Terminator Genisys
Before the trailer hit for this latest instalment of Skynet shenanigans, interest was pretty lukewarm. Halfway through said trailer, though, we are introduced to an interesting new twist (I won’t spoil it for you, just go check it out, right now).
Got it? Right, so this allows for a new story with a lot of promise. Terminator 2: Judgement Day probably saw the most intriguing version of Sarah Connor we’ve seen on screen and it looks like Genisys might be taking a leaf out of this book. And a badass Sarah Connor is probably essential here, because based on the trailer, Jai Courtney, playing the new Kyle Reece, looks unlikely to win over any of his critics with his performance.
As you’ve probably heard Arnie is on hand here as a link to the original set of movies. And while I worry for whether Mad Max can draw a big enough audience, Terminator has a far easier concept to get behind: evil robot from the future is here to kill you. The biggest concern here is whether our new Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke, better known as Daenerys from Game of Thrones) has the mass appeal to leave audiences happy. If she does Clarke might well be this year’s version of Chris Pratt, going from TV actor to movie star with that one perfect role.
Recommendation: Out of all the new instalments for big franchises this year, Genisys is my dark horse. If this can do something interesting with its new premise it will definitely be worth your time.
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
As franchises go Mission Impossible has been a mixed bag over the years, both in terms of tone and quality. The first saw Tom Cruise exist in a harsh world of gritty espionage while the most recent sequel, Ghost Protocol, was still a big spy thriller but with a noticeably more lighthearted feel.
Our one constant thoughout is Cruise as IMF agent Ethan Hunt. Ultimately your level of Cruise tolerance is going to be the decisive factor in whether you’re interested in this one. It’s unlikely Rogue Nation will be a great departure from Ghost Protocol (the new bad guys were even name dropped at the end of the last film) so if you’ve seen that and want more car chases and spy stuff then you probably won’t be disappointed.
It’s been a good few years since Tom Cruise was the biggest star in Hollywood, but in the last few years he’s made a handful of decent gems. The underrated Oblivion and the underwatched Edge of Tomorrow may not have made big money but they were both very good sci fi action.
Recommendation: This one won’t be anything to write home about, but based on the franchise it should be an above average action film with a few worthwhile action scenes. If you’re not a Cruise fan though that probably won’t make a difference.
Some of the coverage you find on Cultured Vultures contains affiliate links, which provide us with small commissions based on purchases made from visiting our site. We cover gaming news, movie reviews, wrestling and much more.
