Review: Terminator Genisys (2D)

So it finally happened, the studios bent the Terminator over their knee and snapped it in half like a twig, making the entire series feel about as relevant in the process.

From what one can gather from the plot, when Kyle Reese is sent back in time to protect Sarah Connor from a cyborg assassin known as a Terminator, he discovers a new timeline from what we are familiar with from the 1984 The Terminator film. Sarah has been protected by another Terminator since she was nine. Now this new trio must do battle with multiple enemies in a final effort to stop the apocalyptic artificial intelligence Skynet from being created.

Terminator Genisys is a travesty of gargantuan proportions, not just because it is the total undermining of two of cinema's finest achievements (that isn't just me saying that, it is fact) but it is a terrible action film with one ugly script and no heart.

Within the first thirty minutes this film compacts the first two movies: we get a jumble of action sequences that set the tone; we get shot-for-shot scenes of The Terminator's 1984 arrival (neatly halted before any actual gore occurs, befitting of this trashy 12A nightmare) we get regular Terminators, we get T-1000s we get old Arnie, we get future war scenes. All packed so tightly it is a complete mess; like watching a 30-minute Youtube video of "all the best Terminator fights from all of the movies", and about as well edited.

That's only the start! It doesn't let up. As evident of the script, this film cannot rely on talking; when it does it descends into a constant stream of time-travel mumbo-jumbo and critically laughable chemistry between our main protagonists Reese and Connor. While Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke isn't bad as Sarah, she has such a young face that when coupled with her "I'm a soldier, grr-grr I am strong and I don't need you" attitude, she comes off like a brat at times. No fault of hers, the script made her that way. This is no Terminator 2 Linda Hamilton.
Then there's Jai Courtney... who I don't think studied who Kyle Reese actually is before walking on set. There's nothing behind his performance, and this is not the Kyle Reese we all know - critically his character should be the exact same as Michael Biehn, he's the only one this new timeline hasn't altered.
Arnold's reprise of The Terminator is... quite average actually. At worst he is The Expendables answer to this franchise: the catchphrase "Old, but not obsolete" is thrown around liberally. The film prefers to stick with the Connor/Reese romance, occasionally throwing Arnold in to glare at them, asking Sarah: "Have you mated with him yet?" All of his lines are okay, but they are all used at least twice!  

You could go on and on about how bad this film is, the layers upon layers of nonsense, but it is often best to use broad strokes.
Genisys, in my opinion, is the worst Terminator film made to date. When a film looks bad from the trailer, the poster and even the promotional material and lives up to that, you know it is failure.

Additional Marshmallows: I don't know why JK Simmons is in this film.

Additional, Additional Marshmallows: What they do to Skynet is worse than Helena-Boham Carter in Terminator Salvation.

Additional, additional marshmallows: During the nonstop opening thirty minutes we get a "tense" moment that involves molecular acid. The scene is so poorly established that I wouldn't have been surprised if a xenomorph from Aliens was about to jump out.

Review: Whiplash

A tremendous short story following a young drummer student locking horns with his sociopathic but passionate mentor.

Andy Neyman is a young student at a prestigious music school studying the art of drums. But when he catches the attention of a notoriously strict but skilled jazz composer named Fletcher, Andy must drastically improve his skills to match the impossible standards asked of him. At the same time he must lock horns with the bull to prove he is capable, risking self destruction along the way.

J.K Simmons has been dominating the media with his performance as Andy's mentor Terence Fletcher and with very good reason; the man is a dynamo of emotion and anger towards his students and becomes a force of nature with his presence. What seems to at first be quiet precision quickly escalates into a righteous fury, becoming one of the most likeable unlikeable antagonists in recent cinema, making audiences cringe in dread and laugh simultaneously.

The film is short, about one hundred minutes in length, and not a minute is wasted or repetitive. We are thrown into the story immediately with Andy (Miles Teller) quietly practicing only for Fletcher to offhandedly appear and immediately disappear in disinterest. This sparks the inner fire in Andy to become the best drummer at the school.

The entire film hinges on the concept of art from adversity, Fletcher's technique is completely uncompromising and he liberally screams obscenities at his charges if they make even the smallest mistake. His students are literally made to bleed with the amount of effort required to satisfy his demands. He is terrifying at times, redefining the sort of drill sergeant caricature seen in war movies! But as the film progresses, both characters begin to square off as neither wants to back down from a fight. The tone is incredibly tense and the dialogue often blackly humorous.

Some may say J.K Simmons is cartoonish here, but it is all juxtaposed wonderfully with the quieter moments that prove he is genuine, that he has reason to his method.

Very well shot, awesome music as one would expect. If you enjoy jazz music this film will have you not just completely invested but also tapping your foot in time! 

Both Teller and Simmons come from music backgrounds before they began acting, Teller especially played drums, and this can only add to the on screen dedication they show.

As such a simple film about drumming, a subject I know little about but I have great respect for those musically capable, I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy the film. But as it stands it is a surprisingly visceral, surprisingly intense and very well realised piece of drama. 

I'd highly recommend it to anyone. I do have a soft spot for jazz music, but J.K Simmons and Miles Teller give such powerful performances it is hard to tear your eyes away from it. I have trouble thinking of anything wrong with it.