I was but a toddler when director James Cameron’s Terminator was released, and it would be years before I could ever see it on VHS. That said, I saw a televised edit which familiarized me enough to garner excitement for its explosive sequel, Terminator 2: Judgement Day. I guess you could say it’s the film that drew me as a moviegoer for years to come having fallen in love with the action genre and the output of titles at the time and before, inherently earning me as an Arnold Schwarzenegger fan among millions.
And so with the years that have passed as production label Carolco dissolved, it’s rather unfortunate that the Terminator franchise floundered all the same and I contribute this to the lack of consistency as seen with the rotating door of actors playing the key role of human resistance leader John Connor. Discounting actor Michael Edwards who cameos as an older version of the role in the second film, we’ve seen three principle theatrical performances of the character with the most memorable being that of actor Edward Furlong, thus adding to the frustration and stagnation that this franchise has seen even through its spectacle and overall entertainment value.
Given this along with the criticisms this franchise has seen from the big screen, it’s easy to understand why the prospects of a new film after the fumbled Terminator: Genysis have waned more and more with headlines ever increasing the narrative going into news this Spring of Paramount’s removal of the project from its schedule. Is it indefinite? It feels like so, although Cameron himself is poised to attain rights to the franchise back in a few years after once selling them to producer Gale Anne Hurd for a dollar upon being allowed to direct the 1984 film.
I welcome Cameron, in partnership with ambitious Deadpool helmer Tim Miller to keep this going as they announced they would earlier this year, and if they can, although frankly I’m not about to rack my brains on it unless some more solid news comes after this. If Genysis IS the last of the lot, I won’t be sad or feel let down at all, especially given some of the great things this sci-fi property has accomplished in the history of cinema in all its celebrity, cult fandom and merchandising, including lending some of the most iconic characters their screentime who are now immortalized for the years to come. And for this, what better way to celebrate the franchise than to re-release its best installment, directed by none other than Cameron, coming more and more into his prime?
The release of his billion dollar hit film, Titanic, and his subsequent success with Avatar in 2009 have all but made the continued case for Cameron as the kind of director to invest in with time, manpower and creative freedom. Thus, recirculating a classic like Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and for a re-graded for a 3D presentation by way of James Cameron’s own Lightstorm, DMG Entertainment and Studiocanal, would not only be valuable to achieve in today’s age of moviegoing, but a long-awaited milestone for the film in its lifespan given the hopes for 3D filmmaking once upon a time. That milestone, which also lists the equally prudential casting of actress Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, Joe Morton and The Terminator co-star Earl Boen, arrives this August, with a U.S. and U.K. release slated for August 25.
It has been 10 years since the events of Terminator. Sarah Connor’s ordeal is only just beginning as she struggles to protect her son John, the future leader of the human resistance against the machines, from a new Terminator, sent back in time to eliminate John Connor while he’s still a child. Sarah and John don’t have to face this terrifying threat alone however. The human resistance have managed to send them an ally, a warrior from the future ordered to protect John Connor at any cost. The battle for tomorrow has begun….
James Cameron’s masterpiece starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in his most iconic role, has been converted in immersive 3D by Cameron himself. First hitting our screens in 1991 with groundbreaking special effects, the 3D version will take the seminal blockbuster to the next level of effects and into the 21st century for the next generation of fans.
The halcyon days of summer blockbuster action are coming back, if but only for a few hours. Bask in it. Breathe it in. Own it. Watch the new trailer below.
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