Terminator Zero Review
Around and Around We Go
Introduction
When Terminator was released back in 1984—yes older than most of us—it was a revolutionary movie. Action meets sci-fi in a thrill ride of man versus machine and it led to several more movies, a TV series, video games, and now, an anime. Crafted by the wonderful animation team at Production I.G (Attack on Titan, Psycho-Pass, Vinland Saga), Terminator Zero had the potential to be the next big piece of the Terminator franchise and a solid Netflix anime…
Unfortunately, several issues held it back from greatness and kept this sci-fi thriller more akin to a fun rollercoaster ride that only hits a few times during the ride. Let’s grab our terminating gear and fight with the resistance in our review of Terminator Zero!
What Worked
Incredible Animation
Production I.G never fails to deliver quality animation and Terminator Zero is no exception. Even during the heavy dialogue sequences—which I’ll discuss in a bit—Terminator Zero looks fabulous with strong character designs and animation. While there aren’t a lot of fight-heavy sequences, when human versus machine and/or machine versus machine moments occur, Terminator Zero will still wow you with some extreme animation that only Production I.G can craft.
We do wish there were more spectacles to show off their talents but Terminator Zero looks fantastic and rarely ever felt lackluster in the visual department.
Lore Meets Lore
Despite the simplicity of the Terminator franchise, there’s a lot of lore for those who need it. Skynet has always been a nightmarish ideal that seems all too plausible in the real world, especially when you look at our current issues with AI. Terminator Zero adds a nice helping of new lore to expand the Terminator universe. With the addition of the new ally/enemy Kokoro—Skynet, but with a more inquisitive mind—and the details about time travel, Terminator Zero actually solves some of the major issues with the franchise.
I loved realizing that every movie was actually undoing itself by altering time and sending back various heroes/enemies each time using the future’s time traveling abilities. There are a few shocking moments of lore too, for those who are die-hard Terminator fans, but I won’t spoil those crucial moments.
New AI and New Allies/Enemies
Terminator Zero did a stellar job with its new cast. While they don’t have the most original stories—which is a bit of an issue—they each accomplish something in the story. Misaki, the mysterious caretaker, seems weird and off but as you begin to learn the truth about her—which I realized pretty early on and was only slightly surprised near the end—you’ll see she is an almost crucial new character to not just Terminator Zero but the entire franchise. Likewise, Kokoro is a nice counter to the more staple Skynet AI.
Created by the cold Malcom Lee, Kokoro is meant to try to understand why humanity is needed and not just terminate it like Skynet wishes to do. Kokoro is never really an ally but you will quickly understand she adds a darker element to Terminator if she becomes a referenced elopement in new movies.
The kid characters are probably where I’m still mixed even as I write this review. On one hand, they are almost a staple to every Terminator story. Kid characters have made some appearance in almost every Terminator movie and their inclusion can either lessen the story or add a note of horror as these kids are up against things they have no true defense against. Terminator Zero highlights three kids: Reika, Hiro, and Kenta, and they all shine in some sequences but also make you groan at times…but I guess that’s realistic as they are kids. All in all, Terminator Zero has a decent-sized cast of characters and each of them fits in, for the most part.
What Didn’t Work…
The Terminator
For those not aware, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been the main Terminator machine in 95% of the movies/games but obviously, as this is an entirely separate story that takes place in Japan versus the USA, Terminator Zero includes an entirely new Terminator, and it…doesn’t work that well. This Terminator is a deadly machine no doubt, and does some cruel things with his rampage of death/carnage but he equally lacks the elements that make Arnold’s Terminator so intriguing.
Terminator Zero does throw some humanity in for him near the end—and that’s when it finally talks—but it’s too little too late, and almost feels tacked on. As a robot, this Terminator is fine—despite the goofy nail crossbow it uses—but we’ve seen better from the movies and it kills the tension when your killing machine lacks that scary force the others are so known for.
Predicting the Future
Terminator Zero is predictable and I don’t mean one or two things are cliché, but the entire narrative is almost 100% “I knew that was coming”… Terminator Zero will, once in a blue moon, throw a small curveball at you but even when it does that you’ll still go “…wait, yeah. I kind of saw that coming. For example, the various revelations about Malcom, Kokoro, and even Misaki, are all extremely predictable to an almost laughable level.
Avoiding spoilers, you will almost immediately know what makes these characters so special and why they are crucial elements to Terminator Zero’s story as a whole. Our only real shock was from one of the heroes sent back in time—Eiko, whose past/future ties in with one of the main characters and was a bit of a surprise but, even that surprise was tame. I knew she had a relation to one of the main cast, I just didn’t know what that was exactly.
The Terminator stories aren’t ever meant to be head scratching stories of mystery but most have one or two moments of genuine shock whether it be with a new enemy variant and/or character lineage but, Terminator Zero lacks that almost entirely.
Is Talking A Genre
Cars exploding, bullets blasting and explosions left and right…that is what Terminator is known for. We can’t name a single movie—of the main Terminator stories—that doesn’t have Arnold chasing down a fellow Terminator in some vehicle and unleashing a maelstrom of destruction in his wake. Terminator Zero doesn’t do this and one can almost count the number of big action sequences on a single hand.
There is quite a bit of bloodshed and death—one that mirrors the first two Terminator movies—but more often than not, Terminator Zero is a talking anime. Out of the 8 episodes, Terminator Zero almost has three that are dedicated to be 90%-100% discussion episodes that character just share story elements or lore.
Are these episodes bad? No, but we would have liked a bit more action in Terminator Zero.
Conclusion
Terminator Zero is a decent anime that is definitely worth a watch for fans of the franchise or need a new anime to binge. What I advise doing though—more for fans of the franchise—is remove the idea that this is meant to be a main Terminator story. Terminator Zero does make nods to other entries in the legacy but we feel it is almost better to just pretend like this is a what-if story more than a canon piece of material.
Yes, it does tie up some loose ends in the world of Terminator but if you let yourself think about this as Terminator the entire time, you’ll find yourself disappointed due to the lack of action, Arnold, and certain staples the series does better than Terminator Zero.
Overall though, Terminator Zero is a fun watch and I didn’t leave upset when I watched it, I just wished a few things were a bit different, here and there, for a more impactful entry in one of my favorite franchises.
—Aaron
