Solid entry

Rating: 7/10 (21 May 2009)

Across the board, this film left me with a lot more of a satisfied feeling at the end than T3 did. Where T3 seemed to be pointless, this actually carried the franchise to the next level.
Performances across the board are excellent. Probably the biggest surprise was Anton Yelchin as "Reese". I had reservation about his being able to pull off the classic character created by Michael Biehn. My fears were unfounded, Yelchin gives even more layer's to this familiar character. Howard, Bale, Wrothington, Bloodgood are all excellent. I thought Bryce Dallas Howard's portrayal of "Kate Connor" was a far more mature and grounded performance than Clair Danes from T3. Not to say Dane was bad, I just never believed her to be the wife of the future hope of mankind. Howard just seems to come off with more gravitas.
The story takes us into the first stages of the war, to the beginning of the T800's. The effects are the best of the franchise. A10's are used by the resistance and it is a very cool sight seeing them up against the HK's. The apocalyptic feel of the movie is great, it feels like I have always imagined it to be. What is very nice is how the resistance is basically pockets of humans who are brought together through Connor's radio messages. Most have never met him, yet they are ready to follow his every command.
There are check point items throughout the film that help to explain and setup the Terminator lore that we have come to know, like how Connor receives the scar on his face. We are even given the famous "I'll be back", now given from a different character you wouldn't expect, yet it comes off a lot more natural than the jokey way it was forced in T3.
Brad Friedl is still missed on the score front. Danny Elfman does a better job than Beltrami did in T3, but still, Friedl's scores stand as the benchmark of the series. On that note, Elfman has woven into the score the main themes from Friedl's score. This is a welcome addition compared to the pedestrian Beltrami score of T3.
The major flaw to me is not the film itself, but that they reveal too much in the trailers, especially about the Marcus character. It would have been nice if his big revelation was more of a surprise. If you have seen the promos then you pretty much know his big reveal.
I do not understand the complaints levied by critics who say the film is without a human/emotional element. I thought the film was right on par with the first two films in the emotion department. Yes, we meet several characters and don't have a lot of back-story, but the emotional context of what is going on is never lost and the end hits an emotional plateau that easily readies you for more.