani takes control and how she motivates her troops to fight back against the machines. What makes her such a good leader? We got glimpses in the final battle of Dark Fate but we know she’s got a lot more badass inside.
Moments We Especially LOVED
- Dani standing up for herself with Grace and then with the Rev-9! Grace wanted Dani to play it safe when Carl and Sarah suggested using Dani as bait but Dani wasn’t having it. She is already the Dani of the future in that scene and it’s everything! And then when she takes on the Rev-9 on her own when the rest of her team is down! Y’all! Dani is a fucking beast!
- Carl explaining the proper choice of drapes while the team was waiting on Sarah’s military contact to bring the EMP. Schwarzenegger said he was extremely funny during his early scenes and he was VERY right!
nebulous.cloud - The entire airplane fight scene! Y’all, first of all, every character gets an equal dose of badassery but Grace shined above the rest! We love a good dose of Arnold’s Terminator owning a battle but we really enjoyed the girls taking their rightful turn! Sarah and Grace both rocked the entire scene. Dani did not hide or become a damsel in distress, she stayed tough and helped in any way she could. Can you tell we really love Dani?
giphy - Grace’s first fight scene with the Rev-9 in the workshop! We weren’t entirely sure what to expect when the franchise introduced an upgraded human as the protector from the future but she is AWESOME! Luna’s Rev-9 did not know what hit him when Grace entered the battlefield and we are here for more!
gifycat - Lastly, we love the affection and respect Grace has for Dani. On second viewing, we could see it before Grace shared her story. There are two women who bring out the best in each other! These are the kind of female friendships we long for in our movies. Please give us more!
What are your favorite parts of the newest Terminator movie? Do you believe the box office numbers or the reviews that the movie is actually excellent? This movie is definitely worth (at least) one viewing!
Terminator: Dark Fate is now playing in theaters.
