Not Quite Terminated

Subject: ‘Terminator Salvation.’ Mission: To entertain the mass public with action, explosions, and a continuing storyline. Outcome: Surprisingly successful. Though not as epic or enjoyable as some of it’s predecessors, like ‘Terminator 2,’ ‘Terminator Salvation’ does deliver what it promises: suspense, special effects, and a story line to keep you invested. It is also very different from its predecessors in that it is far more gritty, technical, and even features an entirely different cast. Because of this, it seems more like a spin off film than it does a sequel, which gives it a fresh take and a different point of view. What’s missing is the emotional connection that any sci-fi thriller should be able to produce; but to be fair, emotion has never been the strong point for these movies.

The movie takes place in the year 2018, as the machines of robotic based industry Skynet go haywire and see humanity as a threat. They try their best to wipe out humanity and make the earth a completely machine dominated planet. Mankind, of course, fights back with an underground resistance, lead by proclaimed military savior John Connor (Christian Bale). In previous films, several androids called Terminators have been sent back in time to destroy him; but luckily several members of the resistance have been sent back as well to protect him. One of those members will end up being Connor’s future father, Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin). But in this film, he’s just a young naïve soldier looking to make a difference in the war.

Connor needs to find Reese and ensure that he is kept safe so that he may travel back to protect him in the past. He is aided by an escaped experiment of the machines called Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), who appears to be half human half machine. Marcus argues that he wants to help protect Reese but Connor is not sure whether or not to trust this mechanical Frankenstein monster. Marcus is assisted by a pilot named Blair (Moon Bloodgood), who sees him as more human than machine, however, no one, not even Marcus himself is sure what he is or if he should be trusted.

For a ‘Terminator’ movie, the film actually offers some interesting ideas about where the soul begins and ends. But as it also has to keep true to its form as an action movie, not much time is devoted to the issue. It’s also surprising to see that John Connor is not the focus of this movie, that role being assigned to the half human/half machine creation, Marcus. This may throw some people off as many fans may want to see the character they’ve followed for so long rise up to the destiny he was born to fulfill. But the Marcus character is not bad; he’s developed without being to too “in your face” or underplayed. The action is good, keeping the shaky-cam to a minimum and the effects genuinely impressive.

One of the major problems with ‘Salvation’ though is the details; the little things that make you scratch your head and say “They expect us to believe that?” For instance, how Skynet devises a rather diabolical plan to find Conner and lure him to their base, yet has no real plan for how to kill him or keep him there. There are also issues with the machines themselves. If they’re so precise, why do their bullets keep missing our heroes? There’s one scene where Connor trips an evil motorcycle robot simply by using a wire stretched across a road. Wouldn’t the robot have seen the wire? It can predict where a truck is going to fall and maneuver around it yet it can’t avoid a wire like a Road Runner cartoon? Scenes like this are distracting and at times get in the way of the story; but if you’re really looking for plausibility in these films, you’re probably barking up the wrong tree.

So who’ll like it? Fans of action certainly will love it, as well as those into big budget special effects. Just don’t expect Shakespeare from these characters.

Who won’t like it? People looking for a deep thriller to challenge the mind will probably feel a tad empty. Diehard fans of the other films might miss some of the epic qualities that films like what ‘Judgment Day’ offered.

My thoughts? It was much better than I thought it would be. It was not great, but the film did manage to entertain while developing its characters and keeping our interest. It’s not as good as ‘Terminator 2’ but it far surpasses ‘Terminator 3.’ For a series that really should’ve ended a long time ago, this is a modest attempt at keeping the franchise going, trying a different take but still sticking to what made us enjoy the other films. I do often wonder if these films will ever end though. None of these movies have ever had a full blown ending where someone has actually said “It’s over. There’s nothing left.” Every ending indicates that there’s more, which for a planned out series of stories would be great. But for a franchise simply looking to make money on spin off stories, there’s only so many times we can hear, “I’ll be back.”