TERMINATOR SALVATION (2009)

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"... It’s just fun and nothing more. Where Terminator 1 and 2 had emotion and weight, Salvation is just… Well, it’s just there."

Here we go... Another summer, another series of films which cater to the basest values of cinematic entertainment. First we were treated to X-Men Origins: Wolverine, then Angels and Demons, and now---after a quite a long hibernation period---we get Terminator: Salvation. A film so loud, explosive, and hollow that it's bound to please even viewers skeptical about director McG's franchise overhaul.

The story is like this: It's 2018 and the Resistance aided---but not yet fully led---by John Conner (played by Christian "Gonna-kill-my-DP" Bale) is preparing a final, desperate attack on Skynet. Things go from bad to worse as the ol' bots get smarter, loyalties wane, and a new breed of Terminator bring their massive mechanical onslaught to the forefront. For anyone that's seen the trailer---or any ad for that matter---you'll know that there's also a new human-esque Terminator in town that still believes in his own humanity. Thus, some conflicting themes of what sets humans apart from robots get tossed about amid all of the onscreen havoc being reigned by both sides (along with some gratuitous narrations dropped here and there).

Now, as a HUGE fan of T2: Judgment Day, I knew this film couldn't, nor would it even try to come close to the absolute superiority of that sequel. Because of that, I accepted the fact that this would do nothing more than entertain; it wouldn't be meaningful, I really wouldn't care about the characters, I'd have to accept some plot issues, and I'd have to suspend some disbelief in order to fully enjoy it. Yeah... That pretty much sums up a summer movie...

Taking that into consideration, Salvation is a lot of fun---plain and simple. McG's direction is commendable and adds a visceral level of intensity that maintains both style and seriousness throughout the pic. The film (for the most part) carries the look and feel of a hopeless, hue-diffused, post-apocalyptic world, allowing for some action set-pieces that definitely do their job in grabbing attention. Moments involving "Extreme G" looking Terminator cycles bring the franticly fast chase mayhem we've come to expect from a film such as this; nukes detonating and spreading ash upon a satellite field bring the awe; and every 10-15 minutes brings back something from the previous movies for homage-sake.

So yeah it is definitely fun, but...

That's also it's problem---it's just fun and nothing more. Where Terminator 1 and 2 had emotion and weight, Salvation is just... Well, it's just there. Never once did I care about the plight of the characters that I wanted to. Since the action is what everyone came to see, real development takes a back seat, and even when we do get some one-on-one time with these characters, they act as if they've just been ripped right out of the newest Michael Bay flick. Really, the only character that gets a smidge of sympathy from me is Marcus Wright---the new Terminator (played by Sam Worthington). While the majority of the time he wears an expression hardened by scowls, there are a few moments of internal and external conflict that actually make his character a worthy edition to the series. John Conner has always been a great character, but Bale's performance doesn't really add anything to it (but he is infinitely better than that obnoxious pipsqueak they chose for T3). And I can't stand the young actor they chose to portray Kyle Reese, but thankfully, puberty made his voice just raspy enough to make me recall Michael Biehn's grizzled performance of old. Everyone else is entirely forgettable and uninspired. Moon Bloodgood looks great---that's it. Common is like a sidekick that doesn't do anything, Bryce Dallas Howard is just a basic love interest (she's married to Mr. Connor), Michael Ironside is... Well, himself, Helena Bonham Carter is somewhat interesting, but her lack of screen time tosses her into the same bracket as the rest. And then there's a handful of other uninspired characters that we don't give a damn about as well as a little girl written in only to hit that "Oh-she's-so-cute-and-brings-a-sense-of-child-like-warmth-and-naivete-to-such-a-cold-and-cruel-place" note.

On top of that, some moments regarding editing made me feel as though I missed a scene and was now coming in halfway through another one. At one particular part, Moon Bloodgood's character is seeking shelter from the rain with Marcus Wright. She tells him to go get wood for a fire---he leaves. Okay, that's fine and dandy, but cut to the next scene and she's out from cover, it has stopped raining, she's dry and now being accosted by various thugs. Okay... So what was the lead up there? Another scene depicts a character plunging into a raging sea during a storm at night. Cut to that character completely fine and dry in a submarine chatting it up. Wait---what? How did that happen? Typically it's just a little hard to swim in the middle of a storm, let alone find a submarine under pitch-black depths. I also found it amusing, that even when fighting something like... Oh, let's say a three story metal behemoth---no one is able to hear it lumber out of a massive ship and sneak right up behind them... Guess the Terminators played a good deal of Metal Gear Solid before condemning all of mankind to destruction.

And because the music from Terminator always brings back fond memories...

Danny Elfman takes over for this composition---and while his score captures the mood--- for me, it doesn't do justice to the main Terminator theme---which no one seems to think continues after the initial pounding drum beats. Even still, the music is used to proper effect and despite the unwillingness of most of the actors---emits some actual power and emotion here and there.

I really can't say much more about Terminator Salvation that I haven't already said. At it's weakest, it's just another near-lifeless add-on to the powerhouse that was Terminator and it's perfect sequel Terminator 2. At its strongest though, it's a fun, energetic and visually inventive sci-fi flick. It doesn't surprise whatsoever (well, maybe one scene), but it definitely entertains... Kudos for that.