Bad Bad Bad

Rating: 1/10 (17 February 2010)

Let's start with the good, governator (Arnie) CGI is unbelievably amazing. And that's it.
Now for the Bad. We have a case of missing story. I can't explain why a 200 Million Dollar film would not invest a single dollar in buying some pencils. Anyways, now that I have started to write this review and you have started to read it, let's salvage the situation, by poking some fun.
In the Letterman tradition, let's do a 'top 10' speculating the reasons the movie team would give for the missing story:
10: We spent 200 mil on the damn robot, ran out of budget for pencils. 9: We thought the Terminator brand and the Dark Knight was all that would be required for the movie. 8: Our dogs ate our story. 7: We saw the first two terminator movies and gave up, can't beat those. 6: We were copying Bollywood (But these days even they have stories. errr Can we take back this excuse?). 5: We watched too many Jerry Springer reruns, and then we couldn't think. 4: We spent all of our time playing with the Terminator dolls and talking in Arnold's voice /Hasta la vista baby/. 3: Since LA was destroyed during Judgement Day, all the writers were dead. 2: The Terminators terminated our writer's contract.
And the number one reason why we don't have a story is >> 1: If Avatar doesn't need a story, then why do we?
In the earlier movies the machines came to our world with a target, which was clear to understand. In this movie, since we have been taken to their world, where the machines have already (almost) destroyed the planet, their motivation to do so is not at all clear. Why do they want to eliminate mankind and what do they gain from it?
When the terminators came to our world in the earlier movies it was imperative for them to look like us, that was understandable. But in their world why do they need to emulate human life form (T600/700/800)? If anything, that would be an impediment for them to have only two eyes and walk with human like legs etc etc....
OK, I have a long list of complaints, but since no matter how much I try, I am not going to get my 2 hours back. Lets cut to the chase and conclude the review.
McG and Christian Bale cannot save this. Christian, I became a big fan after watching the very disturbing The Machinist. This was disappointing.
Frankly I was surprised that they got their money back and then some.
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Now, here's what I would have changed if I was in control.
* For me, this one is beyond saving, a complete flush/rewrite is required.
This review was originally posted on my blog: http://roundhayreview.blogspot.com/2010/01/terminator-salvation.html