Come With Me If You Want To Live....Again

Today I learned that the Terminator re-launch is set to take off June 26, 2015. It will reportedly star 65 year old Arnold Schwarzenegger returning as the titular character, but there are other casting rumors bouncing around of Dwayne Johnson as well. I’m assuming this will be in place of two sequels that were originally intended to follow Terminator Salvation (2009). With the release of Terminator Salvation I gave myself a pat on the back for wrapping my head around the chronology of the Terminator universe, which has thus far taken place between 1984 and 2018. Considering Terminator is the only series where I’ve heard scenes referred to as “future flashbacks”, I’d say that’s darn good. Though, in truth, a lot of my time watching TS was spent whispering, “Papa, can you hear me?” as Anton Yelchin’s character Kyle Reese was the teenage, soon-to-be father of Christian Bale’s 34 year old character John Connor in 2018. This is before Reese is sent back in time to 1984 to save Sarah Connor and ensure John’s conception. Whew! Still, Terminator Salvation was a great movie with stunning visual effects and action, a coherent and interesting storyline (considering the time travel), and complex characters that I had looked forward to seeing again.

A pivotal moment in the film comes in the form of John battling a new T-800 model 101 Terminator (a.k.a ‘CGI Arnold in the buff’ circa 1984). However, it appears this age progression of the cyborgs throughout the series was all a part of James Cameron’s master plan since, within the Terminator universe, Terminators of the same "model" share identical characteristics, which allows “multiple Terminators to be portrayed by Schwarzenegger (with varying model iterations accounting for Schwarzenegger's physical aging as the series has progressed).” Well played, Cameron; well played. I guess that’s why Cameron is the director of the two highest-grossing films of all time: Titanic and Avatar.

Nevertheless, unless some serious CGI or X-Men: The Last Stand type digital skin-grafting is used, I fear that, despite model iterations, Schwarzenegger may be looking less like a terminator on the hunt and more like a terminator that’s getting too old for this sh--. But I guess he foreshadowed it best when he said:

I’LL BE BACK


Photo courtesy- http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/70/Terminator1984movieposter.jpg

Terminator: Guide to the Future

It was a beautiful Spring day in March: the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and there I was in my car eating a Moon Pie (yes, a Moon Pie) when, suddenly, for about 3 minutes, the complete Terminator chronology came to me with the speed of a Moto-Terminator. It was, in a word, magical. I like to think that the "Governator" (aka Schwarzenegger) and Michael Biehn would be so proud.

However, I then lost my knowledge cloud. If you know the 'Terminator' timeline like the back of your hand, I commend you. But seeing as I am a visual learner, I thought I'd make a little 'Terminator Timeline Guide' that will (hopefully) provide an accurate and succinct chronology of all four movies of the franchise. If you take into account the different "Terminator" editions throughout the series, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, you may already be confused. Thus, a breakdown:

Terminator:

Terminator: T-800 (Evil)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day: T-800 (Protector, reprogrammed, sent back by adult John Connor)

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines: T-850 (Protector, sent back by Katherine Connor)

Terminator Salvation: T-800 (Evil, original, in a very unnerving CGI form)

The Baddies: 

Terminator: T-800

Terminator 2: Judgment Day: T-1000 = The liquid metal assassin

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines: T-X = Terminatrix

Terminator Salvation: Skynet and a "clustercuss" of machines and robots including the original T-800

Timeline:

1984 (May) - T-800 tries to kill Sarah Connor. Sarah and Kyle Reese make the baby. Kyle Reese dies.

1995 – John Connor is 10 (a very mature looking one at that. Hmmm). John and the reprogrammed T-800 (sent from the future by adult John to protect young John) break, a now buff and kick-butt, Sarah out of a psych ward and attempt to stop Skynet from being created.

1997 – Sarah Connor dies from Leukemia.

2003 – Pre-cyborg Marcus Wright signs body over for medical research to Skynet.

2004 (August) – John Connor is 19/20. John again meets his future wife and second in command, Katherine. Skynet is activated and initiates Judgment Day.

2018 – John Connor is 33/34. The war between Skynet & humanity ensues. Kyle Reese is primary Skynet target due to the knowledge that he will go back to 1984 and become John's father. John Connor fights along side, cyborg, Wright against the T-800 and they blow up Skynet station.

2021- 2027 – Kyle Reese serves in 132^nd Infantry of Resistance.

2027 – 2029 - John Connor and Kyle Reese are BFF’s. ("Papa, can you hear me?") Reese works in Tech-Com under Connor.

2029 – Resistance takes down the last of Skynet’s defense, but Skynet’s secret masterplan sends evil T-800 back to 1984 to destroy Sarah Connor. Connor sends Reese back to 1984, too, but the time travel equipment gets destroyed leaving them in 1984.

Whew! I don't know about you, but there are now some beads of sweat upon my brow. Now, if more movies are made and let's say, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) or Michael Biehn return to the series, my head just may explode. Ha!