Warning: Major spoilers for Terminator Zero below!
Terminator Zerobrings some new ideas to the table, and in doing so has shaken off a storytelling issue that has affected the series since 1991. TheTerminatormovie franchisenever bettered James Cameron’s first two entries, with each successive sequel being more disappointing than the last. It took a dozen years for 2003’sTerminator 3: Rise of the Machinesto arrive, and all it offered was a lukewarm reworking of the second film. The fifth entryGenisyswas an embarrassment, while the box office failure of 2019’sDark Fatesignaled audiences had grown bored of the property.
It didn’t help that each sequel planned to launch itsownnew trilogy, but when they underwhelmed, the next film would hit the reset switch again.Cameron is developinga script forTerminator 7with a focus on AI, though the project seems to be on the back burner. The latest franchise offering isTerminator Zero, an anime series from Netflix. Not only has it been critically acclaimed (it currently sits at over 90% onRotten Tomatoes), butZerois easily the best entry in theTerminatorsaga sinceJudgment Day.
Terminator Zero Has Broken The Franchise’s Stale Bodyguard Formula
The Terminator series go-to plotline isn’t Zero’s focus
Cameron’s original film is really a slasher movie with guns, with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800alsobeing a masked killer; it just so happens his mask is made of rubber skin instead.SubsequentTerminatorshave all been variations on the same basic plot; a killer robot is sent back in time to kill somebody important to the human resistance, and it’s up to a heroic protector to save them. This applies to all the movies bar 2009’sSalvation,which tried and failed to play around with that formula by being a futuristic war movie.
Dark Fateproved this bodyguard formula had grown very stale, with its action sequences being hollow retreads of things viewers had seen before.Terminator Zerois the first follow-up to truly approach the series from another anglebecause, while it does feature a relentless Terminator chasing after its targets, that’s not the focus. Instead,Zerois mainly concerned with the creator of an AI named Kokoro (voiced by Rosario Dawson) trying to convince her that mankind is worth defending against Skynet.
Terminator Zero’s Ending Explained: Did They Stop Judgment Day?
Terminator Zero adds a new twist to Judgment Day, with Skynet now having to stop a different A.I. that could destroy it – but who wins in the end?
Terminator Zero’svoice castis led by Timothy Olyphant, Sonoya Mizuno and André Holland as Malcolm Lee, the creator of Kokoro. The notion of creating a rival AI to combat against Judgment Day is a genuinely intriguing new angle, and while the anime has all the action and chases that franchise devotees expect, much of the series boils down to philosophical discussions between Kokoro and Lee about humanity and the nature of free will.
Terminator Zero Finally Introduces Fresh Ideas Into The Series
It beats several of the Terminator sequels in key areas
The conversations between Lee and Kokoro inTerminator Zeroare just as engrossing as the action, and it doesn’t just feel like another loose remake of the original James Cameron movies.
One of the frustrating parts of the last fewTerminatorfilms was hearing the filmmakers talk of how they would be reinventing the series or adding something new - only to cycle through the same old beats. For all its convoluted plotting,Genisysonce again boiled down to its heroes being chased bya new Terminator model.Terminator Zerohas the ideal balance of reverence for the past while adding some fresh concepts to the pot,which is why it has been so well received.
The conversations between Lee and Kokoro are just as engrossing as the action, and it doesn’t just feel like another loose remake of the Cameron movies. Even the Japanese setting makes it feel unique; for instance, the country’s strict gun laws make it very difficult for both the heroes and villains to obtain weapons, leading the Terminator to build itself custom gadgets for its mission.
Zeroisn’t a total reinvention of the property.The trademarks are all there, including time travel, flashforwards to the Future War and chase sequences, but the anime has other things on its mindtoo. When Judgment Day begins midway through the show’s run, it pulls the rug out from audiences by subverting how these stories usually play out.
1984
100%
1991
91%
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
2003
70%
2008-2009
85%
2009
33%
2015
26%
2019
2024
95%
The best new additionZerogives is Kokoro, an AI who has been given free will by Malcolm.He hopes Kokoro will choose to save humanity from Skynet, but unfortunately for him, she takes a lot of convincing, since she sees the human race as fundamentally self-destructive. It’s also amazing that after five sequels, none thought of creating a rival artificial intelligence to fight back against Skynet. The focus was always on creating a cool new Terminator model, but considering Skynet itself is the primary threat, creating a machine that could rival it feels like a natural direction.
It’s not a given Kokoro will fight back against Skynet, and what’s worse is the idea she could join forces with it.
Yet,Zerois the first follow-up to think of it. It helps that it has time to really dig into the notion too, with the relationship between Malcolm and Kokoro being a fascinating one. Viewers are never sure what to think of her, and her cold, clinical view of mankind makes it hard to know which path she will choose. It’s not a given she will fight back against Skynet, and what’s worse is the idea she could join forces with it. This adds a nice undercurrent of tension to the season.
Zero Keeps The Traditional Terminator Story As A B-Plot
The Terminator will always be back
Of course, it wouldn’t beTerminatorwithout an actual Terminator involved. On that front,Zerotakes the concept back to its horror roots, with the show’s dead-eyed cyborg relentlessly stalking Malcolm’s children while resistance soldier Eiko keeps them safe. This is the main subplot for the show and adds another ticking clock element to a series that’s already counting down to Judgment Day. It also prevents things from getting too philosophical or dry, and it adds a horror element too, including an even bloodier remake of the original’s police station massacre.
If this was the main storyline it would feel like a warmed-over take on the other sequels, but it instead adds spice toTerminator Zero’smain focus. It feels oddly refreshing to not give the new killer cyborg some kind of gimmick too; it’s just a standard model Terminator not unlike Arnie’s version. It does harken back to Cameron’s original notion of the machine just looking like a regular person. One of the creepier scenes involves the cyborg trying to act normal around Malcolm’s young daughter, but his aloofness is enough to warn her something is very wrong.
