Note to networks and producers: do NOT terminate this one. Or "I'll be back". No, really.
I enjoy science fiction as much as any respectable geek. Furthermore, I am starting to subscribe to the emerging idea that science fiction is the new serious literary genre, because it is able to present ideas much better than stories bogged down in reality could ever dream to.
Let me elaborate.
The entire Terminator mythology starts with a waitress, Sarah Connor, in the 1980's, minding her business, putting up with annoying customers at work, trying to find a non-jerk to date, and generally just living her rather ordinary life.
I would not buy a book with such a boring premise at all.
Unbeknown to Sarah (and to the rest of the glamorous 1980's population), a computer system, named Skynet, will take over the world in the future and wage war on humanity.
OK, so future: check, supercomputer: check, impending world destruction: check. I may read a short story, read a graphic novel, or listen to a 20-minute Rush song about it.
Now, it gets splendidly better! Sarah's future son, John Connor, will be the leader of the resistance against the machines. So Skynet sends a killer robot (a killer robot, people!), a Terminator, back in time to kill Sarah.
OK, I am sold! This is crispy fresh science fiction. “But wait, there is more!
Sarah's future son sends a human back in time as well, to protect Sarah from this evil Terminator.
Great! But-- spoiler alert--this man ends up conceiving that promising future son with Sarah! No freaking way! Would this not “unravel the very fabric of the space time continuum, and destroy the entire universe”? I guess not in this universe, only in this one.
The Terminator was a revolutionary motion picture in 1984 in many ways, and numerous elements contributed to its success. James Cameron's imaginative script and direction, Stan Winston's special effects, Brad Fiedel's mechanical yet surprisingly involving and emotional score (including the now iconic metallic rhythm theme), and of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger, have all made the concept work charmingly.
Certainly, critics at the time may have seen the work as a bloody and senseless sci-fi flick. Some may still do. But the movie had a clever story, unusual characters, a dramatic tone, love, heroism, tragedy, sacrifice, lessons learned, new beginnings, and a thermonuclear future looming over humanity. There were a lot of themes to be explored and thoughts to be stirred. And of course, Mr. Schwarzenegger, Mr. Cameron, and the concept of computers taking over the world firmly implanted themselves in popular culture.
The Terminator purists believe that Mr. Cameron should have stopped right there. Considering the lighter and somewhat less serious tone of the sequels, there is some credit to that opinion. Of course, nobody knew back then how the Terminator universe would evolve.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day was a lighter, but still extremely well-done chapter in the saga. It was groundbreaking again, and (besides launching Robert Patrick's career and helping Guns 'n Roses resurrect theirs), was a special effects showcase. The liquid T-1000, even though an update of The Abyss concept, earned dropped jaws and has been imitated, copied, replicated, and healthily lampooned countless times. The story rolled with the established Terminator concepts without introducing anything really new and surprising, but hungry fans ate it all up. Mr. Schwarzenegger playing a good Terminator was a modest twist, still, one that allowed for humor. I found it exciting to see how Skynet would develop based on the Terminator technology resurrected from the end of the first movie (another space time continuum disaster!), but at the same time, some of the revelations destroyed the mystery and speculation invoked by The Terminator, including the larger-than-life 'The One' concept of John Connor. Stan Winston returned to create some amazing visuals, and Brad Fiedel updated his winning theme.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is a difficult subject for many fans, not just of the Terminator universe, but of the science fiction genre in general as well. I am not sure what line of reasoning went behind producing the movie at all, let alone the way it was produced. Maybe it was meant to regenerate interest in the franchise with the intention of producing further (read: better) sequels or series.
The movie gave the impression of an extended episode of a television series, or of a low-budget, independent, straight-to-DVD release. It introduced no new ideas, James Cameron did not even direct it, and (horrors!) Brad Fiedel did not score it! To add insult to injury, the new composer, Marco Beltrami, thought he could get away with barely including the original theme! How on Earth do you mess with the Terminator theme?
The singular highlight of the movie was Kristanna Loken. First of all, for us science fiction geeks, a female Terminator is bada**, eclipsed only by a few characters, such as Princess Leia in a brass bikini. (Nobody beats that one, though many have tried. This may be a close one.) Second, Ms. Loken happened to play the cold, efficient killing machine part with German engineering precision.
So where did it all lead to? Was there any hope for the world to end again in a thermonuclear war and for humanity to fight the machines, to the delight of millions of fans?
Then it came. (Cue the metallic percussion theme.)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles was not initially as highly anticipated, considering the fallout from the third movie. True, curiosity was tickled by clever previews and posters, showing a new Sarah Connor (300's Lena Headey), looking rugged in a tank-top, sporting a shotgun (bada**-ness again), and Summer Glau (of Serenity/Firefly fame), in the form of a Terminator torso being manufactured, presumably on Skynet's assembly line. Sarah Connor, shotgun, female Terminator, Summer Glau. This new series was looking to be a sci-fi/Terminator geek's dream, even with Thomas Dekker (7th Heaven, Heroes) taking on John Connor's role. Sorry.
Watching the first season episodes, of which there are only a precious few (nine), as the whole writers' strike debacle unfolded mid-season, something strange happens. The cast is limited to a few characters most of the time, special effects are scarce, and the production seems to be on a modest budget, as if the producers (and the network) were treading cautiously, seeing how the series would be received. In spite of all that, I find that the series is actually good. The stories are fairly imaginative, and remnants of The Terminator's original uneasiness and darkness once again threaten mankind's future. Critics may say it is simple Terminator soap opera with some of the characters' personal issues, but the story never loses sight of what is at stake. Subplots and various characters may come and go, but it is all controlled tightly, and the viewer finds it easy to follow along. The efficiency comes from a balanced mixture of Sarah/John (Thomas Dekker actually ends up giving his character a good depth) relationship development themes, Cameron (the female, good Terminator) adjusting to humanity, Derek Reese (Brian Austin Green, in his best form yet) keeping a focus on the mission while struggling to overcome his distrust of Cameron (the term “metal”, referring to Terminators, is first used in this series in this context), and the regular introduction of future key players whose roles may not be fully known yet. All this is happening while the protagonists are constantly on the run, even when they do settle down in a home, as various evil Terminators arrive from the future to hunt them down, in addition to a dedicated FBI agent who is determined to find out the truth and has a near-religious Terminator encounter experience. Often, full story elements develop in 'flash-forwards' of the future, and there are plenty of shocking revelations, with the creators twisting the timeline around quite a bit, hitting up the early 20th century, 1960's, 1990's, mid to late 2000's, and the future. We also see what happens when Sarah and John themselves time travel. And, no other than Shirley Manson of Garbage joins the cast in Season 2, with her character having her own twist.
All this drama is enhanced well by Bear McCreary's score. To start wisely, the main title preserved the signature metallic rhythm, and the Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles theme is suggestive of and is a fresh variation of Brad Fiedel's work, conjuring the suspense and uncertainty of an ever-changing possible post-nuclear future, with string arrangements adding human touches, and electronic sounds maintaining the musical equivalent of the constant Terminator threat. The soundtrack feels more like a re-imagination of the second movie's score (and that is a good thing), with familiar thundering percussions, electronic violins, and pitch-bent synthesizer brass popping up in familiar ways. New characters also get their own cues, Mr. McCreary thus ensuring that the musical legacy of the saga is maintained while offering new material, including some purely industrial-electronic pieces that, in their Stockhausen style, still are better offerings than some of today's popular “experimental”, “glitch”, and “minimal” attempts at music.
I would certainly be most pleased if Brad Fiedel returned to score Terminator: Salvation, as most fans have been firmly demanding it, but I also find myself approving of Mr. McCreary as a qualified candidate. There are a few symbols immediately identified with the Terminator franchise. The metallic font type, objects fluidly forming from liquid metal, the metallic skull with glowing red eyes, and always most recognizably, the rhythmic percussion theme. For some, the music alone describes and summarizes the entire Terminator experience. Now, why would the producers, in their right mind, NOT want to keep that?
At this point, I am not too sure what to expect from the upcoming movie. It seems to have effects, Skynet, apocalyptic future themes, various Terminator models, and another bada**, Christian 'I-saved-Batman-after-Kilmer/Clooney-killed-him' Bale. The range of personalities Mr. Bale can play is nothing short of amazing, and I can only hope that he takes on the role of John Connor with the same dedication as he has on his previous roles. I am disappointed that James Cameron decided not to direct, but I will give the benefit of the doubt to Mr. McG.
In the meantime check out Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles on TV reruns, or watch it for free and legally on Hulu. You can rent or purchase Season 1 on DVD or BR, and Season 2 is available for download on iTunes or Amazon.
And remember, 2009 is the year of the
[Tu-tum tum-tu-tum!]
Terminator!
- 2863 reads
-
