T2 Clone

Rating: 6/10 (16 March 2011)

This title comes after massively disappointing T3 sequel, so my expectations were pretty low. I knew it is hard to surpass T2 that was ahead of its time on many levels. The main reason I gave it 6 is because the story structure was a direct copy of T2, as if directors and scriptwriters did not wish to take any risk with the old T2 public, yet they seek to appeal to the new generations at the same time. The story is progressed in the same way T2 does: naked terminator, the scene with clothes, truck and motorcycle, skynet destruction... Only the players and the story are subtly different, and not at all original (already seen for example in Battlestar Galactica 2003 and Matrix). We see some new elements that fill the gap between T2 and present, but again, its all seen in recent movies and TV shows in a much greater detail, so no surprise there. The acting is alright for an action movie, but the characters are there simply to fill a role, there isn't any depth, any insight how they survive without food and water, how they socialize as a primal human need after food (ok, there are some hints for that and the war is going on, people are stretched to the extreme, but still...). It is a very dark movie, much more realistic then any previous sequel, yet, this not a Mad Max. I have to wonder if machines were so superb as presented, it is quite a puzzle how they didn't already won. Not believable in my opinion. SGI is almost perfect, but I come a long way to seek only triangles and textures in a action sci-fi movie to fully entertain me. Something is missing that simply means I won't watch this title again. The trouble with the movie is also a fact that "the future" is much, much closer to our present, so that is also a contributing element why the story is not so strong anymore. It will certainly reach to the newer generations to a higher point, but T franchise is in a bit of a crisis for me. I have to add this review comes in a timeframe of Japan earthquake catastrophe; of course it is affected and biased toward idea weather humanity will live long enough to see the judgmenet day with the machines or rather face the end from mother nature itself.