No fate but what MCG makes

Rating: 4/10 (6 June 2009)

With the legacy of the original terminator trilogy to uphold, everyone knew this was no easy task. Unfortunately, everyone was right.
I felt this film lacked something. That something was the fact it felt like it wasn't a sequel to the other terminators, it was a completely different film, adapted from the basic original idea. This may be the goal MCG was striving to achieve, to re-invent the franchise, to give it a new start, new life, but i felt it was redone to extremes. New terminators, vehicles and characters make up this film. From ridiculous "flying saucer" terminators to a John Connor that has no resemblance to anything we or James Cameron would invision, i feel the franchise has not been redone, but terminated.
Many new characters, that have little overall importance at all, take up valuable screen time we could be watching of plot holes being filled in or breathtaking non-cgi stunts. There is one example i would like to highlight. The character of the commander, safe in his submarine has little or no importance to anything, you feel like you want some money back just for seeing him on screen.
Unfilled plot holes crater this film. I feel many of the decent ideas put forward are not explained or revealed at all, they are just simply forgotten about. Also there is no resemblance to the original future, invisioned by James Cameron and co, but a dreary dull grey cityscape to ruin your hopes of the neon blue warfare of the classic films.
I feel also that the film has very little strings for a sequel to attatch to, it just seems to end, taking with it the all secrets you want to know. I think the script feels rushed, like they sat down and said "war" "big stunts" "new ideas" "trilogy" and had to scrabble something together quick. It feels like nothing was properly thought through, that there is no story, just a tale of what happens in the future.
To the credit of the film, i thought a few ideas were great, they were on the right tracks, but much CGI and classic Hollywood "tough war-voices" ruined it for me. I loved some of the new machines, but again they looked shabby due to lazy CGI. Even some key bare metal terminator scenes are done with rather crumby CGI which ruins the tension and interest of the moment, leaving you unastounded. Action films like this are made to leave you astounded, jaw-dropped, scared sh**less. Unfortunately i only felt this once in the entire film and that was right at the start, which made you want more. Unfortunately there was no more to come and you will leave feeling bitter.
I have loved the Terminator franchise since i saw them when i was a small boy, and i have looked forward to this film from the second i left the cinema of Terminator 3. I feel 6 long years of excitement and anticipation were evaporated in Terminator Salvation. I don't feel anger, pity or remorse by seeing this film, i just feel disappointed.