TERMINATOR: DARK FATE (2019) – My rating: 8/10

Terminator: Dark Fate is a science fiction action film directed by Tim Miller. The screenplay is by David Goyer, Justin Rhodes, and Billy Ray from a story by James Cameron, Charles H. Eglee, Josh Friedman, Goyer and Rhodes. Cameron also produced the film, alongside David Ellison. It is the sixth installment in the Terminator franchise, and acts as a direct sequel to The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), while retconning other related works such as Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), Terminator Salvation (2009), Terminator Genisys (2015), and the television series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009) from the franchise’s canon following the return of creative control to Cameron. It’s sad when we go to a movie starring old stars to see how well they perform and what they look like now.  Terminator is such a movie but I must say, Arnold and Linda were great.

It is now 1998, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and her son, John Connor (Edward Furlong) are enjoying life without the threat of being hunted by a Skynet Terminator from the future.  For three years, John and his mother were free.  However, while on a beach in Livingston, Guatemala, John is attacked and killed by a T-800 Terminator / Carl (Arnold Schwarzenegger), sent by Skynet prior to its demise. Twenty-two years later, an advanced Rev-9 Terminator is sent back in time to Mexico City, to kill Daniella “Dani” Ramos (Natalia Reyes), at the same time a cybernetically enhanced soldier named Grace (Mackenzie Davis) is sent to protect Dani. So we end up with good (Grace) vs. evil (REV-9) + Sarah who Grace has never heard of because Sarah nor John existed in Grace’s timeline.  Humanity is now threatened by an AI called Legion, which was developed by SAC-NORAD for use in cyberwarfare.

You can expect the usual special effects, which are fantastic, an older Arnold and an older Linda.  Both are brilliant actors and their age is just a number. It also helps to have Mackenzie Davis, who is energetic and just the right cup of tea for this role.  Being human and unknown, Sarah had to gain Grace’s respect. You will learn the plight of mankind, Dani, Grace, Carl and Sarah in Dark Fate in what promises to be the last Terminator in this series.  Following the film’s underwhelming opening at the box-office, sources close to Skydance told “The Hollywood Reporter” that there are no plans for further films. Dark Fate was very entertaining and has an excellent plot.  It received mixed reviews from critics, who believed it to be an improvement over previous installments and praised the performances and action sequences but criticized the recycled plot points and narrative choices. The film also became a box-office bomb, having grossed $249 million against an estimated production budget of $185–196 million. With a break-even point of $450–480 million, projected losses for the studios involved are estimated to reach $130 million. Despite the earnings, I recommend Terminator: Dark Fate to all.  Check It Out!

 

MOLLY’S GAME (2017) – My rating: 8.5/10

Molly’s Game is a crime drama written and directed by Aaron Sorkin (in his directorial debut), based on the memoir, Molly’s Game: From Hollywood’s Elite to Wall Street’s Billionaire Boys Club, My High-Stakes Adventure in the World of Underground Poker by Molly Bloom.  This film is based on a true story and is truly captivating.

Her first accident didn’t stop her but after her Olympic dreams are shattered by a second accident during a qualifying run, world-class skier Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) has to rethink her future and skiing isn’t in it. Not feeling like she wants to go straight into law school as originally planned, she instead heads to Las Vegas and finds herself assisting in the production of a high-end underground poker game. Discovering she’s got a knack for this sort of operation, she moves the action to New York and goes into business for herself.  Eventually, a young Molly Bloom ran the world’s most exclusive high-stakes poker game in Los Angeles and New York City, for nearly a decade, before being arrested by the FBI. Her players included Hollywood celebrities, athletes, business titans and the Russian mob. With the help of her straight-laced defense attorney, Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba) Molly faced stiff federal charges all while keeping the integrity her clients.

After Molly’s skiing career ended, her father Larry Bloom (Kevin Costner) maintained a distance from his daughter allowing her to find her own way.

I thoroughly enjoyed Molly’s Game.  The acting was brilliant and I found the movie entertaining, charming and enjoyable.  At the 75th Golden Globe Awards, Molley’s Game received two nominations, Best Screenplay and Best Actress – Drama for Chastain. Sorkin also earned nominations for his script at the Writers Guild of America and BAFTA Awards.  Check it out — I think you’ll enjoy it!

[Molly’s Game received an Oscar nomination for Adapted Screenplay]