Was anyone really clamoring for an anime iteration of James Cameron’s iconic Terminator franchise? After the box office misfires of its most recent series entries, there’s no telling what fans truly want. Terminator: Dark Fate was the best since T2: Judgement Day, yet barely anyone showed up to watch it in theatres. Why not let a different spin on the mythology have its time in the light? Dubbed in English by an all-star cast, Terminator Zero puts a fresh spin on a decades-old franchise that manages to impress, against all odds. Dynamic animation, propulsive action sequences, complex questions about artificial intelligence, and fascinating character work etch out this fast-paced anime into a satisfying alternate timeline of darkness and intrigue.
The first episode begins a little slowly, split in its focus between 1997 and the post-apocalyptic future of 2022. An extended 80s-style action scene blasts excitingly enough onto the screen before significantly slowing down the pace. Eiko (Sonoya Mizuno) is relentlessly pursued by a crazed Terminator; eventually, she overpowers the killing machine by uploading some program into his eye, causing him to reboot. However, the Terminator refuses to die no matter how many times she shoots him. This opening requires a significant suspension of disbelief—at one point, Eiko dangles by a literal thread in a struggle against the Terminator, manages to shake him free, then still somehow use her body weight to climb all the way up without it ever snapping. Still, that action-heavy sequence was enough to power through the beginning despite subsequent exposition.
Malcolm Lee (Andre Holland) works for Cortex Industries, on the cusp of launching a new AI called Kokoro (Rosario Dawson). There is much more to Malcolm than initially meets the eye—Kokoro has been created expressly to combat Skynet’s approaching assault on humanity. Putting validity into Malcolm’s creation, Skynet has sent a Terminator (Timothy Olyphant) back in time to dispatch Malcolm and stop Kokoro in her artificial tracks. Malcolm’s three children become essential to the unfolding story. Kenta (Armani Jackson), the oldest boy, obsesses over technology and how robots work; Reika (Gideon Adlon) has compassion for all living things, including a robotic cat that Malcolm forbids being in their home at all; and Hiro (Carter Rockwood), the youngest, remains the most malleable and even-tempered. In charge of the kids while Malcom works, their protector, Misaki (Sumalee Montano), appears to have a unique relationship with robotics. Her kind-hearted nature makes Misaki a major asset in the battle against Skynet.
Initially, the back and forth between timelines comes off somewhat rocky, but that drastically changes after an explosive second episode. Eiko comes to 1997 to protect Malcolm at all costs, which extends to his three children. Throughout the eight twisty episodes in the first season, a fully-formed picture of the battle between the resistance and Skynet forms. Complex questions also take shape in the process, including whether or not humanity is worth saving in the first place. Kokoro’s existence significantly changes what can be done to combat the potentially horrid Skynet plans in the future. Her A.I. is represented physically by ghostly colorful specters that make up her spirit, mind, and heart. For anyone even slightly confused about the timeline, one of the episodes extensively spells out the inner workings of time travel functionality of the Terminator universe. That angle is pretty dark indeed even for those familiar with the overarching story.
Aside from the effective storyline, Terminator Zero delivers some of the best action ever witnessed in the franchise, including several bloodbaths and stunning combat. Gnarly kills, a series trademark, remains a constant. The final few episodes in particular are masterfully done. Both Misaki and Eiko represent terrific female characters with distinct roles. When they share the screen, magic happens. The one aspect that could have used some fine-tuning is the voice of the Terminator, who only speaks sparingly rather than frequently. With a heavyweight like Olyphant behind the voice, I expected that angle to play a significantly larger role. Still, the Terminator himself looks horrific and imposing—a main feature of this Terminator is a small crossbow that shoots deadly bolts at whatever target it chooses to hit. You truly feel how difficult it is to kill him, too. Try as they might, the Lee family cannot seem to ever escape his clutches.
Several twists left me shocked and impressed, which I had never anticipated from a simple Terminator anime for Netflix. The creatives could have easily rested on their laurels and put in minimal effort. Instead, a unique narrative takes shape. Why do humans have such a disdain for robots? Could they actually surpass us in terms of intelligence and sentience? A cliffhanger ending all but ensures that we will eventually see more, and one can only hope that this installment does not meet the same dark fate as its previous franchise reboot attempts. Terminator Zero presents a promising future, whose frenetic action is rivaled only by its effective familial and character dynamics.
Blast back to the past of Terminator Zero, shooting onto the screens of Netflix subscribers globally on Thursday, August 29th.
