Terminator Genisys Reviews: 10 Early Reactions You Need To Know
6. The Characters Are Barely Fleshed Out
Another important rule of thumb which Terminator Genisys appears to have forgotten is "show, don't tell" - in getting caught up in telling such a convoluted and often incoherent story it renders most of the characters as little more than conduits for exposition. Screen Daily elaborated on this flaw: "Heres a sequel in which characters spend so much time discussing the narratives internal logic, but only rarely are the explanations entertaining in and of themselves." Thus, many of the characters become "one-dimensional characterisations" with Kyle Reese proving particularly problematic, "neither compelling nor appealing enough to be an empathetic reluctant hero." Only J K Simmons - fresh off his Oscar win for Whiplash - stands out from the crowd in a small role as a detective hot on the trail of the protagonists. The fact that a secondary character provides the most warmth and humanity hardly bodes well for a film in which the future of the species is at stake. With characters this uninteresting, is it really worth saving?
