Terminator Salvation - there is a future from the past

Rating: 9/10 (14 June 2009)

Well if I'm being totally honest, whilst i was excited about the anticipated release of the latest T movies, i was also quite ambiguous in thinking that it would not be a true homage to the original Terminator. But gladly i was wrong. This film is not only what i consider an epic in the action movie world but also a true triumph in what could be the best Terminator ever made.
The graphics were stimulating and the sound effects were so effective they gave me a ringing in my ears as i left the cinema. But lets get down to business, whilst i throughly enjoyed the latest instalment in computers versus the world, i couldn't help myself from thinking that maybe i had seen it all before. At times it became a mixture of narratives and scenes from Transformers/Batman/War of the Worlds. And when Christian Bale's character John Connor rode off in a motorcycle it felt as if i was watching The Dark Knight.
Set in 2018,the film is set in the apocalyptic war, as John Connor is leading the resistance. But for once Connor is not the star. For me the focus shifted from Connor to Marcus, as this characters importance became known. Its Marcus's character that drives the narrative and gives the film more depth.
So not only are we presented with the familiar character of John Connor and the inevitable T-600, there is Marcus, a new breed of terminator. The most likable characteristic about Marcus (besides his looks) is not only has he the strength and power of the machines but he also has a heart. Whilst this may appear to be his weakness, his heart his the key in saving all of humanity and the resistance. Although the ending is predictable and maybe to some quite cheesy, it actually works. I feel that if John Connor's life was to end in the forth edition then i would of left feeling miserable instead of invigorated and wanting more like i did.
The highlight of Terminator Salvation for me was the reappearance of our ever favourite Terminator Arnie. It brought a smile to my face and i wasn't even bothered that it wasn't Arnie himself but a replica.
Overall Terminator Salvation is the most dramatic in these instalments but it does nothing but please both visually and emotionally. As a child i admired the originality and quality of the T films and as an adult i was witness to the aftermath of Judgement day.