Terminator Genisys Reviews: 10 Early Reactions You Need To Know

2. ...But The PG-13 Action Feels Diluted And Overly Staged

Terminator Genisys continues the much-criticised practice of taking beloved R-rated franchises and toning them down significantly in order to receive a PG-13 certificate. And while PG-13 movies exist in which the action is powerful and engrossing, The Wrap characterise much of Terminator Genisys as "less-than-spectacular 'spectacle'." The Hollywood Reporter review elaborates on just how the rating played a part in the lack of impact in the action. "The first three films in the series were R-rated and viscerally benefited from it; this one is rated PG-13 and its action scenes feel like diluted rehashes, obligatory and devoid of visual creativity in the same way the violence feel staged and photographed." Deadline were only slightly more upbeat, describing the action as "done very competently" - hardly a ringing endorsement, but far better than Variety's conclusion that what we're given is a "ludicrous and faintly depressing spectacle."