Epic visual cinematography, but the rest falls apart.

Rating: 8/10 (1 June 2009)

Let's keep it simple: For fans of Terminator, you might find it disappointing. But for the rest, this movie is the one to watch.
The movie focuses on Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a death row inmate, who is convinced by Dr. Kogan (Helena Carter) to donate his body for an experiment, and then finds himself in a devastated future. He then comes across a teenager Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin) and a little girl named Star (Jadagrace). The three of them avoid danger and certain death on a journey to find the future leader of the Resistance to the machines, the legendary character we all know from the past Terminator movies, John Connor (Christian Bale). John Connor, with the help of his wife Kate (Bryce Howard), on the other hand, is busy trying to stop Skynet with a new found sound wave that could "off" machines and also trying to convince the command of the Resistance not to bomb Skynet because there are still human prisoners there.
The storyline sounds interesting enough, yet there is no depth to it. It's the total opposite of what the first two movies were all about. There are little development for the characters and the ending seems rushed. The first half of the movie is very promising, but the rest just says "Hollywood".
The acting is a very good aspect of the movie though. Sam Worthington stole the spotlight from the rest. Seeming as an unknown actor, he works well being a confused person who was reborn into the future. We could feel his pain and suffering in some scenes. And with James Cameron's Avatar coming up, I see a bright future for Worthington. The rest of the cast were just good enough. Anton Yelchin has convincingly played a young Kyle Reese. He had probably watched and rewatched The Terminator (1984). Christian Bale really needs to drink some water and put off his Batman voice, while Helena Bonham Carter and Bryce Howard did not get enough screen time.
What really saves this movie is the visual aspect. The CGI effect is marvellous and epic. We get to see a post-apocalyptic world, with a tone down colour that really gives a sombre atmosphere. And then the jets, weaponry and the submarine of the Resistance. And, of course, the terminators look so realistic. The action sequences were way above any summer movies this year.
To conclude, if you're a die-hard Terminator fan, stay away from this movie – far away! – or give it a chance. But if you're just a casual fan and wants to know what happens next, or an action movie fan, or just a casual movie-goer out for a bit of summer action fun, then Terminator Salvation is perfect for you.