Visually spectacular, narratively nonsensical

Rating: 5/10 (13 June 2009)

As a Terminator fan, I am divided. On one hand, it was undeniably pulse-quickening to finally witness the full rage of the war against the machines depicted with such brutal intensity. The action and the effects were just spectacular, and even though the design of the new robots obviously borrowed from other movies such as Matrix and Transformers, they were still pretty cool. Full marks to McG for the visuals and the direction of the action sequences. But on the other hand, I could not possibly forgive the veritable avalanche of trailer-truck-sized plot holes, which not only disrupt the internal logic of the film itself, but also severely contradict the previous films of the saga, particularly the first one, so close to my heart. Therefore, even though I really wanted to like it, ultimately I cannot approve this installment. Others not as concerned with the canon as myself might not be so bothered...