It's sad to see the Terminator franchise reduced to disposable, big-budget action trash when it started out as thoughtful sci-fi action that commented on technology, our relationship with it, and how it affects us, society, and the future. To date, it's still the one film that was closest to predicting the future. Machines/technology/AI did take over our lives, but there was no war....we surrendered to it, embraced it with open arms. Technology now controls everything. There is still so much that the Terminator franchise could be used to comment on today. There is plenty of potential for rich, meaningful commentary to come out of those films. Instead, filmmakers continue to see the franchise as nothing more than a vehicle for big-budget action set pieces and nothing more. Story/plot/world building/character development is continually ignored when the attention to those things was what set T1 and T2 apart. One of the coolest things about Terminator was the built-in mythology Cameron and crew worked so hard to create. It was all tossed to the side in Dark Fate. The times have evolved, it's time Terminator evolved with it (Also, I'm ready for a different story besides Terminator is sent to the past to kill someone, someone else is sent back to protect that person).
As far as Dark Fate goes: It wasn't awful. Undeniably flawed, yet entertaining.Certainly one of the better Terminator sequels. Some of the best action in any of the sequels post T2. Thought Grace, Sarah Connor, and Carl were the best parts of the film. Unfortunately, the plot is exceptionally weak and uninteresting, and it just feels like the film is trying much too hard with very little payoff. I'd give it 3 stars out of 5. Worth a watch once it is available to rent, but it isn't necessary to see it in theaters.