Terminator Salvation Action Movie Review
Christian Bale Stars as John Connor in Terminator Prequel/Sequel
May 23, 2009
Terminator Salvation delivers explosive action sequences wrapped inside a fast-moving plot (with obligatory twists and turns) to create a worthy throwback to the original Terminator films. But in the end, Salvation is merely just that - a throwback.
At first, the ending of the film satisfies by wrapping up the story quite neatly, but during a short narration while aircraft fly across a hopeful landscape, Connor reveals that, no, it's not all wrapped up and that another sequel will follow in Salvation's footsteps.
Terminator Salvation Reaches for a New Audience with PG13 Rating
The Terminator series historically features some brutal scenes which emphasize the underlying dark themes, but, partially because of the rating, Salvation fails to deliver this dark, foreboding nature. Simply panning across barren landscapes doesn't quite suffice.
Appealing to a new generation seems odd, as the convoluted time traveling plot of the Terminator series requires a complex flow chart to fully discern, making it unwelcome to newcomers. However, Salvation largely ignores time travel - for better or for worse - along with a short recap of the series' events, so newcomers feel more comfortable.
Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a murderer on death row, signs a donor certificate and finds himself mysteriously transported into the post-apocalyptic future (2018) after his execution. That's the only bit of time-travel in Salvation.
Terminator Salvation Reaches for Old Fans
So what - then - do Terminator fans have to hope for in Salvation? A lot of unnecessary, cheesy throwbacks to the original films, that's what. One-liners like "come with me if you want to live" and "I'll be back" seem obligatory and can be forgiven, but the excessive use of Terminator musical scores and borrowed scenes simply cannot.
Lava makes a triumphant comeback, as does nitrogen freezing, one-handed shotgun cocking, and a CG version of a very familiar model of the Terminator series. John Connor's face-to-face Terminator action scene towards the film's climax, due to these numerous throwbacks, ends up feeling unoriginal, predictable, and entirely unsatisfying.
Terminator Action Scenes
When unnecessary throwbacks aren't running rampant, Terminator Salvation offers intense action scenes with motorcycle-terminators, an airborne prison, and a colossal Terminator with a devastating shoulder-cannon. The Colossus-Terminator offers the most intensity and dread throughout the entire film, but is featured for no more than 5 minutes.
The motorcycle terminators feel more "Matrix" than "Terminator," and even the traditional Terminators just don't have the same feeling of dread anymore, due in large part to the fact that a teenager and a young child can destroy one by dropping some wreckage on it. Then again, the Terminator that fought John Connor at the end withstood globs of molten lava and a flash freeze. A different model? Does anyone really care?
Transitions in-between scenes are clunky and awkward, and one in particular did a fade to black for no particular reason. Other than that, the action scenes (which account for 90% of the film) are well directed by McG (of Charlie's Angels fame).
Christian Bale and Sam Worthington Yell "NOOOOOOOO!!!!"
Hollywood needs to learn that a guttural "NOOOOO!" yell often elicits the opposite reaction than desired - usually laughter. Christian Bale as John Connor and Sam Worthington as Marcus Wright both yell in physical pain and/or mental agony but it simply does not engage the audience emotionally.
Marcus Wright's predicament might engage the audience, but Worthington's performance certainly won't. Schwarzennneger gave a more moving performance as a Terminator with a human touch than Worthington delivers in a confounding "who am I? Where am I?" performance.
And Bale, who takes the "hardened soldier" approach way too far, won't win anyone over either. Despite being a husband, future father, and supposed savior of the entire human race, we see little emotion out of Connor other than anger, rage, angst, frustration, ferocity, indignation, and - well, you get the point.
Perhaps Bale spent a little too much time behind a mask
The teenage Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin) partially fills the void of emotional involvement. But even a decent performance as a scrappy young teenager is offset by an awkward young mute child partner who seems to have no point in the movie what-so-ever.
Who's the Real Machine in Terminator Salvation?
With a part-human/part-robot Terminator that's absolutely convinced of its own humanity, Terminator Salvation poses this question, forgets about it, and brings it back up again when it's convenient.
Is it really too much to ask to halt the endless action scene-after-scene to slow things down a bit and actually explore the deep questions proposed in the movie? Apparently. Instead of debating whether or not the terminator/human hybrid is an "it" or a "he" we instead see it/him escape from confinement and watch a helicopter chase with gunfire and explosions.
It seems that the theme of what is human is just another shallow throwback.
Terminator Salvation Review Conclusion
As an action movie and a throwback to what made the series great to begin with, Terminator Salvation entertains, but as anything other than shallow entertainment, it's a massive letdown. None of the themes are explored with any depth, merely skimmed along the surface like a skipping stone. The film offers no character development and not much character in the characters in the first place.
The Terminators no longer produce dread or suspense; merely soulless automatons to create endless flying bullets and overwrought explosions. While Terminator fans can at least say Salvation is an "upgrade" over Terminator 3, the T1 and T2 originals still surpass it in every conceivable aspect.
 |
 |
 |
