Another Terminator, Another Summer Movie

Rating: 7/10 (24 May 2009)

With the general panning that the critics gave to this film, I went in with low expectations. Perhaps thats why I was pleasantly surprised, or at least, solidly entertained.
If you're a fan of the series, and you ever had a conversation with your friends after one of the previous three movies that went along the lines of "why don't they just make a movie about the future war? It'll be awesome!", then this is the movie you've been waiting for. Unfortunately, unless you have an extremely limited imagination, it doesn't look as cool as you pictured it in your mind. Yes, the future war is full of explodey stuff, and lots of it. And yes, there are robots hunting down humans all over the place. But somehow it's more... stark than I thought it would be.
This isn't a "thinky" movie, it's not like the recently canceled TV series, where it deeply explored the relationship between machine and man, the concept of the soul, the potential for friendship and hatred between sentient beings of all sorts. The reference to "what it means to be human" in this movie feels mildly tacked on, like a high school war fantasy essay that had to be rehashed because the English teacher said it lacked heart, and the student took the advice too literally.
Still, it's not a bad movie. It's well shot, well acted (if you call what Michael Ironside does "acting", that is. I kid, I've loved him since Spacehunter and V.), and man is it loud. The soundscape in this film is a character in itself. There are some in-jokes and good references, the effects are pretty good. Of course, there are some giant plot holes and questions you'll be asking after the movie if you think about it too much (what blood type are Terminators? Are they the Universal Donor?), so don't. Just sit back and enjoy.
What it comes down to is another film in a series that is probably played out, but delivers what everyone has wanted to see on screen for two hours. It's a roller-coaster of action, a summer movie to enjoy by the seat of your pants instead of with your intellect. It's good escapist fun, but if you're looking for a statement on the will to survive, or a serious metaphysical examination of humanity, then you should probably rewatch one of the previous films in the series.