Plot: down 2 points, Audio: up 10

Rating: 9/10 (22 November 2009)

I was lucky enough to screen this in a newer AMC theater. McG's audio department has, in my opinion, raised the bar on soundtrack and audio effects quality. I was absolutely blown away. The first scene where Marcus and Kyle are hunted by a large terminator is now my primary track for benchmarking home theater systems.
I also agree with the comments about "Rooster"; it was a clever way of tying in the world of Terminators with our own society.
Overall, I was thoroughly impressed. Christian, Sam, and Anton give exceptional performances, and Michael Ironside is a classic touch. The story wasn't as impressive as Terminator 2: Judgement Day or the original Matrix, but sequels rarely can rival their genre originals. I rate this 9 stars because there is room for improvement, but it is also quite underrated by a public which takes fluidity of action, interesting characters, and pristine audio for granted.