"Terminator: Salvation" has been getting a bum rap the last couple of weeks.
This isn't to say that it's a great movie, because it isn't, but saying that it's worse than "T3" is a telling sign of an ignorance not usually seen amongst those who review films -- or breathe on a regular basis. "T3" was bad. So bad that the film's only redeeming feature was the nuclear weapons going off at the end. At least it was over.
"Terminator: Salvation" shows a respect for that which preceded it. John Connor has his mother's tape recordings that she made when he was still just a fetus. He even has the photo of her. All the pieces fit together. "Salvation" even remembers the plot of "T3," a movie that completely ignored the events of "T2."
Of course, there are problems. First is Christian Bale. And it's not his acting, exactly. It's the voice he uses. Throughout the film the viewer keeps wondering, "What is Bruce Wayne doing in the future? And why is he hanging out with Gwen Stacy?" It's sort of unfortunate, because if this were actually a Batman film, Bale would have nailed the performance. In Bale's defense, Bruce Wayne and John Connor are actually pretty similar characters, and he's now played both of them.
The second problem is the plot. It's not a bad plot. It even makes sense, for the most part. But one does get the sense that following the plot means narrowly avoiding the gaping holes that sink off to either side. To be fair, this is a movie about a guy whose entire existence violates causality, so a few problems are bound to come up.
But then there are some elements in this film that close in on action-movie perfection. Pretty much the entirety of Sam Worthington's screen time is nothing short of phenomenal. He plays his role to the hilt, from start to finish. His character has a theme of self-sacrifice from which he does not deviate even one iota. He plays into the complexities of his character with something close to grace - a trait not usually seen in a film of this type.
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Another element where director McG brought his A-game was in the special effects - particularly those involving the various Terminator and hunter-killer models. Everything that belongs to Skynet has a shiny look to it, a look of some type of chrome that makes polished silver look dull and boring. At the same time, the battle scars that even machines would collect in this type of war are still apparent. Visually, it's a beautiful film.
"Terminator: Salvation" probably isn't Academy Award material, but it's certainly not the disaster a few critics have been painting it as. The biggest problem is that it's essentially a summer popcorn flick that tries to be more. Unlike most movies that find themselves in that position, it actually succeeds a little. Even if the acting goes unappreciated, it's hard to argue with all the cool explosions.
"Terminator: Salvation"
Now Playing
PG-13
B-
