Terminator: Dark Fate Review - 5 Ups & 5 Downs

1. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Totally Unnecessary Role

It's almost painful to admit this, but as indelible a relic of the Terminator franchise as Arnold Schwarzenegger is, his presence in this film feels almost completely unnecessary.

For sake of spoilers we won't say much about the nature of his role, but his mid-film introduction is rather ridiculous and unearned by the narrative, a mere fan-serving checklist-ticking exercise to put more butts in seats, though doing virtually nothing for the actual story.

Explaining Schwarzenegger's presence requires the audience to swallow down some intensely daft exposition, and though Arnie looks fantastic and chews through the comic relief dialogue well enough, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) is a totally capable legacy link to anchor the film to its better entries.

But as frustrating as Dark Fate might be, it also has its worthwhile elements. Here's everything it actually gets right...