Terminator Salvation

Starring: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood, Helena Bonham Carter, Anton Yelchin, Bryce Dallas Howard, Michael Ironside, Jane Alexander
Directed by: McG
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Science Fiction
2009

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: John Connor (Christian Bale) wages war against the machines after Skynet destroyed much of humanity. He searches for his father, Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin) before the machines can kill him, preventing him from going back in time and fathering John. He meets a mysterious man (Sam Worthington) who seems to be protecting Kyle, but there is more to him than he realizes.

Review:

Tim: Since James Cameron left the Terminator franchise, expectations were obviously lowered on all subsequent sequels. While it is highly unlikely that any film in this franchise will ever reach the heights of the first two, that doesn't mean they still can't be good movies. I've always been more forgiving of these films than many people, and that trend continues here. While not wildly beloved, I thought that Terminator Salvation was an enjoyable film that improved on the previous installment and managed to be another very good entry into this franchise.

While not iconic like Judgment Day, this film did further reveal the story of John Connor and opened up the Terminator world even further. I like that this movie was set in the post-apocalyptic world. It was also good to see John Connor as an adult. I like this advancement of the character and this change of pace.

The cast is pretty good. Christian Bale is good as John Connor. While I don't love Bale in this role, I can't think of another actor who would have done as good taking over this role. While Bale is entertaining, the highlight of the film goes to Sam Worthington. Worthington is truly amazing as Marcus Wright. His role was really the most important of the film, and he delivers it excellently. He gives a complex, emotional performance that serves as the real heart of this movie. It is impressive that after three films focused on the Connor family, Worthington can walk in and become the most sympathetic character on screen (even more so than John Connor). Worthington was the most pleasant surprise of this film.

This film also featured some decent supporting roles. I thought Moon Bloodgood had a few good moments, but she didn't have much of an impact on this film. I didn't think Helena Bonham Carter added much, and her presence felt a bit out of place. I did, however, love the casting of Anton Yelchin as Kyle Reese. I thought he was the perfect embodiment of this character, and I thoroughly enjoyed his performance. His casting was perfect. I also enjoyed seeing Michael Ironside make an appearance, and I liked seeing Bryce Dallas Howard as Kate. While this movie is really about Bale and Worthington, the rest of the cast made this a better film.

I was a bit disappointed that this film didn't have an iconic, unforgettable acton sequence like some of the other films in this franchise. However, it did feature some pretty entertaining action scenes. I really liked the desert gas station and the Harvester Terminator scene. This was probably the best action scene of the film. The climactic battle between John Connor and the T-800 in the Skynet facility is entertaining, but not quite as amazing as we expect.

I know that many people criticized Terminator Salvation for a number of reasons, but I can't help the fact that I liked this movie. I thought it was an improvement over Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, although not nearly as good as the first two films in this franchise. I went into this movie hoping for some entertaining action scenes, and to be emerged in the world of John Connor, Skynet, and the Terminators. The film delivered, and as such, I found myself enjoying it.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines