Good visuals, but better story telling needed

Rating: 6/10 (22 March 2014)

It's rare that sequels can better their predecessors, and in this case, that remains true. Still, it has certain qualities that keep it from being a failure.
The visuals are nicely done. The post-apocalyptic world is beautifully rendered in grayscale, imparting a sense of doom and gloom. The battles are well-choreographed, and the CG effects commendable. The attack drones are believable, and we've gotten used to the terminators.
Acting's pretty good for a movie that's action-oriented. Christian Bale acquits himself well as the anguished and jaded John Connor, Sam Worthington puts in a commendable performance as the tortured and confused Marcus Wright, and Anton Yelchin is excellent as a young Kyle Reese caught in the middle of a war.
Even though the action seldom lets up and the movie intersperses only short dialogue and development scenes between all the action sequences, I still felt there were some which weren't necessary as they did little for the plot. Why have a topless scene in the rain and introduce sexual tension at that moment? It did nothing for the movie. And some of the dialogue was so cheesy they belonged to the original Terminator movie. You also can't help but wonder at some of the unexplained logic lapses - like how an advanced Skynet can't intercept radio communications or take control of the human's machines. Or how the machines have such lousy aim even with advanced targeting systems and rapid-fire weapons. And I thought only movie humans delayed the death of their number one enemy.
Despite all this, it is still an enjoyable ride as the story unfolds to its conclusion.