A flawed yet worthy entry in the "Terminator" franchise

Rating: 7/10 (26 May 2009)

When the news first broke that a fourth "Terminator" movie was in the works and that none other than "Charlie's Angels" director McG would be at the helm, the fan-boy world let out a collective groan. It helped matters that Christian Bale signed on to play the savior of the human race, John Connor, but for the most part, "Terminator Salvation" had an up-hill battle to fight. Here we are with the fourth installment in a franchise that many doubt should have gone past James Cameron's masterpiece, "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," in the first place. This is the third director to tackle the material, with a script penned by the same guys who delivered the poorly received "Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines" (not to mention "Catwoman." Yikes!). To make matters even more complicated, the script has been re-heated and doctored by Jonathan Nolan ("The Dark Knight") to make the role of John Connor bigger than in the original script. All of this, while being made within the constraints of a PG-13 rating (a first for the series) and a toy-company to pacify. With so many cooks in the kitchen, so many expectations to meet and so many watching and judging, it's quite amazing, then, that is turned out as well as it did.
"Terminator Salvation" begins with Marcus (Sam Worthington), a man on death row for killing his brother, among others. Coerced by a cancer-ridden lover, Serena (Helena Bonham-Carter), he signs off on letting his soon-to-be-dead body be used for scientific experiments and advancements. We watch him receive only the best capital punishment that Texas can afford, only to find himself resurrected in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, circa 2018. The Judgment Day that Sarah Connor warned about has devastated mankind, as they fight for survival against Skynet and the machines who see them as the enemy and seek to eliminate them. The self-fulfilling prophet, John Connor (Bale) has yet to take his rightful place, though. There are those who believe in him, and those in power (Michael Ironside) who don't. When his future (or his past) is put into question – his future father, a teenage Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin), is captured and on his way to termination – he must work together with a man – or a machine – whom he was raised not to trust.
If the story sounds incomplete, or that it's missing something, then you aren't alone. The biggest problem facing this film is its script. Maybe it worked better in its original form, but by making more room for the character of John Connor, it starts to bloat and loses its impact. It doesn't help that the film is short, clocking in at well under two hours, and doesn't allow enough time to flesh out its plot-points. For example, you'll notice Connor's wife (Bryce Dallas-Howard, replacing Claire Danes) is visibly pregnant, and yet, nothing is ever mentioned about it in the film. The character of Marcus Wright is an intriguing and original addition to the "Terminator" mythos, played perfectly and convincingly by Worthington. While this part of the story is fleshed out well-enough, it's often put on the sidelines to make screen-time for Bale/John Connor. While you couldn't ask for a better adult John Connor than Christian Bale, there's simply not enough for him to do in this film, other than to give inspiring speeches to his comrades or go hand-to-hand combat with the machines. He makes an imposing and impressive Connor, giving the expected intensity and presence, but the character is barely expanded upon what was already given to us in the first two films. In short, if you're a newcomer watching this flick, you're not likely to be convinced that this man is all that important to the future of mankind and maybe – just maybe – he's got an overblown ego, and a temper to boot.
On the upside of things, director McG deserves a round of applause. Not only did he take fan-boy criticisms in stride throughout the creation of the film, but on his end – the direction – he succeeds on virtually all fronts. While the story is weak and flawed, the visual aspect of the film is stunning. Full-on, from the moment we are re-introduced to the John Connor character, you believe that what you are seeing is a post-Judgment day world. One key moment early in the film finds Connor's allies annihilated by a bomb, covering the area in a sea of smoke and a rain-storm of ash. It's a far-cry from the brief war scenes we were given in the previous "Terminator" films, and in this particular scene, inspiration seems to have been drawn from Steven Spielberg's World War II epic, "Saving Private Ryan." Obviously, this is a fictional war, and not as dense as the real-life tragedy Spielberg portrayed in his film, but visually, McG nails it. Another spot where the film shines are in its special effects. True to the late-Stan Winston's method, most of the effects are achieved practically, rather than relying too heavily on CGI. The Terminators in the film look not only mean and heartless, but real. Heck, we even get Arnold Schwarzenegger's face rendered to Roland Kickinger's body, to re-create the famous T-800, and it's hard to tell the difference between real and fake. All of this, of course, on top of one outrageous action sequence after another and nods to previous films galore. You'll see motorcycles chasing tractor-trailer trucks in an interesting role reversal, and you'll watch as John Connor sets traps to the tune of Guns N' Roses "You Could Be Mine." All of these elements help seal the deal, making it feel like an authentic "Terminator" sequel and less of a cash-in (which, for the most part, it is). In the end, despite being light on plot and character development, "Terminator: Salvation" packs enough of a punch to be considered a worthy entry in the franchise and a brilliant summer blockbuster to boot.