In Defense Of: “Terminator Genisys” (2015)

The Casting Is A Mess, But Arnie Is, Well, Arnie

A fundamental misstep that’s difficult to get away from is the fact that two of the film’s key characters, Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) and John Connor (Jason Clarke), are questionably cast. Jai Courtney has little chemistry with his love interest Emilia Clarke, is a touch too burly, and looks like he should’ve been cast as a Terminator, whereas Jason Clarke simply lacks the charisma of Edward Furlong’s memorable performance from Judgement Day. As a result, it’s hard to buy into their portrayals for these iconic roles. Regardless of this, both actors give it their all, but these casting stumbles are a noticeable challenge that Genisys has to overcome to really connect with the fans of the series.

Another character who has arguably been miscast is Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke). Compared to Linda Hamilton’s archetypal badass turns in the original films, Clarke’s softer, more gentle natural on-screen presence is palpable. Regardless, Clarke actually crushes her role as an ass kicking mother-to-be with a penchant for guns, cyborgs, and rock and roll. This is mostly thanks to her inherent charm, but partly thanks to a key narrative detail: the Sarah Connor in Genisys is a much younger character than the first two films, which ultimately helps us buy into this new alternate reality.

Thankfully, the movie makes up for some of these aforementioned casting missteps by bringing back the OG Terminator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger (he said he’d be back, right?). I’m happy to report that he absolutely nails his comeback to his seminal role, with aplomb. Some occasionally dodgy lines aside, meeting Genisys‘ Arnie again feels like we’re re-connecting with a familiar, old friend, which is awesome.

Without Arnie, it’s pretty much scientifically impossible to craft an authentic-feeling Terminator movie. Fact.