There was something missing

Rating: 5/10 (18 June 2009)

Just before the premiere I watched all three parts so I could refresh my memories. It's clear that T2 set the bar very high and I wasn't expecting much from this movie. It was actually the first terminator movie I saw on the big screen. The action scenes were great, and I liked the idea of more "human" terminator, which flows like a trend line in all terminator movies (especially T2). The movie was fast-paced and action packed, as a sci-fi flick should be in 2009. The soundtrack was OK. But there was something missing. And no - it wasn't Arnold, nevertheless they really got a star from me with his CGI appearance. It was obvious that the director had payed attention to details from the past movies and we even got to know how John Connor got his scar. I really wanted to see the dark doomy scenarios from the previous movies - nuclear winter and stuff you know. Maybe this is because T4 takes place in the beginning of the war, who knows. The real disappointment for me was the cast, and especially Cristian Bale. Don't get me wrong - I can't act better so I shouldn't be criticizing. He did a great performance in the Dark Knight and obviously tried really hard for the part of John Connor. It's just he doesn't fit in that role. I heard that Arnold was first offered the Kyle Reese character but he chose to be the Terminator, and given his modest acting capabilities he actually chose the part that fits him best. Bale just can't be John Connor. Even Leonardo Di Caprio would have fitted better (although he always dies in the end). Now back to the idea of the "human" cyborg - come on - that heart thing was a bit too much. Let's teleport Einstein from the past and transplant his brain into Connor's head then, should we?
Don't get me wrong - I actually liked the movie and enjoyed watching it a lot. It's just it had far more pottential that got wasted...