Effects driven sequel destroying originality

Rating: 3/10 (4 April 2010)

John Connor (Bale) attempts to bring Skynet down through a hidden signal whilst Marcus Wright (Worthington) causes their foundation trouble.
6 years since the release of the critically slammed Terminator 3 and the story was in jeopardy and although the Sarah Connor chronicles regenerated interest the offing of a fourth was always inevitable, but as a franchise maker or a story reboot. From the evidence, it seems, certainly released in the summer and starring big Hollywood names, made for complete profit and once again, the brilliance of Cameron's original ideas sadly comes crashing down.
Not that it seems that way when the film opens. Sam Worthington's character is sat in a prison cell with a brilliantly miserable Helena Bonham Carter and as the film moves forward there is anticipation to what Marcus is going in for.
As the film shifts to present day warfare between man and machines, year 2018, we get out first glimpse of the new John Connor. Adopting a Cameron technique the camera pans from feet to head as Connor gets off a plane and mounts a carefully manned scheme to investigate their surroundings with humans stored underground. The shaky camera style adds some wonderful realism, giving that edge of excitement and unknowing to proceedings and it seemed McG had hit the nail on the head, and yet after this first initial stage, all becomes irrelevant as the film cascades into mediocre popcorn triviality.
Such as when this particular scene ends you will notice there is nothing but high stakes action junkie sequences along with a plot that, come the end, has not moved anything forward at all. Honestly if you have not watched this film yet you will hardly believe that practically 80% of this 2009 release has action orientation. There are big robots that shoot bikes out of their legs (no that's not a joke) there are squid monsters (why would humans build them?) there is slight continuity in the flying ship things and the treadmill style robots from T3 but, why? The first film blossomed on its usage of simple T101 models and whilst there was an explanation in the second film it didn't feel the need to glorify itself on special effects to demonstrate the size of its gigabyte hard-drive.
There is little meaning in the plot aside from the action as the resistance continue to find a solution to the finale of the war but all the dialogue seems to build towards something and as it turns out there is a consequence and it all blows into a ridiculous conclusion that given all the action and scientific futuristic elements, comes down all humane and dramatic on us, expecting us to shed tears and sympathise with a Connor who is more Dark Knight than human's war leader and a trivial inevitable love fling that is inevitable and somehow ridiculous.
Through all its, albeit impressive, visuals there is an underlining story of attempted survival that feels inadequate and repetitive.
Personally, I feel the Terminator should have ended in 1991 but as long as we have computers and machines, there will be many more.