Why the Terminator Movies Went Downhill
James Cameron’s departure from theTerminatorfranchise killed the narrative momentum he’d been building with the first two films.
The manner of his sudden exit meant that he couldn’t return even if he’d wanted to, and the result was a huge hit: one of the greatest sci-fi filmmakers of all time was no longer able to have any input as to wherehisstory should go with future films.
Without the single-minded vision of James Cameron leading the franchise, the movies ended up in the hands of less-capable people who thought they could make a Cameron movie without Cameron. Looking back, it’s obvious that they thought wrong.
The lack of Cameron’s input can be felt inTerminator 3: Rise of the Machines,Terminator: Salvation,Terminator: Genisys, andTerminator: Dark Fate. (Cameron did produceDark Fateafter he agreed to help with the ailing franchise, but he wasn’t director.)
And then there’s Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose acting career was made by the first twoTerminatormovies. The first one made him a star, the second one made him a megastar.
However, for all his appearances and comebacks to theTerminatorfranchise even after Cameron left, he hasn’t been able to rescue it—to the point that viewers are now questioning why he’s still involved.
While there’s still an endearing love for Arnie and his impact on the franchise, he really should move on. His continued involvement is just holding it back from going in exciting new directions.
Arnold Schwarzenegger represents the success of the original films, but is also a punishing reminder of failures since. He’s a beloved cinema icon, but not enough to be shoehorned in forever.
And that brings us to the core reason why theTerminatormovies have been stagnating: the story is always the same.
While attempts have been made to drag the films away from its cycle of killing a person in the past to influence the future, the premise remains—and it has become an eye-rolling trope in modern sci-fi cinema.
The latter writers and directors of theTerminatorfranchise have tried staying true to Cameron’s original vision for his films, but after almost 40 years, it’s time to move on.
Director McG made an attempt to evolve the story by settingTerminator: Salvationin the future, and the idea wasn’t bad. It just lacked the finesse and overall quality that other near-future sci-fi films have.
How to Revive the Terminator Franchise
Let’s step away fromTerminatorfor a moment and look at another beloved sci-fi franchise inBlade Runner.
After the failure ofBlade Runner 2049at the box office, director Ridley Scott learned an important lesson: his vision for the beloved sci-fi series no longer belonged on the big screen.
TheBlade Runnerstory needed to evolve, and that meant moving over to television. So, Ridley Scott inked a deal with Amazon to take theBlade Runnerfranchise to their platform, and he’s now working on a highly-anticipated series calledBlade Runner 2099.
This is the same treatment that theTerminatorfranchise needs. It can’t sell enough tickets to audiences in our current era of blockbuster superhero cinema, so it needs to adapt to survive.
TheTerminatorfranchise would thrive in a TV setting, much likeThe Sarah Connor Chroniclesdid years ago—only this time, it would also have the special effects and cinematic scope to back it up.
As of this writing, it’s unclear how James Cameron would feel about moving his beloved franchise to television.
Related:Why we’re excited for the Blade Runner 2099 TV Series
For all his unquestionable talent, James Cameron is not the right person to take theTerminatorsaga forward.
He’s long since moved on from the franchase, and despite coming back as a producer forDark Fate, him not being director for it makes a pretty clear statement that he wasn’t interested or committed.
So, a new vision is needed. We need a fresh start that takes us away from the tone and legacy of the original movies and breaks new ground with new characters in a new setting ripe with potential.
James Cameron is great, but we need a modern filmmaker with modern ideas for where science fiction can go, someone who has the talent and energy to pour into rebirthing the sunken franchise.
Alongside his old friend Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Cameron should have no more involvement except as a hallowed guest at all future screenings of a revampedTerminatorsaga.
