Terminator Salvation: Review Central

[Ace of Knaves]

Why do Terminators need slaves? You better ask James Cameron. It isn't a new idea just cooked up for this film.

 

[Darthkush]

I walked out. Never done that before. Felt liberating.

Watched T2 and now I feel completely cleansed.

Dude, it wasn't THAT bad lol. I know i've been talking smack but it's still kind of fun, just really loud and dumb. Definitely not walkout worthy. As a film, it's worthy of a rental. It is kinda nice on the bigscreen though.

Also MOON BLOODGOOD IS HOOOOOOOOTTTT!!!

 

[Kent]

Why do Terminator's need slaves? For what? They're advanced and efficient cybornetic lifeforms. Humans are imperfect and flawed to them. They can just do the work themselves.

I'm sure there's plenty of work that would be economically (energy and materials wise) sounder to use human slaves for than building a robot for the job.

 

[Darthkush]

Why do Terminators need slaves? You better ask James Cameron. It isn't a new idea just cooked up for this film.

REally? I dont' remember it. Which part of the first two movies did they mention that?

I'm not totally against it. I just find it kind of..illogical.

 

[WVsax27]

REally? I dont' remember it. Which part of the first two movies did they mention that?

I'm not totally against it. I just find it kind of..illogical.

Kyle talks about it in T1

 

[ABleedingCorpse]

Wow a lot of hate for this movie.

I can't judge yet because I haven't seen it. But I'm getting the feeling a lot of people are having such high expectations that when they are not met, it's the end of the world or something.

It's not people's expectations being too high here, it's the fact that even with no expectations this movie doesn't do anything except stall. That's all this film was, a stalling, for another sequal.

I didn't expect much from this film going in, and I'm not so much disappointed but just surprised that I'm not really going to remember much of anything about this film after I go to sleep except [BLACKOUT]the T-800 appearance. [/BLACKOUT]

This film didn't offer the audience anything except a lot of questions and some good action scenes, and even those were mild at best and somewhat empty.

The film picks up with us not knowing exactly how things came to be. How exactly did Connor and the Resistance come to be? From a T3 stand point, Connor and his girl were left in a bunker and the Skynet started to bomb things...but we pick this film up in 2018 and everthing in between in a question mark. That would have been an interesting way to pick up a film, and fleshing out how things came to be, how these Terminators started taking over and all that, but no, we just pick up at they're here, they're pretty weak, and they take slaves.

And still, is SkyNet just a machine program that took over or is there some mastermind behind it all? I'm still questioning that whole thing.

Another thing...the film was just chopped up. Where was the "This is not the future my mother warned me about." line?

It wasn't my expectations that were let down for a Terminator film, but mostly just disappointed in how everything was presented and moved along.

 

[Darthkush]

WAs Linda Hamilton supposed to sound that...bored? I was excited to hear she'd have her voice used in the film but she sounded like she wasn't even trying to emote at all. She didn't have to cry or sound crazy, but at least the cold clinical ness of part 2's narration would've been nice.

 

[ABleedingCorpse]

WAs Linda Hamilton supposed to sound that...bored? I was excited to hear she'd have her voice used in the film but she sounded like she wasn't even trying to emote at all. She didn't have to cry or sound crazy, but at least the cold clinical ness of part 2's narration would've been nice.

It went down like this :

Producer - "Linda, you wanna piss Cameron off a little and get a check?"

Linda - "Sure!"

Producer - "Come down to the sound studio and record your T1 lines over"

Linda - "How long will it take?"

Producer - "Oh, we'll just do one take. A few minutes at most. Just come in a say the lines, and I'll give you the check when you leave"

Linda - "Fine. Whatever."

And that's how it all went down.

 

[JaD]

I'll go ahead and put my little mini review here too

I just came back from the midnight showing, and quite frankly I wasn't very impressed. It wasn't horrible, but I didn't think it was anything special. Great action, Worthington could hold his own alongside a giant like Bale so he was great, whereas Bale seemed to be yelling half the time. I'm more excited to Bale in Public Enemies this year, a much more low-key and (hopefully) less angry character

I loved Marcus' situation which I thought was very unique and intriguing, and Arnold's cameo had me clapping, but it seemed to have come out of absolutely nowhere (but I remember a computer screen covering a endoskeleton with very bulked up flesh so I guess it was coming sooner or later) as soon as I saw those calf muscles I began clapping A bunch of nods make this more of a movie for the fans and action junkies (Didn't that WWII-ish scene with Marcus/Blair feel like it went on forever though? ) I also like how Connor got [blackout]his facial scar[/blackout] towards the end

Spoiler

Overall, a 7/10 for me

 

[LostSon88]

I gave it an 8/10.

I was entertained though it was basically, 2 minutes of dialogue -> action -> 2 minutes of dialogue -> action -> 2 minutes of dialogue -> action

I think Bale was fine...he did overract a few scenes but overall he was okay. Worthington also was good though he did scream a little too much for my liking.

Anton is the standout no doubt, the rest of the cast were fine.

HANDS DOWN, my favorite scene had to be the appearance of the Arnold T-800 and his battle with Connor...there is just something as a fan seeing an adult John Connor fighting Arnold. I was also amazed at how real the CGI Mapping was...very impressive.

About the ending, yeah...it couldv'e been better but hey, it didn't ruin the movie for me.

I gotta tell ya though, the part where

Spoiler

The T-800 impales Connor.

I was pretty pissed...kept saying to myself, "You lying sons of b*****s! You DID kill off Connor!"

Look forward to seeing what they do with the second one.

...Star Trek is still tops for me though.

 

[Charlie The Red]

Dude, it wasn't THAT bad lol. I know i've been talking smack but it's still kind of fun, just really loud and dumb. Definitely not walkout worthy. As a film, it's worthy of a rental. It is kinda nice on the bigscreen though.

Also MOON BLOODGOOD IS HOOOOOOOOTTTT!!!

For me, the film hurt me. Emotionally hurt me. I've dreamed about the future war movie ever since I saw T1 and T2 when I was about five years old. I've grown up with these films, analyzed them and learned to understand and question the philosophical questions raised. What made the Terminator films stand apart from other Summer blockbusters was that they had substance. These films tapped deep into our psyche, digging up questions that people were too afraid to ask.

These films were cutting edge for their time, with everything rooted in real scientific technology, from robotics to nanotechnology with the T-1000. That's what made them so special...because everything in the Terminator films was done with practicality and with reality in mind. No cheesiness, no corniness. The Cameron Terminators weren't just "Summer fun." They were top notch, well-written dramas mixed with solid acting and state of the art special effects.

Their legacy is a testament to that, with "The Terminator" being inducted into the Library of Congress and with T2 being widely considered by many to be the greatest action film of all time.

And I'm sorry, but to see it turn into "MOTO-TERMINATORS!" and mechanical fish was too much for me to deal with. I had to get out of there quick so I could pretend it never happened.

 

[livrule]

"These films were cutting edge for their time, with everything rooted in real scientific technology, from robotics to nanotechnology with the T-1000. That's what made them so special...because everything in the Terminator films was done with practicality and with reality in mind. No cheesiness, no corniness. The Cameron Terminators weren't just "Summer fun." They were top notch, well-written dramas mixed with solid acting and state of the art special effects.

Their legacy is a testament to that, with "The Terminator" being inducted into the Library of Congress and with T2 being widely considered by many to be the greatest action film of all time."



Agree with every word ....... You hit the nail upon its head.

 

[Rishi]

I'm just really pissed about the score. Other than that, I loved every minute (but not every second).

 

[laudanum09]

thoroughly enjoyed the film. sure it's not perfect but it's a solid 8/10.

I don't know what other people's expectations are like or standards, but if I wanted to I could critique the hell out of T1 and T2 for many of the same reasons. I don't. Why? Because they're great action movies and they're not perfect, nor do I expect them to be. I roll with the flaws and try and appreciate them for what they are. I don't sit around scrutinizing every little bit which I feel like some people are doing with this because its a sequel to a classic series.

Sure there were some things that fell short for me and I have a lot of criticisms of the movie, but I still enjoyed it and took it as it was nonetheless. I agree with most of the disappointments, but I was having too much fun to care. It's a great post-judgment day war/action movie and not just a mindless blockbuster like some are saying.

Just re-watched T1-3 to prepare and I gotta say that the endings that moved me the most were T3 and T4, which is funny because I thought T3 really was the definition of mediocre. If T3 was a good movie, then TS deserves an Oscar, which is doesn't. I thought the epilogue and the music accompanying judgment day in T3 was fantastic and hit an emotional note for me. T4's ending was very emotional for me since I grew very attached to Marcus and have already been attached to Connor. Things fell short of what it could have been but the final product is well worth a watch and its leaps beyond T3's debacle.

Also, in terms of Bale's 'one note performance', sure it could have been differently if the character was written otherwise. Some feel cheated at the way it was sold, but I never bought into it because that'd be a little naive to be spoonfed by McG and warner execs so my fantasty could be fulfilled. All films have to be promoted and this one may have taken some advantage of its die-hard fans, but good god, give it a break. It's a movie, not the meaning of your life. We saw John the wisecracking hacker, we saw John the existential loner, and now we see John the war hero whose only real concern is to wipeout Skynet. It's a war and he's a soldier now. His best line was when he

Spoiler

was trying to call down the strike against skynet.

Sure lots of screaming, but I never envisaged the future John to be calm or cool. I expected him to be good at what he was supposed to be good at, which is destroying the machines, all the while a bit intense after his life and what he's been through. Bale wears that sort of jaded heroism well.


The only way I could see myself walking out of this film is being upset that it's not T1 or T2, which is a ridiculous and nostalgic sentiment to walk into this movie with.

 

[laudanum09]

These films were cutting edge for their time, with everything rooted in real scientific technology, from robotics to nanotechnology with the T-1000. That's what made them so special...because everything in the Terminator films was done with practicality and with reality in mind. No cheesiness, no corniness.

I understand your anger and disappointment, but I think you're hyper-idealizing these films when you say there was no cheesiness. I liked the emotion and drama, but to say this was done without cheesiness is a bit off the mark imho.

 

[Charlie The Red]

In their time, there was absolutely nothing cheesy about those movies. Maybe now, twenty to twenty five years later, when all of the special effects are dated.

But hey, the original King Kong looks like **** now but when it came out, that film changed lives. You have to put it in context.

 

[Red Mask]

I still love the original King Kong. Who can not enjoy watching those guys screaming like women as the dinosaurs charge after them?

 

[Rishi]

In their time, there was absolutely nothing cheesy about those movies. Maybe now, twenty to twenty five years later, when all of the special effects are dated.

But hey, the original King Kong looks like **** now but when it came out, that film changed lives. You have to put it in context.

Hasta La Vista. Chill out Dickwad. Killer robot standing on one leg. etc etc

 

[Charlie The Red]

Hasta La Vista. Chill out Dickwad. Killer robot standing on one leg. etc etc

Perhaps interpreted as cheesy, but all of that served a purpose to the plot. The T-800 was learning from John Connor and becoming more human as the story progressed. This goes right in line with the recurring theme in all of Cameron's movies: machines will be the death of us unless they're in careful hands.

 

[Rishi]

I'm not arguing that, T2's my favorite movie, it can do no wrong.

 

[Charlie The Red]

I'm just pointing out that not one line in either the first or the second film was gratuitous. Every line tied into the plot and mythos in some form or another.

 

[CFE]

Edit

 

[Charlie The Red]

Perhaps interpreted as cheesy, but all of that served a purpose to the plot. The T-800 was learning from John Connor and becoming more human as the story progressed. This goes right in line with the recurring theme in all of Cameron's movies: machines will be the death of us unless they're in careful hands.

Any more?

 

[AnorexicBatman]

Here's a question! The guy who directed this film.
Is it the hip new McG who is genuinely trying to be a better director or is the old cliche Charlie's Angels McG?

Also, I bet all this is Shane's fault. Bale was right!

 

[Rishi]

This is nothing like Charlie's Angels. You'd never think it was the same guy.

Any more?

the OP is well and good but that vacation line is completely gratuitous one-liner fun. I get a kick out of it though, so who cares?

I'm curious, around when did you walk out? Cause for me, the movie just kept getting better and better.