Year: 2009

Director: McG

christian bale should have spent less time ranting and raving at the cinematographer and more time bitching out the screenplay writers of this crappy film.

Terminator Salvation is the fourth instalment in what had been, up to this point, a really good franchise (yup, i liked the third one also). the film takes place in 2018 and while it is a sequel to the other three it is also kind of a prequel - in the first film the terminator and kyle reese (the man sent to stop it) are sent back to 1984 from 2029. so, what we are seeing in "Salvation" is happening 11 years before the terminator and reese are sent back in time. but, since it is 2018, all the stuff that happens in the first three films has already happened also... confused yet? well there really is no reason to be, because there is nothing complicated or interesting about this film.

rather, it is a basic, mediocre, futuristic/sci-fi/action movie that feels very separate from the trilogy that came before it. i think part of that has to do with the "prequel" thing i mentioned before, but i think it also has to do with the boring, superficial story. sure, the first three were good 'ol special effects laden action films... but, they were also more than just that. the ideas of mankind and fate and the future and the effect of today's actions on what is to come were all part of what cameron did with his two films and then was followed up on in the third. Terminator Salvation however was kind of like The Matrix 3: lots of cool explosions and action scenes, but no depth of story or intelligent "discussion? of ideas like the first films.

there are some fun references to the previous films, in the form of music, lines of dialogue and moments. but these are all in that winking way that have no connection to the overall story but will get a knowing laugh or smile from fans that pick them out.

the film is a slapped together, poorly written, uninteresting money-grab. throwing the "terminator" name on the film is going to bring in a lot of people, but what's in a name? in the case of Terminator Salvation, the answer is not a whole lot.