Expectations were low, so I enjoyed it

Rating: 6/10 (6 July 2009)

When a movie series exceeds a trilogy I tend to become leery of each film that comes out. It can become far to easy to pump out a script with a predictable formula that Hollywood knows will work to get butts in the seats. It is an unfortunate part of the movie business, but it is after all a business. Because of this I was doing my best to refrain from getting overly excited about Terminator Salvation. Helping me to restrain my anticipation was the simple fact that McG was directing it. I mean seriously? You call yourself "McG" and wonder why Hollywood doesn't take you seriously? However, that's an entirely different post. So, thanks to the specter of McG, and the fact that the third installment of the Terminator franchise was not so great, I kept my expectations down and did my best to not be too excited. I think this was an effective method to use in this case because it made the movie that much more enjoyable.
We pick up the Terminator story in the year 2018, and the war between Skynet and mankind has been raging ever since Judgment Day. Over the last three films we've been seeing the same story: A Terminator is sent back in time to kill John/Sarah Connor and a protector is sent back to protect them from the Terminator. I think it is to the credit of this movie that they strayed from that format and gave us a more original take on the struggle between the Connor family and Skynet. This time around John Connor, played by Christian Bale (The Dark Knight, The Machinist, American Psycho), is being dubbed a false prophet by the leaders of the human resistance, but is being looked to as a rallying figure for the rest of humanity. In his life long struggle with Skynet Connor has come to know his enemy, but his enemy has also come to understand that their methods in the past have failed.
This movie also introduces a new character Marcus Wright, played by Sam Worthington (Hart's War, The Great Raid), Marcus is an ex-con who somehow has been brought back to life after being executed prior to Judgment Day. I was unsure of how I felt about Marcus, but as the movie worn on it became obvious that he was stealing the show in this film. Yes, Christian Bale is a talented actor and I enjoy his work, but while his performance is what I would expect of an older, war-hardened John Connor, Marcus steals every scene he's in.
Overall I think Terminator Salvation overcame the third installment in the series, and has setup Terminator for another entertaining three films. There's enough here for old fans to enjoy the film like references to the previous films that go beyond the, "I'll be back" and "Come with me if you want to live" lines. There hare many more subtle nods to the previous films that any die hard fan will recognize. For new fans it's simple enough of a story that they won't be lost, but interesting enough to get them to wonder, "why is it that John Connor has been fighting these machines since he was born?" and go catch up on the story. I think that Terminator Salvation proved that it is possible to make an entertaining movie without throwing the same old schlock at audiences.
Written by Josh for www.overcranked.net