Affective and intense entry of the franchise

Rating: 8/10 (27 May 2009)

TERMINATOR SALVATION (2009) *** Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood, Helena Bonham Carter, Anton Yelchin, Jadagrace, Bryce Dallas Howard, Common, Jane Alexander, Michael Ironside. Relatively decent and entertaining but a tad stilted chapter in the sci-fi actioner franchise set in 2018 with an adult John Connor (a very intense Bale) facing a bleak future where Skynet, the nefarious powers that be, have unleashed an apocalyptic hell-on-earth with robots laying waste in their wakes. The only hope is in saving his father-to-be, rebel Kyle Reese (an affective Yelchin) and mysterious Marcus Wright (newcomer Worthington who makes for an efficient cipher) may be the road to salvation. Directed with bombastic style to spare by McG, the film coasts on its mythic yarn with some awesome displays of action set pieces (the chase sequences are worth the price of admission) but admittedly the final act is on shaky ground with the opening possibility of natch another sequel down the line.