Basic franchise flick but not too bad

Rating: 6/10 (21 January 2020)

Terminator franchise started with two superb films that set a very high standard for any following sequel to match. I didn't care much about the third one. But when I finally gave this fourth installment a watch I thought it was ok. I mean, the third part was too similar to the earlier ones, trying to cash in with the face of Arnold but without much new to offer. Salvation on the contrary does something new. It feels like a justified sequel because it shows an important part of the mythos - the war-torn future which is referenced in the first films. The overall visual look is ok but not nearly as fascinating as the chilling opening scene of Terminator 2. Same goes with the script - it's ok but maybe a bit thin in terms of a good story. The movie turns a bit too much into a high speed action flick which feels too unrealistic. Don't get me wrong, there's a limit how realistic an action movie can be, but at times this movie feels a bit over the top. I would have liked it more if it was a bit slower, darker in tone, and more about suspense - sneaking and hiding away from terminators. I mean, even though we get a terrifying world full of deadly machines the movie still doesn't arouse much tension or excitement. We get to see a lot of different kind of robots which is cool. I just wish it was more scary. Still, it's an entertaining sci-fi action flick anyway and might be the third best Terminator film.