Reviews
Terminator Salvation
June 3 2009
McG
Starring Christian Bale, Anton Yelchin, Sam Worthington
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The year is 2018. Judgment Day has happened and an army of Terminators are roaming the earth killing and collecting the few survivors left under the orders of Skynet. The majority of the survivors, known as the Resistance, live to fight and fight to live, but only one man – one who knew all along what was coming – can lead his troops in the war against the machines. That man is John Connor.
The fanfare for this fourth installment in what was once James Cameron’s franchise has been somewhat overshadowed by the attention given to Christian Bale’s epic on set freak out and the lack of confidence most people felt given the fact that this beloved story was put in the hands of McG, a director best known for being so knowingly cool and post-modern that he doesn’t even have a full name. Besides, ever since T3 failed to ignite the same excitement and critical acclaim that was lavished on Cameron’s originals, hopes for this have been low – just another chance to drag out an adored series to make some cash.
McG’s effort opens in a grey, metallic and grim world that’s a far cry from the sun drenched streets of LA in T2. John Connor barely escapes an assault with a bunch of T-1000s and continues to fight the fight for the Resistance. Elsewhere, death row inmate Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington) has been resurrected after signing up to donate his body to Cyberdyne Systems for experimentation 15 years earlier, and gets caught up in the Resistance’s plight when he runs into the young Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin), who must be saved so he can go back in time and save Sarah Connor from being killed so he can father the future leader of humanity who, in turn, can save him as an adult… If you’re new to the Terminator timeline, this is not the time to join.
The first quarter is good stuff; the action comes thick and fast and it’s impossible to suppress a tinge of excitement at seeing the classic Terminators as well as some new additions including an essentially metal scorpion that needs five people to hold it down and a big ass Terminator who releases mini ones on motorbikes from it’s legs. Awesome. The tension slows, however, with the introduction of Marcus’ unlikely alliance with Blair Williams (the amazingly named Moon Bloodgood), a character that has no character apart from fighting and looking pretty. Aussie actor Worthington was recommended for the role by James Cameron (who directed him in Avatar) and Russell Crowe, and gives a strong performance as the man struggling with memory loss and being turned into some freaky human/machine hybrid. Anton Yelchin is great as Kyle Reese. But Christian Bale, who has already helped kick start a lost franchise with Christopher Nolan, has apparently got his films mixed up; he’s barely used in this and does nothing but get thrown into walls, saunter around looking menacing and speaking to the masses in his Batman voice. Why is he using his Batman voice?
The main difference between this and the earlier Terminator films is that it lacks a sense of danger. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Robert Patrick were menacing as the unstoppable machines with a single, murderous objective, but here it’s the people versus the company and there’s no clear cut baddie to secretly root for. There are also, predictably, too many references to the earlier films; some work – ‘Come with me if you want to live’; and revealing how Reese got his nifty gun trick – but the others just incite derisive laughter. “What shall I tell the troops?” “I’ll be back.” You think?
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I think you've summed it up there about the lack of 'danger'. Totally agree, and for that reason I'm out. (I'll wait for the dvd).
Written by delarge on May 29th, 2009 at 21:29
your missing out!! Limara Salt is totally off the mark. This is a great action movie which does the franchise no harm. McG has secured his hollywood career…………………for now at least!!
Written by phil on June 7th, 2009 at 14:04
The special effects looks like they were all, I mean all, done by computer, the sets looks like cheap TV sets on a soundstage, the acting wooden and the dialogue laughable (e.g., Bale ranting that if they don't postpone a mission to save hostages, they are no better than machines, so what's the point of the war?). I remember leaving the theatre aftering seeing T2 feeling depressed. Not necessarily good, but at least the film conveyed a real feeling of danger and, at times, hopelessness (despite the ending). I left this film feeling simply bored.
Written by Steve on June 7th, 2009 at 14:18
Actually the effects in the first half coupled with some great sound work were really good however towards the end they are about 5 years out of date and that coupled with a storyline you can pick out several hours earlier, cheesy wooden acting and a poor script make this possibly one of the biggest let downs of the year.
Bale can turn a great performance out however here you have to wonder if he knew half way through filming how bad this was going to turn out and thats the cause for his rants and stress.
McG has secured nothing more than being able to direct B level action thrillers like GI Joe or fantastic four and shouldn't be given such a francise. The story could have been taken a number of interesting ways instead it feels like they put the obvious up on the board and didn't try and avoid it. The last half hour feels rushed (much like I am legend) and pretty much spoils anything that was decent about the opening half of the film.
The only reason to see this in the cinema is for some great sound and special effects in the opening half of the film. I hope they are done with this francise until someone can do something truely special with it such as nolan, aronofsky or the return of cameron.
Written by RayM on June 9th, 2009 at 15:44
Steve couldn't possibly have it so wrong on the imagery. The "special effects" were some of the best, and most realistic I've seen. The film was thrilling and I don't know how it lacked "danger" when compared to the previous, the third one for example. I loved the theme of "survival of the fittest" but the only thing holding this film back was the storyline which subsequently was left with many holes. Some of the scripts were also incredibly bad, predictable and traditionally cheesy. However overall it was action-packed to death and that wins it for me, simply every film I've watched this year has plot holes so this one, being with such a diverse storyline comes as no surprise. The open, rugged desert mixed in with outnumbered, and advanced robot beings created a great feel of sci-fi and determination to survive. But thats just my two cents
Written by hazey on June 14th, 2009 at 17:29
Steve couldn't possibly have it so wrong on the imagery. The "special effects" were some of the best, and most realistic I've seen. The film was thrilling and I don't know how it lacked "danger" when compared to the previous, the third one for example. I loved the theme of "survival of the fittest" but the only thing holding this film back was the storyline which subsequently was left with many holes. Some of the scripts were also incredibly bad, predictable and traditionally cheesy. However overall it was action-packed to death and that wins it for me, simply every film I've watched this year has plot holes so this one, being with such a diverse storyline comes as no surprise. The open, rugged desert mixed in with outnumbered, and advanced robot beings created a great feel of sci-fi and determination to survive. But thats just my two cents
Written by hazey on June 14th, 2009 at 17:29
I totally agree. I am a big time Terminator fan, and I was there for this one on opening day. Needless to say I was completely disappointed. As stated there is no one set bad guy which left you kind of like wtf , and a lack of total imagination.
I honestly felt like they just threw to gether as cheap a movie as possible because they knew people would turn out because of the prior movies. Needless to say I was very disappointed and felt this to be the weakest Terminator of all. That being a major understatement. With the crap Hollywood pulls these days, I see why some people end up pirating their movies first, even though I don't agree with the ethics of that practice.
Written by Bogey on June 17th, 2009 at 21:33
I totally agree. I am a big time Terminator fan, and I was there for this one on opening day. Needless to say I was completely disappointed. As stated there is no one set bad guy which left you kind of like wtf , and a lack of total imagination.
I honestly felt like they just threw to gether as cheap a movie as possible because they knew people would turn out because of the prior movies. Needless to say I was very disappointed and felt this to be the weakest Terminator of all. That being a major understatement. With the crap Hollywood pulls these days, I see why some people end up pirating their movies first, even though I don't agree with the ethics of that practice.
Written by Bogey on June 17th, 2009 at 21:33
Terminator Salvation is a very good movie. It is obvious that even without Schwarzenegger the movie can be good. The action scenes are top-notch.
Written by introspective on August 2nd, 2009 at 11:29
I expected to loathe this movie- Christian Bale often comes across as a man in desperate need of a personality transplant, and McG seemed to be the worst possible choice for film director, his shortened name signifying sloppiness and drudgery, dressed up in fast edits and bright colours. But as an action movie, it really worked. I loved the earthy tones instead of the orange and blue lighting of T2, and some of the set-pieces were phenomenal. John Connor's face off against the T-800 was well done: this scene alone negates the criticism that this movie did not inspire fear; on the contrary, the last part of the film actually really rammed home how deadly the T-800 was, and Connor's face off against the Terminator -while being a bit self-referential with it''s 'old-skool factory/smelting plant feel- was a good way to finish the movie.
Written by Ewen on September 29th, 2009 at 23:18
The movie did have plotholes, but c'mon- the second film managed to luckily end up on the one place on the planet that would actually kill a T-1000 (structurally, it also drags in places, especially at the start). Also, given that the franchise had increasingly become about Arnie the megastar and had some awful writing and acting (Eddie Furlong; "I know now why cry, but it is something I could never do"; Linda Hamiltion chewing up every scene she's in), McG's attempt to break new ground and strike away from the one thing that really sold T2 and T3 -Arnie- was daring.
Written by Ewen on September 29th, 2009 at 23:19