Enjoyable movie ... if you don't think about it too much.

Rating: 6/10 (12 June 2009)

This is my second review in IMDb. The first one was on Indiana Jones 4 (what a let down) so you can already guess how disappointed I am with the new Terminator sequel (also the 4th installment curiously or not)
The bottom line is that this movie fails to deliver to the most demanding fans in some of its aspects. Let me first summarize the good and the bad: Effects: Very Good (faces, robots, explosions, flying vehicles. Good job ILM!) Directing: Good (Refereshing new perspectives given at some shots e.g. the first helicopter scene is astonishing) Acting: Average to Good Script: Mediocre to Average Sound: Average Music: Average
As many reviews already talk about the effects and the actors performance I'll discuss what I think is the biggest problem with this movie: the script/plot
(Spoilers ahead) There are many issues already identified but I'll stick with what I think is the central flaw of the movie plot logic. Stay with me.
#1 How does Skynet knows Kyle Reese is John Conner's Father? (Solved): Skynet does indeed know that. Confirmed by McG himself in Screenrant/MTV "T4 Plot Hole" interview. #2 Why does not Skynet kill Kyle Reese at first opportunity if he's so important to John and all mankind's hope and just decides to use him as bait to lure John Conner to the base? And if Kyle is the key for the future of Mankind why hasn't John tried to find him earlier? (Not Solved) #3 A: From Skynet perspective: John seems to be far a more important target than Kyle. Skynet knows about this but John fails to understand that by putting his life in jeopardy to rescue Kyle? (the sentient AI is more intelligent than the human plot thing?) #3 B: From John Conner perspective: Kyle is the key for mankind's hope so he decides to put an halt to the entire human plan to destroy the skynet base at last minute to rescue Kyle. But what is the main reason Kyle is so important that John is so desperate to set him free anyway? Could it be that if Kyle dies than he (John) dies also (automatically?) since Kyle is his father and so John dies? And bye-bye to the only guy that could save mankind? If this hypothesis is correct and you're agreeing with it than why does not Skynet just kill Kyle Reese in the first place. I just don't get it. 4# The only plausible explanation I can think of to sort this apparent plot hole, but way out there, is that from Skynet perspective it would not be sufficient to kill Kyle and it needed both the "Father" and the "Son" to end the thing once and for all for good. Kyle would not return to the past to generate John (for an alternative parallel universe) and the great John Conner of the present would die also (in this time-line universe) which would end the war right there in full favor for Skynet. This expeculation of mine cannot be proved, I mean why killing Kyle would not be sufficient? On the other hand the only hope for John Conner would be to take both their asses out of the Skynet complex alive so that he can send Kyle back to be his "Father" (again) for a happy "alternative" universe. Why risk John's neck in the first place if humans would at least win in the current timeline?
This sort of mess happens because time travel paradoxes cannot be understood and because they are, most likely, not possible/real in a first place. This is only a film, but plot holes tend to ruin films and entire franchises to hardcore fans due to bad story telling (look what happened to the Matrix franchise with the third installment).
I'm not saying the movie is bad I'm just saying to please make movies that tell a coherent story that we can "buy". This is a lesson to T5, please learn.