Gary Varner
Terminator Genisys Review, Part 6: Things Certainly Speed Up
But unfortunately, that means that built-in complications become even more tangled
Terminator Genisys Review, Part 5: Too Many Terminators in Here!
The chaos created by tampering with the timeline of the franchise continues
Terminator Genisys Review, Part 4: The Fatal Flaw, Revisited
Genisys didn’t perform well but it makes a good illustration of the issues science fiction writers face
Terminator Genisys Review, Part 3: Genisys’ Fatal Flaw
Terminator Genisys was seen in the industry as so bad that another sequel was proposed that effectively wiped this timeline from the canon
Terminator Genisys Review Part 2: A Colossal Monster Mash
The writers wanted the recreated scenes to be fond “memory berries” for the audience but they ran into problems setting them up properly
Terminator Genisys Review, Part 1: What Was the Point?
When filming a sequel, it’s important to draw on the previous story, to keep the viewer emotionally invested in the characters
Terminator Salvation: Parting Thoughts on a Classic Technique
What the film does wrong, it does wrong in spectacular fashion, but what it does right is also done in spectacular fashion
Terminator Salvation Review, Part 5: A Clever Plot Rescue
Having Marcus unexpectedly sacrifice his life for John got around the problem created when the audience "knows" that the hero is doomed
Terminator Salvation (2009) Part 4: Marcus, Unwitting Terminator
Marcus learns the horrible truth from Skynet that his mission was to terminate John Connor
Terminator Salvation Part 3: A Return to Roots
This movie remembers what the second Terminator film forgot: the true nature of the machines
Terminator Salvation (2009), Part II: Is Marcus Really Human?
Or has he really been discovered to be a Terminator, bent on killing the human resistance?
Terminator Salvation (2009): A better film than Terminator 3
With three Terminator movies talking about the future, it was about time for the future to finally show up
Terminator 3, Parting Thoughts: A Father’s Lie Dooms the World
When John and Kate get to Crystal Peak, they find that it is really a fallout shelter for the country’s leaders, but the leaders never made it. And yet...
Terminator 3 Review Part 3: Are We Looking At a New Sarah Connor?
What made Sarah’s character work was her start as a simple waitress who turns into a strong, resourceful warrior. Can John pick up where she left off?
Terminator 3: Was It Fate or Contrivance?
It turns out that the T-X isn’t looking for John, as we might expect, but for Kate
Terminator 3: A Troubled Movie That’s Hard to Find
Here’s an odd little problem I encountered while preparing for this review: Difficulty even finding the movie in order to review it
The Surprising Connection Between Oppenheimer and Interstellar
The connection hinges on plutonium, a source of power for spacecraft. It shows how much detail goes into well-done sci-fi films
Terminator 2 Review Part 5: The Writers Won’t Wrap Up the Movie
I’m never a fan of the whole “the robots can become like us” trope, but Schwarzenegger's facial expressions and timing in this movie are spot on
Terminator 2 Review, Part 4: Anti-Male Spiel Detracts From Show
The line that hung me up was the phrase, “I can take care of myself.” That’s a very odd thing for a mother to say to her childLast Saturday, young John Connor met the original Terminator and realized it was here to protect him. He then rescued his mother Sarah from a mental institution. I have mixed emotions about the scene that follows. After she is saved from her predicament, Sarah, rather than being grateful, shows anger at John for putting himself at risk. She even tells him that she didn’t need his help. Why is Sarah angry? This scene both does and doesn’t make sense. On the one hand, Sarah wouldn’t want him putting himself at risk for her because he is the future hope for humanity. But on the other hand, she seems more angry about the fact that he saved her than about the Read More ›