Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Rated PG.

Whatever its other merits, Terminator: Genisys breathes love for James Cameron’s original two films. More than a mere cash grab, this fourth sequel lays on reference after reference to the first (good) Terminator movies in a dizzying, delightful first act.

Genisys busies itself with re-creating locations (who expected The Terminator to be a period piece?) and recasting its principals, who vary from outstanding (Emilia Clarke as Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor) to dubious (Jai Courtney is neither as handsome nor as ratlike as Michael Biehn). But of course the real time traveller here is Arnold Schwarzenegger.

There’s a sort of multiverse theory to account for an old T-800 alongside the sleek new cast members, and indeed the whole plot feels like a rather modest chase scenario that has been pretzelled to accommodate the wizened Austrian Oak. It’s confusing, and undoes the last couple of sequels, and doesn’t really hold up to scrutiny, and it’s great.

As a whole, Terminator: Genisys doesn’t necessarily earn the comparison to its illustrious predecessors. While I appreciate the willingness to jar the audience by inverting the canon, the filmmakers don’t take similar liberties with the action or themes, and so it boils down to our good guys trying to blow up Skynet, same as always. The plot forces Kyle and Sarah together, but the actors don’t sell much of an attraction.

There are more nits to pick, but I’m not sure that filmmaking technique is the point of this enterprise. Schwarzenegger is back in his part, and it feels right. His age and diminished strength are acknowledged, but it’s still fantasy violence Arnold-style. You can fist-pump with one hand and wipe your eyes with the other.