I got what I wanted

Rating: 9/10 (20 May 2009)

This movie was definitely not perfect. The story was incredibly weak, flat out. I expected it to be a little deeper, considering most people rolled their eyes at terminator number 3, and i didn't expect it to get any more plain. It's pretty damn cut and dry here, though.
My favorite aspect of the movie was the photography/sound. This is why it's a nine for me, as visuals and atmosphere are what I like to focus on. When I saw the trailer, I knew it had the potential to create this weird, post-apocalyptic war zone. It definitely succeeded. One shot in particular appears to go on for about five minutes, following Bale through some rough times. Obviously it would have been impossible to film it in one take, but I thought it came together really well.
The CGI blended very nicely as well. The past few blockbuster movies have really changed my mind about CGI, and this one is no exception. The giant robots were intense, and Marcus with half his face shot off and a hole in his head looked pretty sweet.
I also liked the acting. I think many will disagree, but I really liked the cast. Yelchin I never really liked, but aside from some cheesy dialog I was into him as Kyle Reese. Bale was obviously satisfying, but Sam Worthington really surprised me. I didn't think I would like him, but I really got into his character, one of the stronger parts of the storyline I thought. Moon was questionable, but I also did not have a single problem with her acting. Common was a mistake. Who the hell hires this guy? Really poor choice there.
What did it for me was the atmosphere. The photographer takes obvious advantage of the scenery, but it works perfectly and really put me in the world of terminator. I would definitely recommend it for this reason. Don't go looking for a deep story, just go to be put in a completely new and different world for a couple of hours.