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We love the Terminator Franchise. T2 Judgment Day is the best of the bunch, with 1984’s The Terminator in 2nd place. The most recent Dark Fate was very enjoyable with the return of Linda Hamilton and some crazy scary terminators for Arnie and co to deal with.

SPOILER ALERT!  Watch these movies before proceeding.

Lessons Learned from The Terminator (1984)

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Listen to us discuss 1984’s The Terminator:

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Sky: If a naked guy in the middle of the night approaches you, back away. 

• Don’t antagonize or threaten him. He knows more than you or at least he ain’t scared of you. Tim Allen wrote a great autobiography called “Don’t Stand Too Close To A Naked Guy.”

Dusty: Don’t peal out when you are trying to sneak away.

• They do this all the time in movies and a couple times here. Loud tire screeching is the enemy of your stealthy escape.

Sky: This too shall pass.

• All those little annoyances, like ice cream in your apron and spilling food on a dude, ain’t no thang. In a few days, maybe even a few hours, they won’t matter. And look on the bright side, you might have a fun story to tell from it.

Dusty: The only way to keep a secret is to tell no one.

• Yep, loose lips sink ships and the more sets of lips that know, the more likely your secret will get out.

Grades:

• B from Sky
• A- from Dusty

The Terminator Rotten Tomatoes score:

• The Audience: 89%
• The Critics: 100%

Check out the IMDB page on 1984’s The Terminator for more info.

Lessons Learned from Terminator: Dark Fate

Listen to our episode on Terminator: Dark Fate

Dusty: The best defense is a good offense.

• The best part of T2 was Sarah Connor going after Miles Dyson and tries to take out Skynet.  They should do the same in this sequel.

Sky: Do the right thing now and come what may.

• When you see someone in need, help them out like the couple did when Grace fell from the bridge.  But, no good deed goes unpunished…

The T-800 Terminator versus an incredibly powerful Rev. 9 (played by Gabriel Luna)

Dusty: Always have a backup plan.

• The EMP was good, but just in case, don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Sky: Never give personal information to an unknown person.

• With online phishing or stalkers or just bad people wanting to do you and yours harm, don’t give out information like, “All her friends call her Dani.”

Sarah Connor: still a bad-ass protecting Dani (Natalia Reyes)

Dusty: Always close the door.

• Don’t allow the enemy a way in to kill you.  Close that door so the Rev. 9 can’t get it.

We get an augmented human named Grace (played by McKenzie Davis) fighting for our future in this installment.

Sky: It pays to have powerful, well-placed friends. 

• If you need an EMP, call up Major Dean.  But, why wasn’t “Major Dean” named “Major Danny Dyson” instead?

Terminator: Dark Fate Rotten Tomatoes score:

• The Audience: 70%
• The Critics: 84%

Check out the IMDB page for more info.

Lessons Learned from Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Listen to our episode on Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Dusty: Don’t stupidly fly your helicopter so close to your target.

• If you can keep your distance and still do you job, do it.

Sky: Don’t let power go to your head. 

• Those psych ward abusers were terrible people. Psych ward abusers are cliché in movies, but it’s necessary so we’re on Sarah Connor’s side as she’s beating them to escape.

Our trio of Heroes: Sarah and John Connor (Linda Hamilton and Edward Furlong) and the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger)

Dusty: Never Jerk the wheel when you are driving.

• Stay calm and controlled or else it’s flipping/spinning time.

Sky: Learn to pick locks.

• It worked for Sarah Connor, it’ll work for you as well.

The best scene: the canal chase with that awesome shotgun

Dusty: Have an arsenal because you’ll be glad when it comes in use.

• You never know what the future will bring, but always be prepared.

Nothing more scary than the unrelenting T-1000 (Robert Patrick)

Sky: Always know your nearest metal smelting plant. 

• Terminators, zombies, psycho-hose beasts, they can all be destroyed by molten metal.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day Rotten Tomatoes score:

• The Audience: 94%
• The Critics: 93%

Check out the IMDB page for more info.

Bloodshot was mindless fun, but not something we’d recommend. Sure, you get Vin Diesel being his bad ass self, but the non-original twist villain and plot aren’t worth your time.

SPOILER ALERT!  Watch the movie before proceeding.

Life Lessons Learned from Bloodshot

Listen to our episode on Bloodshot

Sky: KISS – keep it simple, stupid.

• Dr. Harting’s (Guy Pierce) plan is too much trouble. Convincing Bloodshot each time, over and over, to go for revenge? Find someone as good as him, pay him to go murder all, and be done with it.

Dusty: Who we were doesn’t dictate who we have to be.

• Yep, we can always change.

Nobody’s tougher than Vin Diesel in his movies.

Sky: Do NOT work for a murderous megalomaniac.

• You disappoint him, you’re next on the Bloodshot hit list. Plus, you’re helping this guy murder people. Good luck explaining yourself to Saint Peter at the pearly gates.

Dusty: Don’t put any electronics into your body.

• KT and Bloodshot were susceptible to Guy Pierce’s meddling because of the cybernetic enhancements they had. Elon, really? Are you expecting us to put your new brain chips in our heads? Count us out.

Sarcasm Alert! Way to show us the coolest visual in the trailer, guys.

Dusty: Question everything.

• “Every yellow light leads to a red.” So, when something feels hinky and your spidey-sense tingles, pay attention and be wary.

Sky: You can’t control others. 

• You might succeed for a time, but you’ll just build up resentment in them and create an enemy close to you.

 

Rotten Tomatoes scores:

• The Audience: 78%
• The Critics: 30%

Grades:

• D from Sky
• D+ from Dusty

Check out the IMDB page for more info.

Check out last week’s episode on Starship Troopers (1997).

Starship Troopers is an action/sci-fi classic and deserves to be seen by one and all! Great special effects, lots of gore and good looking soldiers are all you need (in movies and in life).

SPOILER ALERT!  Watch the movie before proceeding.

Life Lessons Learned from Starship Troopers

Listen to our episode on Starship Troopers

Sky: It’s not why you’re there that matters, it’s what you do when you get there. 

• Rico might’ve joined the military Carmen (Denise Richards), but he’s a good soldier and leader and Carmen had nothing to do with that.

Dusty: Be proactive not reactive.

• You want to be the one putting pressure on your enemy, helping them make mistakes. Letting them pressure you makes your job tougher.

Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) about to blow up the tanker bug.

Sky: “Never pass up a good thing.” – Lt. Rasczak

• Sir, yes sir!

Dusty: Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.

• Starting the battles with troops first, twice, is a major blunder. Napalm the bugs is a better step one before you send in actual troops.

Loved Michael Ironside as Lt. Rasczak and Dina Meyer as Dizzy Flores.

Dusty: Use your fleet to bomb before infantry. 

• This goes along with the prior lesson… napalm first!

Sky: Do not question a superior officer in the tactics they teach you.

• “The enemy cannot push a button if you disable his hand… MEDIC!” Loved this lesson.

 

Rotten Tomatoes scores:

• The Audience: 70%
• The Critics: 63%

Grades:

• A+ from Sky
• B+ from Dusty

Check out the IMDB page for more info.

Check out last week’s episode on Extraction.