As a franchise, the Terminator series has certainly experienced its ups and downs. The first two movies are brilliant by their own right, and everything that followed has been either mediocre or incredibly disappointing. Now Dark Fate–the sixth movie in the series–is about to hit theaters on November 1. Aside from the first reactions on Twitter, reviews for the movie are trickling out, and critics have mixed feelings about the new movie, even though it’s the best in the series since T2.
Now, the first reviews for the upcoming movie have arrived, and it’s a mixed bag. Currently, it sits at a 55 on Metacritic, based on 22 reviews. Of those reviews, seven are positive, 14 are mixed, and one is negative. While that may not seem like rave reviews for the upcoming film, the last installment in the series–Terminator: Genisys–received an overall 38 with 12 of the 41 reviews being negative.
The Terminator franchise could be in course-correction mode, as the latest film in the series is a follow-up to T2, ignoring the movies that took place after it. And if James Cameron has his way, there are already plans for future Terminator movies.
Below, you’ll find a few reviews for Terminator: Dark Fate, which hits theaters on November 1.
GameSpot — 8/10
“Terminator: Dark Fate doesn’t set a new bar for action movies like Terminator 2 did back in 1991. But that’s not a realistic expectation–T2 was a once-in-a-generation kind of film. What Dark Fate does is establish a new–if-familiar–jumping-off point from which the Terminator series can hopefully move forward. It breaks the cycle of terrible Terminator sequels and spin-offs, and begins a new, brighter timeline. Humanity may always be its own worst enemy, but Dark Fate proves that we at least have the capacity to make some more kick-ass Terminator movies before judgment day arrives.” — Michael Rougeau [Full review]
Empire — 4/5
“Easily the third-best Terminator film, which is more of a compliment than it sounds. It’s great to have Hamilton back in this role, but she’s ably matched by Reyes and Davis.” — Helen O’Hara [Full review]
Entertainment Weekly — C
“At least Dark Fate is frequently bad in a funny way, without the dutiful dullness of the last couple sequels. Characters can drive onto a military base and just take an airplane, no questions asked. There are drinkworthy repetitions of the word ‘Killbox,’ so much so that it’s mandatory to henceforth refer to this movie Terminator: Killbox.” — Darren Franich [Full review]
IGN — 8/10
“While there’s definitely some frantic leap-frogging involved in terms of accepting why some characters have evolved the way they did, Terminator: Dark Fate ultimately succeeds in serving as both a suitable closing chapter for the original two films and a possible gateway to exciting new chapters ahead.” — Jim Vejvoda [Full review]
Uproxx — No score
“With Terminator: Dark Fate we finally have the third chapter to her story, which at its essence is the Terminator franchise. Though, yes, by nature the story does have to be a little convoluted after the events of T2 (and this time, it’s basically just a whole new evil entity), but Linda Hamilton is Terminator. And that’s why Terminator: Dark Fate is the best Terminator movie since T2.” — Mike Ryan [Full review]
IndieWire — C-
“It’s nice (and perhaps unavoidable) that the Terminator franchise has finally reached back into the past to remind us that tomorrow is always up for grabs–that the future belongs to anyone willing to fight for it. When the present is this dull, however, it can be hard to remember what anyone is supposed to be fighting for.” — David Ehrlich [Full review]
