Lacking in emotion.

Rating: 6/10 (29 July 2016)

In a near-future ravaged by robots, resistance fighter John Connor (Christian Bale) searches the post-apocalyptic wasteland for teenager Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin), the key to mankind's survival. Meanwhile, executed prisoner Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington) inexplicably finds himself both free and alive, caught in the battle against the machines.
There is no doubt that Terminator Salvation is sorely missing Arnold Schwarzenegger's presence, lacking the humour and personality that the Austrian action-star brings to the series. An impressive cast has been assembled to take his place, but they are no match for the man who has defined the franchise. Simply put, Arnold IS The Terminator!
Of course, a decent plot wouldn't have hurt either, but the fourth film fails fans in that department too, with a bland story that involves an executed criminal brought back from the dead for a chance at redemption, a narrative that lacks the efficient simplicity of the first film, nor the mind-bending complexity of the second, falling squarely in mediocre territory, with an over reliance on big-budget CGI set-pieces to drive things forward.
Director McG undeniably handles the action with technical prowess pulling off some stunning visual trickery, and if all you're after is an endless tirade of explosive eye-candy then you'll be more than satisfied, but as a whole the film lacks the emotional charge necessary to successfully reboot the franchise. I sat, I watched, but like a robot, I felt nothing.