Movie review
October 23, 2019 · 128 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
The movie kills off John Connor in the opening to install a young Latina factory worker named Dani Ramos as the new future leader of the resistance. Sarah Connor teams up with Grace, an augmented female super soldier, to protect her from the Rev-9 Terminator. The story keeps pushing girl power the whole way through with three female leads carrying the action. It includes a direct line where Dani tells Sarah and Grace she wishes they weren't so white plus dialogue stressing Dani is the leader herself not the mother of some man who saves the future.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Terminator: Dark Fate.
Woke representation / casting
Girl power casting with three female leads and Latina Dani as savior replacing John Connor.
Woke political dialogue
Girl power dialogue including Dani's "I wish you two weren't so white" line and rejecting the mother-of-male-savior trope.
Identity-driven story themes
Story revolves around female savior Dani protected by female super soldier Grace and Sarah Connor.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Race signaling line and border scene but no major activist attacks on Western institutions.
Woke character or canon changes
Kills John Connor and replaces the resistance leader role with new female Latina character.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Significant anti-woke backlash for the girl power reboot and "get woke go broke" label tied to box office failure.
Creator track record context
Tim Miller framed strong females as scaring misogynists; Cameron has strong-female history but no modern identity activism pattern.
Production
