As many of you have (presumably) heard, James Cameron himself said that he would be producing what should be a reboot of the Terminator series. You might be thinking that this would be unnecessary or that we don't need more reboots, and, while I do understand those concerns, I think it's a good thing. I mean, really, do we want Genisys to be the last movie in the franchise? Do we really want to have the Terminator saga end on a note that sour?
Think about that for a second, I'll give you some time.
So far, it's been announced that a reboot was going to happen, and that Tim Miller's name is floating around as the project's attached director. Production's set to start in October this year, with Arnold himself saying that the project was underway.
Even though Miller is already slated to direcg, that got me thinking. While Miller himself isn't such a bad choice to direct, I've thought up a list of a bunch of other dudes that I, personally, would like to see breathe some life back into a series that just hasn't felt alive since the second movie. And so, here are my...
For this list, I've made the selection based on several criteria (e.g. previous films, strengths as directors, respect for source material, and directing ability), but the underlying basis was whether or not a director's style would blend well with the Terminator property. And I say this because, like I said in my last Percy Jackson movie rant, a director's style and strengths should align with the movie's concept. For example, having Michael Bay direct a Harry Potter movie would be a stupid idea because Michael Bay's strengths certainly don't play to what a Harry Potter movie should be.
But, first of all, what should a Terminator movie be? To answer that, we need to take a quick look back at the first two (which, to many, should be the only ones considered canon), and what made them so great. The Terminator (a.k.a. the first one) was more of a sci-fi horror as opposed to a straight-up, balls-to-the-wall action movie. And, while it was scary, it also did have its moments of levity, and that almost twisted sense of humor rounded it all out.
Terminator 2, on the other hand, is just flat. Out. Awesome.
I would argue that Terminator 2 pretty much perfects the blueprint of a modern-day summer blockbuster. It's thrilling, it's exciting, it's scary, it's funny, and, most of all, it is f*cking awesome. While inherently different from its predecessor, T2 takes a lot of plot points from it and, as any good sequel should, improves upon them in all the best ways. In short, it's how a sequel should be.
With that in mind, I've chosen a number of folks who can bring those kinds of tones to life. Some might have strengths that align better with the first Terminator movie while others have strengths that match what T2 had to offer. That being said, let's get right into my list, starting with...
If there's anything Matthew Vaughn is really, really good at, it's making great, high-octane, high-energy, fun movies. He's got the track record to show for it, too. Hell, his resumé includes X-Men: First Class and Kingsman: The Secret Service. On top of that, he's one of Hollywood's most sought-after directors, having been linked to everything from the Man of Steel sequel to, at one point, The Force Awakens. Personally, I think he's fantastic, and, having seen all of the movies he's directed, I don't see why he wouldn't make for a great Terminator movie.
While he might not be an auteur by any stretch of the imagination, he has a specific way of doing things, and it works. His approach to action and over-the-top violence is exciting and the dialog in his movies is snappy and bright. On top of that, he knows how to bring the most out of the characters he has at his disposal, as shown in First Class and Kick-Ass, and his movies have all been critical hits, thus far.
He also knows how to properly adapt other people's works into great movies, and, when you couple that sort of dedication to his consistency in producing quality output, there isn't a doubt in my mind that he must've been a choice to direct this at some point.
I won't blame you for being unfamiliar with the name Dan Trachtenburg. I myself had no clue who he was until doing research on 10 Cloverfield Lane before going into it. However, after watching Lane, his name became one I was constantly on the look-out for when it came to upcoming releases.
Without getting into spoiler territory - especially because I'd recommend this movie to just about anyone - 10 Cloverfield Lane was one of my favorite movies of 2016. Honest to God, it was awesome. There was this nice atmosphere of tension and paranoia, as well as an interesting conflict and two very interesting main characters. And, to top that all off, there was some pretty good action in there as well.
I wonder where I've heard of that cocktail before...
I mean, if there was anyone who could direct a Terminator movie that more closely resembled the first one, I'd say Dan Trachtenburg's a pretty good creative fit for the role of director. The guy has clearly got chops, and I can't see him somehow messing up with a movie like this.
Also, I'm just gonna say this again, if you haven't seen 10 Cloverfield Lane yet, I highly suggest you drop everything that you're doing and watch it. Take it from me; it was awesome.
I find it kinda funny that the closest thing we have to Terminator 2 in this day and age isn't even a Terminator movie, but a movie from a completely different franchise. I mean, if you think about it, Logan was pretty much a Terminator movie sans the time travel. Thus, I think it's only fitting that I would like to see James Mangold helm his own Terminator flick.
James Mangold's two Wolverine movies - especially Logan - have all the makings of a great Terminator movie. They're violent, action-packed, intense, suspenseful, exciting, and have a surprising amount of substance and emotional depth, all of which are present in the first two Terminator movies.
I'd like to see something of this degree, but with Terminator.
I can see Mangold's sensibilities feeling right at home in the Terminator franchise, and I'd very much like to see him at the helm of one. Personally, I think his style would blend perfectly with any kind of Terminator movie they wanted to make, whether it was more like the first one or just a straight-up, balls-to-the-wall blockbuster. I'm positive he could deliver the franchise some much needed closure.
Ever since the project was announced, Deadpool's Tim Miller has been attached to direct. Honestly, I think that's a fantastic choice. While he only has one director credit under his name, I don't see why his brand of ultra-violent action and tongue-in-cheek sense of comedy won't make for a great Terminator movie, especially one in the vein of Judgment Day.
His persistence and dedication to making Deadpool is something that makes it really easy for me to see him making a great Terminator movie. Despite giving a diminished budget and an astounding lack of studio support and faith for Deadpool, he still managed to pull through and make an awesome movie that wasn't just a great comedy movie, but a great action flick, as well.
He has great respect for source material, as he has clearly shown.
Another great trait Miller has as director that I, personally, find really great is that he knows how to direct a movie that very much knows what it is. Deadpool knew how ridiculous it was and made the most of what it was, and never once really tried to overreach. It was straightforward, ridiculous, and gloriously violent, and all the more awesome for it.
While he still is a pretty fresh director, I think that, with the right script, he could put together a Terminator movie that really is something.
As far as blockbusters are concerned, I think Gareth Edwards is one of the best directors of the upcoming crop. Having proven himself to be a great director with 2014's fantastic Godzilla reboot and a small, independent film called Rogue One, it's clear that Edwards has a fantastic eye for action, suspense, and production value.
However, the reason I think he'd make a great choice to direct a Terminator movie isn't just that he's a great director. I think he'd make a fantastic choice simply due to his dedication to source material. You can't watch Godzilla and say that it feels nothing like the first Godzilla movie that came out in the fifties, and you can't watch Rogue One and say that it doesn't feel like a Star Wars movie. The amount of respect with which he's treated the movies he's worked on really shows on-screen and it's because of that respect that we have films that aren't only great, but that fit within the scope of a given franchise.
And the awesome stuff follows after that.
I don't think I'd be wrong in assuming that Edwards would put that same amount of dedication and attention to detail should he be given the Terminator project. One of the many reasons Rogue One was so great was because it felt at home in the Star Wars universe while still being its own story. And there's no doubt in my mind that a Gareth Edwards-directed Terminator movie wouldn't feel the same way.
With that in mind, I can't see why Edwards' style of directing awesome set-pieces wouldn't fit in a Terminator movie - you know what, I think it'd do perfectly. I mean, should he be put at the helm, I don't see how this movie could go wrong.
A lot of people might not agree with me, but I think Neill Blomkamp is a fantastic director. District 9 is a masterpiece of science fiction cinema and, while his other projects polarized some critics, they were still competently directed and felt unique. If you've been following his YouTube short films (the first of which, by the way, is pretty good, and quite Terminator in feel), you'll know that he still has got a lot to offer.
But why do I think he, specifically, would be a good fit for a Terminator movie? Well, if there's one thing he's really good at, it's crafting these really bleak, post-apocalyptic future worlds.
That and making really compelling sci-fi.
He's also good at directing action and tension, which a Terminator movie, ideally, should have. His films also have this gritty aesthetic to them that I can see working perfectly for a Terminator movie, especially something in the vein of the first. I think his way of shooting action sequences and his portrayal of on-screen violence would suit a Terminator movie - especially one like the first - perfectly.
On top of all of that, he has a lot of experience working on effects-heavy sci-fi thrillers, so having put together a Terminator movie doesn't seem like such a bad idea to me. In fact, I think it's a pretty good one. And when you couple his experience with his directing style, I think that, if he was to direct a Terminator movie, it would be awesome.
I can smell the anger from here, but hear me out.
As it stands, Rian Johnson is on every major studio's director wishlist, and for good reason. Not only is he the guy responsible for the highest-rated episodes of Breaking Bad on IMDb, but he's also behind one of the most critically-acclaimed science fiction films of the 21st century, Looper. He also directed Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which was fucking awesome (don't @ me). But I'm not here to talk about Star Wars (which I certainly will do in a future post). I'm here to explain why I think he would be the perfect fit for a Terminator movie.
Johnson is a fantastic writer, and the writing in his movies is quick and smart without being overly snarky and sarcastic to the point of having lines compromise tension for the sake of having humor. It's been described by John Boyega himself to be "complex", and that should speak for itself. The dialog in Looper, for example, was engaging and interesting and really helped sell everything you were seeing on-screen, and that's the kind of writing I think a Terminator movie - or any great action movie in general - should have.
It's a necessity.
On top of that, Johnson is a fantastic director with a great eye for set pieces and a philosophy that embraces the usage of practical effects while, at the same time, having a lot of CGI. Looper, for example, had a world that felt so grimy and real, and that was a product of Johnson's dedication to his philosophy of blending practical and computer effects.
He's a director that understands how to have a plot come to a head, and when a Terminator movies comes to a head, it does so in the most awesome way possible. One of the complaints that has consistently popped up regarding every Terminator movie since Judgment Day was that the action wasn't memorable and didn't have a lot of emotional weight to it. With that in mind, I think Johnson would easily address that and have a compelling narrative at the very forefront of his list of priorities. Should Rian Johnson ever decide to make a Terminator movie, I can't find any reason why it wouldn't be awesome.
And that concludes my list of people who I think would make great directors for the Terminator reboot. Did I miss anyone who you think would be a deserving candidate? Let me know what you think and leave a comment below. And, as always, this has been Rafa. Stay classy.
No comments:
Post a Comment