Terminator Genisys MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: +2 Content: -2

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, J. K. Simmons. Sci-Fi action-adventure. Directed by Alan Taylor.

FILM SYNOPSIS: John Connor sends Kyle Reese back in time to protect Sarah Connor, but when he arrives in 1984, nothing is as he expected it to be.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Hey, he said he’d be back. And for the fifth time, he is. It’s still us against robots and evil, and evil robots, so thank goodness, if we no longer have John Wayne, we’ve still got the ex-governor of California to battle our cybernetic oppressors.

What’s new? Well, we have a new Sarah Connor, because face it ladies, Linda Hamilton got old. The guys can do that, but Hollywood, despite its superficial calls for equality, is still a place of business where capitalism reigns when it comes to studio profits, so don’t look for the original starlets to show up in new takes on old movies. As misogynistic as that sounds, no one wants to see an old Sarah Connor. The fifth grade boys attending want to see what their female classmates are going to look like in a couple of years – not thirty. Same goes for their dads.

The new and buxom Sarah Connor is played by Emilia Clarke, who has the figure of a 20-year-old Olympian and the embryotic face of a Disney toon. As to her talents…we’ll be generous and just say……

There is a blend of original and familiar sci-fi narrative, and even some character arc, but mostly there’s action of every kind. Hey, it’s summer; who needs drama, right? So, get the Schwarzenegger-sized popcorn bag, make a quick pit-stop and settle back for explosions, endless gun rat-a-tat-tats, and an overload of impressive CGI.

Now, for those tired of comic book action-itis, you may find that like the rest of the billion-buck blockbusters of this season, Terminator Genisys fails to completely satisfy. Lame humor, off-putting performances (by some), and a bombardment of CGI that substitutes for real special effects (story, character and performance), keep this from being a worthy successor to the Terminator franchise. It’s loud, it’s jolting and it’s long.

Of course, no matter how right I am, that’s just my opinion.

DVD Alternative: Rise of the Planet of the Apes. On one hand, it’s inventive science fiction. And it’s fun. Good sci-fi usually contains metaphor and symbolism, as well as armrest-grabbing thrills. All that is here, along with an abundance of CGI magic that amazes. On the other hand, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is pretty silly stuff. My prejudice stems from my dislike of monkeys or their kin. I always found Cheeta annoying, King Kong perverted (what, he can’t get an ape chick?), and a planet ruled by baboons and gibbons too near Congressional reality. Full synopsis and reason for PG-13 rating HERE.

Preview Reviewer: Phil Boatwright
Distributor: Paramount