Terminator Salvation (2009) **1/2

Rating: 6/10 (24 May 2009)

I approached this fourth entry in the Terminator series with many reservations, knowing it was going to be nothing more than a wild, overblown, CGI-fest. But then I figured while I waited to buy my ticket: "well, isn't that what this particular chapter ought to be?", and it worked out okay with me. After all, if you're a fan of the other Terminator films like I am, you already know this day has been long coming where the machines will destroy mankind and the remaining humans who make up "The Resistance" are going to try to fight them and remain alive, to protect what's left of the human race. So what other way is there to show so much gross chaos and devastation? Much as I don't support overused CGI on principal, it seems that this type of movie would not have been as possible 25 years ago. Luckily, this is not "all" special effects. I was clued in on some of the plot details beforehand by foolishly reading a newspaper review (which also spoiled a surprise late in the show which I won't get into here), but as slight as the story is, at least there is one ... with John Connor (now appropriately played by the heroic Christian Bale) trying to locate the teenage Kyle Reese who, as we already know from the original TERMINATOR, will be Connor's own father. Thrown in for good measure is a second hero with a past history that's kind of interesting. Not a good movie, nowhere hear as great as the first two, and probably a notch below Number Three. I liked the casting of Christian Bale in this, given his popularity with the new Batman movies and also because he is believable in the part of a strong leader. But as an added bonus, Bale is much more acceptable as the grownup version of Edward Furlong (from T2) compared to the badly miscast Nick Stahl (T3). **1/2 out of ****