A milestone in sci-fi movies
The first part of the series "Terminator" was directed by world famous director James Cameron. It was born in 1984. In that era, the advanced sci-fi setting of "Terminator" directly captured a large number of audiences.
Seven years later, "Terminator 2: Judgment Day", Cameron further used the most advanced CG technology to create a new peak, "Judgment Day" at the time of the box office as high as 520 million US dollars, ranked fourth in the box office of the film history. He is famous all over the world, and his influence spreads all over the world. Even Xingye's "King of Destruction" and "Fighting Dragon" have paid tribute to the Terminator.
However, the next "Terminator 3", "Terminator 2018" and "Terminator: Genesis" are far inferior to the first two works in terms of word of mouth and box office, which makes many people question why the first two films are so well made. Okay, how are the latter ones doing so badly?
In fact, excluding the director's factor, the main reason for the failure of the Terminator films after "Judgment Day" is that they did not find their accurate positioning .
You must know that "Terminator 1~2" was a great success, largely because these two films were very advanced works in their era, such as the future AI robot killer, travel through time and space, and so on.
It is a pity that the films after "Judgment Day" have basically no such bright setting, and this defect has not changed until the latest "Dark Fate".
Models are similar, in fact, they can't keep up with the times
Since the first "Terminator" opened the story framework of "future robots travel to the past to protect the leader of the resistance army", all subsequent sequels basically follow this routine.
But you must know that in the 1980s and 1990s, the setting of time-travel and intelligent AI robots was very advanced and interesting, but in the era of "Terminator 3" and subsequent works in the 21st century, this setting is no longer surprising.
Especially now that it is 2019, "Dark Fate" is still completely copying the story mode of 35 years ago, the difference is only that the villain Skynet has been changed to Legion, and the "bodyguard" has been changed from the T800 model terminator to the transformation and strengthening person. It is still a chase and escape scene in which the villain who has remained unchanged for thousands of years sends a killer back to the past to hunt down the leader of the resistance army.
It can be said that under the same framework, the filming of "Dark Fate" is actually quite good, but it is of no use. Passers-by audiences who have been used to many sci-fi masterpieces will find it difficult to sell this decades-old routine. Account, and the passerby audience is precisely the core that supports the box office of a movie.
For a series to develop for a long time, it must constantly add innovative elements. Otherwise, it will always be cold and hot, with a bunch of brand-new dishes competing next to it. It is self-evident how the audience will choose.
Selling feelings?
In fact, the "Terminator" series has also tried to jump out of the original frame. Here is the movie "Terminator 2018". The film rarely does not engage in the story of "traversing the bodyguard", but focuses on depicting the future human beings Total War with Skynet.
Sadly, the movie also failed in the end.
However, although the quality of the film itself is indeed worrying, the positioning of "Terminator 2018" itself is actually very correct , that is to abandon the old routine mode of the past, find another way, and no longer fry the cold rice, the reason for the failure is simply that the quality is not good enough. .
However, because of the failure of this film, it directly led to the idea of "since innovation doesn't work, let's sell feelings and go the old way", so the later works returned to the old routine of "traversing the bodyguard" in the old era.
After the failure of "Genesis", the film party seemed to feel that the strength of selling feelings was not strong enough, so in "Dark Fate", the actress Sarah Connor, the heroine of "Judgment Day", was also found. The film also claimed to be bordering on "Dark Fate" The story of Judgment Day.
But I have to say that this wave of feelings really doesn't sell very well.
2015's "Jurassic World" is also a movie that sells feelings, but its story itself is completely new and independent, except that the Tyrannosaurus Rex from "Jurassic Park" in 1993 appeared in the movie. The film grossed $1.67 billion worldwide, ranking sixth in film history.
The selling feeling of "Dark Fate" is simply to find the old actors of the year, and then the story mode routine will remain unchanged. Innately, it is not friendly enough to new audiences. For some old audiences and old fans, they can see their faces. It's a good thing to have a familiar old actor back, but it will also be embarrassing to watch the story mode countless times.
Successful sentimental buying and selling is not a mere re-enactment. In fact, it is also closely related to innovative elements. After all, the times are always changing, and so is the audience.
Governor
When it comes to the "Terminator" series, the character that must be mentioned is naturally the core figure of the soul of this IP, that is, Governor Schwarzenegger .
I have to say that the success of the IP "Terminator", the excellent performance of the governor is a very important part of it. The T800 he plays is almost impeccable from appearance to personality.
If there are children's shoes, I will ask. If this is the case, why does the Terminator film after "Judgment Day", the governor has participated in the film, but the film still fails?
In fact, the reason is very simple, because the terminators played by the governor behind are just strangers in a coat.
What the governor really remembered by the audience was the T800 in "Judgment Day", and at the end of the movie T800 voluntarily destroyed himself. In other words, this flesh-and-blood character has completely disappeared in the story.
Therefore, although the governor participated in "Terminator 3", he played the role of T850; "Genesis" was still T800, but the worldview was completely incompatible with "Judgment Day", and it was almost a parallel world; today's "Darkness" In Destiny, the governor plays another Terminator sent by Skynet.
The real feeling of the "Terminator" series is not the governor, but the T800 Terminator in "Judgment Day" played by the governor. Both are indispensable.
In the later Terminator movies, the filmmakers always seem to think that as long as the governor is moved out to play a Terminator casually, it can achieve the effect of arousing feelings, which is actually a bit too much.
In the same way, the filmmakers are too obsessed with the governor, so when the new film "Terminator" fails to innovate, they immediately want to run back to find the governor to save the scene, but in fact, even if the governor plays, the movie is still not good. .
As the governor said in "Dark Fate": "I'm not coming back."
In fact, the governor should not have returned long ago. The setting of the IP itself of "Terminator" is actually enough to expand the world view greatly. It does not need to revolve around the governor forever, and even if the governor participates in the show again, he will not be able to create Beyond the role of the T800 in Judgment Day.
Of course, all of this is not the governor's fault. After all, he is just an actor, and it can only be said that the film's vision is limited.
In addition to "Terminator", there are actually many old IPs in Hollywood today who are facing the dilemma of innovation and feelings.
And how to handle it properly and make these old IPs shine with new brilliance is indeed a big problem for Hollywood filmmakers.
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