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Movie Review: Terminator Salvation

Summary: The offspring of Sarah Connor, who was the heroine in the first two Terminators, John Connor (Christian Bale), is back to stop evil machines from annihilating the planet.

terminator-salvation-20093Summary: The offspring of Sarah Connor, who was the heroine in the first two Terminators, John Connor (Christian Bale), is back to stop evil machines from annihilating the planet. Placed in an apocalyptic 2018, Connor comes across a man who he does not know if he is friend or foe; but might be the link to save the world and Connor's father.\r
Review: Terminator Salvation starts strong with the right amount of explosions, suspense, mystery and a storyline that properly sets you up for what you assume will be another good action film for 2009. Then, like a defective machine, Terminator falls apart with each nut and bolt. It has scenarios that are inconceivable and dialogue that would've been better suited for children pretending to be in an action movie on a playground. Even Common, who we are always excited to see on screen, was limited to a few vapid lines.\r
What was great about the original Terminator from 1984 was the fresh yet morbid plot. Every scene made sense and kept you invested in the characters. In addition, there was a female heroine, something you rarely saw in the '80s.  Now, the women are weak-minded imbeciles—how did we go from Sarah Connor to the duds in this movie?\r
Also, there was never a romance gimmick; Terminator had a well-executed plot with one unlikely person to save the world. In this version, there is an injection of a foolish love story, which is so tainting that it makes you forget the whole point of the Terminator movie. The director, McG, uses the Terminator label, but it could have been any action movie about machines killing humans. Unlike, Star Trek, Terminator Salvation does not stay true to its roots.\r
On the good side, the special effects were stunning. CGI often times looks like a video game, but in this movie you were right in 2018.  The presentation of a post-apocalyptic society was flawless.  Obviously, there was more attention paid to the aesthetics of Terminator than the plot.\r
Whatever the case, the first half was spectacular but soon took on a dull tone. John Connor said, "I'll be back." I hope that doesn't mean a sequel.\r
Terminator Salvation is in theatres today.

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