A completely unnecessary fifth Terminator movie is coming out, which should already make you skeptical that it will be a giant turd, even with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s return. But because the first three – that’s right, the first three – are such good movies, there has been a glimmer of hope that Terminator: Genisys will at least be somewhat acceptable.
But that glimmer is fading quickly now that it’s all but guaranteed that it will be PG-13.
The first three Terminator movies were all rated R, which of course has held a different meaning through the years. But still, the R-rating means just about anything goes – violence, vulgarity, sexual trysts while evading the relentless Terminator, you name it.
An R-rating brings with it the idea that anything can happen in the movie; you aren’t confined into any space. It’s all the more exciting and properly raises the stakes, which is sorely needed for a Terminator film – especially the fifth one.
But no, it’s going to be PG-13 for a broad appeal and to “bring in a new generation” or some other studio buzz phrase. There will be no blood and only one person will get to say “fuck,” likely while drop-kicking a Terminator off a cliff or something.
Of course, there’s always the hope that Terminator: Genisys can overcome this grave error by packing in as much violence as possible in order to turn the tide to a beautiful R-rating that almost runs out of room in previews when explaining all the R-related things in it.
But it’s not likely, and this movie is sure to take a nice dive into mediocrity, joining the likes of AVP: Alien vs. Predator, the rebooted RoboCop and countless others.