Summary
With Netflix’s upcoming anime seriesTerminator Zero,Terminator 2: Judgment Daywill finally receive a follow-up worthy of James Cameron’s iconic blockbuster.TheTerminatormovieshave been stuck in a rough patch for over two decades now. Ever since 2003’sflawedTerminator: Rise of the Machinesended the franchise’s hot streak, the series has struggled to regain critical acclaim and box office success. First, 2009’sTerminator: Salvationunsuccessfully attempted to turn the franchise into a post-apocalyptic action extravaganza. Then 2015’sTerminator: Genisysgot lost in a knotty, convoluted mess of overlapping, contradictory timelines.
After these twin failures, all hope was pinned on 2019’sTerminator: Dark Fate. Unfortunately, director Tim Miller’sTerminator: Dark Fatefailed to fixthe franchise despite bringing theTerminatorseries back to its R-rated roots. Now, Netflix’s upcoming anime seriesTerminator Zerois attempting to offer a new spin on the iconic android assassin. Fortunately, the first trailers forTerminator Zeroprove that the Netflix show may have what it takes to save the series. Set in 1997 Japan,Terminator Zerofollows Malcolm Lee, a scientist developing an AI that is competing with the franchise’s overarching villain, Skynet.
Wow, Netflix’s Terminator Show Looks So Much Better Than The Frachise’s Previous 4 Movies
Terminator Zero’s trailer offers the best look yet at the upcoming Netflix series, and it’s already more promising than Genisys or Dark Fate.
Terminator Zero’s Trailer Teases It Will Be The Worthy Terminator 2 Sequel We Never Got
Terminator Zero Looks Like The Perfect Future For The Franchise
Terminator Zero’s synopsis says the series will see Lee pursued by Timothy Olyphant’s Terminator, who has been sent back in time by Skynet to kill the scientist. Lee will be aided by Eiko, a soldier sent to protect him from the Terminator in a plot that mirrors elements of both the original movie andTerminator 2: Judgment Day. InTerminator Zero’s attempts to fix the franchise,Netflix’s anime series is unabashedly borrowing from both James Cameron’sTerminatormovies.Terminator Zeroeven uses “Judgment Day“ as a tagline in its trailer.
Terminator Zerois precision-engineered to reignite fan nostalgia for the first two movies in the series.
The show’s release date is also a subtle nod toTerminator 2: Judgement Dayas the series arrives on August 29, the same date asTerminator 2’s eponymous Judgment Day. Add in the fact that the series is set only two years afterTerminator 2: Judgment Dayand it becomes clear thatTerminator Zerois precision-engineered to reignite fan nostalgia for the first two movies in the series. Seen as the best of the franchise,The TerminatorandTerminator 2: Judgment Daybenefited from a consistent tone, a clearer story, and more memorable action sequences than their successors.
Why None Of The Terminator 2 Sequels Worked
While a lot of franchises struggle to regain the popularity of their earliest outings, it is rare for a series to fail five times. Despite this,theTerminatorfranchise’s repeated failuresall differ from each other.2003’sTerminator 3: Rise of the Machineslacked a clear, consistent tone, as its comic relief was more childish than the earlier movies, but its brutal ending was miles more cynical and brutal than the rest of the franchise.The Sarah Connor Chroniclesalso lacked the dark edge of the original movies, but its biggest problem was a dearth of familiar faces.
Terminator: Salvationhas an intriguing premise, but the decision to make John Connor its leading character resulted in a story that was unclear and inconsistent.
Recasting Sarah Connor herself, John Connor, and the Terminator made the show feel like expensive fan fiction. Meanwhile,Terminator: Salvationhas an intriguing premise, but the decision to make John Connor its leading character resulted in a story that was unclear and inconsistent. A lotwent wrong withTerminator: Genisys, but the biggest issue was undoubtedly its almost incomprehensible timeline-hopping plot. Meanwhile,Terminator: Dark Fatetried to take the series back to basics, but the reboot took this too far in a dispiriting opening scene that killed off John Connor. The resulting retired Terminator character was unintentionally funny.
Terminator Zero Is Bringing Back Everything That Made Cameron’s Terminator Movies So Good
Terminator Zero’s Style And Action Do The Franchise’s History Justice
In contrast,Terminator Zeroseems set to finally get the series back on track.Terminator Zero’s retro setting means it can bring back the thrills of the early movies in the series while also providing some nostalgic call-backs to their stories. However, what makesNetflix’s animatedTerminatorseries truly excitingis its action.Terminator Zero’s trailer alone showcases some stunning action and striking visuals that the sequels have lacked ever sinceTerminator 3: Rise of the Machinesarrived in cinemas over two decades ago.
Terminator Zeropromises a relatively straightforward story with a fresh new setting that focuses on new characters instead of yet another recast version of John and Sarah Connor. Without these franchise mainstays returning, it is harder to predict who will live and who will die. As such,Terminator Zerocan regain some of the edge and intensity found in the franchise’s first two movies. Thus, Netflix’s upcoming anime seriesTerminator Zerocould be the project that will finally repeatTerminator 2: Judgment Day’s success.
