Why Jim Cameron’s Hard Selling Of “Genisys” Isn’t Convincing

In the video above, director James Cameron talks about Terminator: Genisys.  He goes to town on trying to convince us that it’s a real good movie.  Watch it and see.  But we have a problem with this.  It’s almost a bit desperate, like Cameron is trying too hard.  In the Facebook post below, Arnold Schwarzenegger eagerly informs us that James Cameron considers the movie a “straight 10”.  Another alarm bell.

The problem is here, James Cameron has a history of being courteous when quizzed for feedback about horrific sequels.  Back when Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines came out, here was his feedback.

“In one word : Great. There was a small part of me that hoped it wasn’t good – but another part of me hope’d it succeeded. And it did. And I’m so glad it did. Jonathon’s made a great movie. Arnold’s in great form. I really like what he’s done with it”. If he had done it, would he have handled it differently: “Yes. That’s only natural. I mightn’t have structrued it the same, nor may I have ended it the same way – but coming in where he has, such a hard thing to do, and I give Jonathan points for it”.

Then in 2010, Cameron declared that the “soup has been pissed in” when talking about the Terminator sequels.  What’s the difference there?  When asked about it in 2003 by the BBC, Arnold’s movie, which Cameron advised to make for the huge payday, was still in the promotional phase – and highly tactical to electoral success for Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Cameron was supporting his pal, until it was safe to be honest, way ahead in 2010.

But Terminator 3 is not the only movie Cameron was “nice” about.  Terminator 3 was a pretty shitty sequel, but there was an even worse update in the form of Alien Vs. Predator.  Practically everyone acknowledges that this is some pretty heavy cowshit movie making.  But, back in the day and around promotion, not Jim Cameron!

Then I saw ALIEN VS PREDATOR and it was actually pretty good. (laughs) I think of the 5 ALIEN films, I’d rate it 3rd.  I actually liked it. I actually liked it a lot.

So what is Cameron really doing by lashing such overt praise on a sequel that so blatantly looks like the worst out of all five movies?  Answer, probably bailing Arnold Schwarzenegger out, who has been struggling like hell to forge that comeback and knows that this could be his last ace in the hole.  Unless some some of miracle occurs here and this movie is good, or even fair, I’m not sure I appreciate being spoken down to by both of these men, like a pair of car salesmen…