WITH James Cameron back as co-producer (he directed and produced the first two Terminator films) and Deadpool director Miller taking over the reigns, this latest instalment in the film franchise avoids the endless loop that the past three Terminator films were caught up in.
For one, it is more female-centric, in which the leading ladies are no damsels in distress and are willing to do what it takes to get the job done.
There are lots of action and visual effects but it is the dramatic moments between characters that carry the weight. A warning though: a key character gets killed at the beginning.
The story opens in Mexico City where Grace (Davis), an augmented human soldier with super strength and super senses from the future, falls to earth pretty much the same way Kyle Reese did in the first Terminator.
At the same time, a Rev-9 Terminator (Gabriel Luna), an even more advanced version of the T-1000 in Terminator: Judgement Day, also appears and goes in search of factory worker Dani (Reyes).
Grace managed to get Dani away from Rev-9 and during a highway chase, Sarah Connor (Hamilton) shows up in time to rescue them.
Sarah has learnt that while the future has been changed somewhat without Skynet, another corporation called Legion has helped bring about Armageddon, and Dani has some part to play in the resistance that is formed.
In other words, Dani is very much like Sarah before the events that took place in Terminator.
Sarah has been getting anonymous encrypted emails from an unknown source in Laredo, Texas, who tells her when and where to wait for a Terminator to show up so that she can blast it to kingdom come.
The three decide to pay this source a visit with their enemy never far behind.
No big surprise who this ‘source’ is – it’s Arnold Schwarzenegger back as T-8 – and as the four head for a showdown from which some may not return, it is non-stop action all the way.
In a way, this movie is paving the way for a new franchise and bidding a fond farewell to the first two films.
It is good to see Hamilton playing Sarah again – a much older but still angry warrior and now mentor.
The rest of the cast have their moments but Schwarzenegger literally steals every scene he is in whenever he opens his mouth.
