Hm… responses are pretty tepid so far. 
WIthout giving away any spoilers, what could be improved about the film, in your opinion, CoCoMeister, Jsmead and JesusFreak? 
Well, …Better use spoiler tags. 
[spoil]There was this little girl that was introduced somewhat near the beginning of the film…And I just think the movie could’ve done a lot better without her. The first two Terminator movies didn’t have that little ‘moral of the story’ kind of thing…I’m not against that, but come on…It’s a TERMINATOR movie! Guns and robots should dominate completely. 
But other than that…I suppose they could have explained the storyline a bit more for those who’re having a hard time remembering who certain characters were and whatnot.[/spoil]
The newest installment in the Terminator franchise is more of a bridge into a new version of the franchise. When all is said and done, it will most likely be essential viewing to understand this upcoming second series, but it’s really nothing more.
[spoiler]The story begins after Judgment Day. In T3, the nuclear holocaust occurs just as John Connor realizes that the human race must survive it, but probably only to make this movie. The film wastes a considerable amount of time repeating phrases like "Judgement Day"and other classic lines from the original series, and repeating dates like “2018.” But to be perfectly honest, most of the audience in my screening were hardcore fans who already knew these things and didn’t need to have the facts shoved down their throats. They loved it anyway.
Now I’m not saying that this is really bad. Far from it. In fact, when the actual plot kicks in and it becomes strong enough to carry the film through the second half, I actually enjoyed a lot of it. But the problem is that the major subplot doesn’t make any sense. Kyle Reese, John Connor’s father is in the same time period as he is because of some freak time travel accident, but that’s never explained at all and it’s just so confusing that it takes you out of the fun of the action scenes and chase sequences, which is really what Terminator is all about.
The one plot that I really loved in this film was Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington as a robot designed by Skynet to appear human) and Blair Williams’ (Moon Bloodgood as a foot soldier for the resistance) love story. It actually fits here and is very well told. I also liked Christian Bale’s John Connor to a point, and Anton Yelchin’s Kyle Reese is not poorly acted, it’s just that his plot isn’t necessary at all. (You should go see Anton Yelchin in a better role in Star Trek this weekend. It’ a much better film.)
I’m sorry to say that this film didn’t feel like anything special. The original series at least had a purpose, and you actually felt for John Connor and the other characters. But this film was just so action 101 that nothing felt meaningful at all. Too bad, man. This could have been something great.[/spoiler]“Terminator Salvation”: 4.5/10. Please see Star Trek this weekend.
Well, there’s my review.
i’m deffinetly curious to see the advancements of special effects from the other terminator movies…
i’ll check it out.
Saw the film earlier today. Here’s my review:
Plot Synopsis:
“In the fourth installment of the Terminator series, Christian Bale stars as John Connor, the eventual leader of mankind’s fight againts the machines. The setting is 2018, focusing on the war between the humans and the computer network Skynet. Anton Yelchin co-stars as soldier Kyle Reese, and Sam Worthington appears as new terminator Marcus Wright.”
Admitedly, it wasn’t until just weeks ago when I decided to watch the first two entries in the Terminator series. I thoroughly enjoyed the first film, with its terrific action, compelling story, and solid performances. Judgment Day instantly became one of my top 20 favorite movies of all time, expanding upon everything that made part one such an engaging film. Now, going into Terminator Salvation, I wasn’t interested in whether or not it would top the first two films; what I received was a fun but ultimately unnecessary entry.
Much like this month’s Wolverine (and, frankly, the majority of all other summer blockbusters), I found Terminator Salvation to be little more than an action film. However, unlike Fox’s X-Men prequel, nearly every bit of the action in Salvation is spectacular. Rather than relying on the frenetic shakey-cam “technique” that has plagued so many recent action films, the camera observes what’s going on.
The acting is, overall, decent. Sam Worthington is especially great as Marcus Wright, and Anton Yelchin (or “Chekov from Star Trek”) does a solid job, surprisingly, portraying the young Kyle Reese. Now, despite being a terrific actor, I never bought Christian Bale as man’s only hope. He’s not a very compelling voice on the radio, to be honest, and what heroic deed he accomplishes to inspire so many people is never really shown. In fact, it almost felt as though John Connor was, dare I say, shoehorned into this movie, as the plot mostly seems to center around Marcus and his struggle. As a result, there is next to no character development from anybody (again, aside from Marcus), and the movie simply goes from set-piece to set-piece.
Despite being an unnecessary entry in the series, Terminator Salvation is entertaining. The action sequences are terrific and most of the performances are solid. However, there isn’t much for these actors to work with, as the characters they’re portraying are severely underdeveloped. Whereas the first two Terminators strived to be so much more, Salvation proves to be nothing more, and nothing less, than a straight-forward action flick.
6.5/10
So Sam Worthington/MarcusWirght/JakeSully/Perseus/maybeGreen Lantern is a good actor?
Jim Cameron is a lucky bastard. 
terrible film. this movie really fails.
Aw, that’s disappointing to hear, TS2. 
Just confirms the lukewarm responses.
Great review, Rare Addict. Although I woulda said the third entry, Rise of the Machines, is the weakest installment, it woulda helped if you had watched it to have another sequel to compare this one too. I’m probably gonna guess this would top the first, but not the second (which is one of my top five action films of all-time!).
Dun-dun-dun, dun-dun! One more week till Oz gets ‘destroyed’!
well this could be because ive never seen any of the other terminators, but the time line was weird. AND I didnt like the ending. What I want to know is how that main guy ( i think hes the same one that plays batman) knew that that kid was his dad. and they say something like ’ if he doesnt survive then you dont exsist’ yada yada… well obviously he does survive because the guy is standing right there!
I dunno… maybe its just not my genre…
NOT AN EXPERT ON THIS (I’m just basing this off my opinion and thoughts. The post is in no way a indication of any facts - just opinions - so, sincere apologies for any mistakes made. )
Alright, seeing as how I have been a [i]Terminator[/i] fan for several years now, I shall share my opinion on this unnecessary sequel (possibly) made for the mere purpose of milking the cash cow. I had already typed a post of similar content in the thread, [url=https://pixarplanet.com/forums/t/movies-both-new-and-old/1106/1]Movies - both new and old[/url], but seeing as there is an individual thread on its own, I might as well reprocess the info into a reminiscent of the first two classics.
Please pardon me if I seem disoriented throughout my post - my fever is not helping at all. <_<" (Is 38.2 C considered a dangerous temperature when measured with a ear thermometer? :stuck_out_tongue: )
Oh, and one more thing; those who have yet to watch the first two movies, I wouldn't recommend you to scroll down from here as there are way too many little delicious spoilers down there more worthy of being checked out on your own (as you watch both films). If you have yet to catch T1 and T2, go ahead and check out T4 - you won't feel any sorrow when the lights come up.
First off, we have [b]The Terminator[/b], the one that started it all. Now, James Cameron, the director of the film, had supposedly (if I recall from Wiki's article) prepared the scripts for the movie, its sequel and the other unrelated film, [i]Aliens[/i] way before both films were made. Hence, this shows that the man was prepared with a story of his own all along instead of pulling one out upon request, like most Hollywood directors do nowadays.
The first movie brought us into view of Sergeant Kyle Reese, just one soldier out of the many fighting in the war against the machines for humanity. Yet, this one man, though not initially shown or informed at the beginning of the film, opted to be sent back in time to partake the mission of securing the mother of the human resistance leader against the machines, John Connor's mother, Sarah Connor.
Of course, with a protagonist, a baddie had to be introduced. Thus step in Arnold, but before we get to that, there is something I missed.
The opening to the first movie was practically a trademark on its own. We get a scene with human skulls crushed under the metallic plates of one of the machines, lasers of cheap effects being fired across the dull, shadowy war field. Cue the cool back story text that fades into the black.
[i]"...but the final fight would not be fought in the future.
It would be fought here, in our present.
Tonight..."[/i]
Then comes what was possibly one of the most memorable scores in movie history. Written and composed by Brad Fiedel, The Terminator theme contained elements that symbolized the different aspects of the film and its story. The thundering drum beats (or was it called the [i]overture[/i] or something?) represented the action that's soon to come in the movie. Now, if you compare those beats to those at the beginning of T2, you would realize that those in T2, they're placed at a slower rhythm with a heavier beat.
The score in T1:
Dum-dum dum-dum dum-dum. The dums were connected in one stream of continuous rhythm without pauses.
The one in T2, however...
Dum-dum dum dum-dum, which is basically the one you heard at the end of [i]Salvation[/i]'s trailer.
On the first film, with Kyle Reese, the ally, being mere human, while the villain, a seemingly invulnerable cyborg. The whole pace of the movie was naturally much faster and the entirety of the film more intense, hence the fast score. It was like a high speed chase. Think [i]Speed[/i] with robots.
Whereas in T2, you got Arnold cast as the good guy who's definitely more powerful than the human Kyle Reese, the superb effects that easily outmatched those used in the first movie, the (seemingly) invulnerable villain (at least the bullet holes stayed on Arnold in the first film and, naturally, the second one), the titular title ([i]Judgment Day[/i]; what could be cooler than that in the '90s, huh?). Everything in the second movie was seemingly bigger, hence, the score buffed up a lot more.
Now, aside from the dums that shook our hearts (and ears), let's move on to the other portion of the great score; the main part of a more sorrow feel. I don't think I've heard that part in T3 or T4 (in accordance with the trailer). Not sure why they removed the most important portion of the score, the one which symbolizes the entire message of the franchise - humanity's display of their greatest values in their darkest hours; perseverance, faith, hope, courage, etc. not to mention the grimness of warfare, its consequences, etc. though the latter was presented more in T2.
With scores aside, we got such great characters in the first two movies. Sarah Connor, an ordinary mother unknowing of her significance. In T1, she was but a helpless woman trying to survive some psycho killer on her trail, having no intention and no knowledge in participating in any acts of warfare whatsoever. Yet, in the end, she becomes a tough-nut soldier readied to prepare her some for the incoming storm, while in the sequel, her total image was altered to that of a mental nutcase kept in the institute. How did that happen? Character's journey.
The T-800 cyborg, a robust villain in the first film, having no feelings of any sort, with the sole purpose to terminate Sarah Connor - and if necessary, her voluntary protector, Kyle Reese. Yet, in T2, Arnold 'T-800' was reprogrammed and was presented alongside the irony the the one who had attempted in terminating Sarah Connor down was going to be her protector, hence altering the whole definition of its name, the [i]Terminator[/i]-800. Not to mention that at the end of the film, I did actually felt sad when Arnold left John and got Sarah to '[i]terminate[/i]' him, since he couldn't actually perform self-termination. So, how was it that I was able to feel such strong emotions for a once deadly terminator? Character's journey.
Let's not forget John, who did not seem to have his story continued in T3. Since there was no T3 in Cameron's list of scripts, I doubt John was suppose to go through any journey. If the whole point of the franchise is to show the human values compared to that of a machine (very heavily emphasized on in T2), why not make T3 and T4 as relatable to people as T1 and T2 were? Why spoil the franchise just for the sake of cashing in the franchise?
Now, let's take a look at T4's trailer:
We have the WB and The Halcyon Company icons adorned with some static, hinting the cool effects you would soon see. So, it's 2018, and John is talking about how the war had gone on for a while, and that they were outnumbered by the machines. Practically, while watching the trailer, my mind was shut off for several reasons:
1. The trailer really emphasizes on its cool robots and machines. Explosions, robots smashing everything; that's all my mind was able to pick up.
2. Most scenes feature character development on some guy who thinks he's human. If we don't care about the guy (due to a lack of journey with him throughout the three predecessors), it doesn't matter if he goes through any life-changing experiences.
3. ???
4. No development on John's character. All I know about this version of John is he believe in the strength of the human spirit, he speaks like Batman in The Dark Knight for some reason unknown ( :wink: ), and that he goes through some sort of bonding trip with Mr. 'I-Am-Human.'
5. I was hoping for a mention of the other important characters as well; Sarah Connor, or more importantly, Kyle Reese.
6. My head is really heating up.
7. The soundtrack, when compared to the two original scores (yes, I am referring the theme song as [i]two[/i] scores, as I have mentioned above, they are different in style), it kinda makes me feel like it tries too hard to get us emotional by being a song that was so blatantly grim, unlike the two scores with [i]fusion[/i] genres and elements.
Compared to the T2 trailer which still have some corny lines (hey, it was the '90s), I was at least entertained while watching the T2 trailer, and there was definitely some depth in the dialogue and characters. Trailers in the '90s tried too hard to sell the movies they were advertising as well (thus, assuming the lack of intelligence in the audience), but it was probably because the marketing teams back then had yet to evolve. Or, it could had been that people were so hooked onto those trailers regardless of their unintended demean, that others continued working on this style of trailer till they... evolved.
So, from the perspective I gained from watching the trailer (of which gives the audience an impression of the movie's content and style), I rate [i]Terminator: Salvation[/i]:
*[b]Worthy[/b] of big screen viewing
*But see it at [b]Matinee[/b] price; don't pay extra bucks for it over the weekends
*This is definitely for [b]Sci-Fi Lovers[/b],
*[b]Action Lovers[/b],
*and [b]CGI Lovers[/b]
*It's definitely made for the [b]Ka-Ching[/b] money,
*Because it has a [b]Pre-Existing Fan Base That Guarantees Box Office[/b] success
*It is going to be a [b]Trilogy Syndrome[/b] (since it was said to be a reboot rather than a direct sequel) - expect two more sequels to be made
*This is also a [b]Computer Generated Image Genre Fantasy[/b] (I wanted to use a P-word but it might have been a bit overly mature for usage). The next time you buy the DVD, just skip to the CGI money shots
*If you have watched the three predecessors and is planning on checking out on this one, you might be suffering from [b]Obsessive-Compulsive Franchise Disorder[/b]
*And it's great to catch this on a '[b]Bromance[/b]' night out
So, that's it. Thanks for reading this far if you didn't quickly scroll down the post. Remember, choose your movie wisely because H-wood gives us more of what we pay for, and as always,
Long live good movies!I sincerely doubt I’ll catch this at any kind of theather. heck, I sincerely doubt I feel like catching it
Long Live To The Diptic!!
dum dum dum dum dum
Well, as I declared in my voting option, I turned up on opening night to catch the latest installment in the robot saga, Terminator Salvation!
If anyone didn’t know the story by now, Christian Bale plays the savior to the human race, a sort of messiah figure, named John Connor. He is the leader of the human resistance against the machines after Judgement Day. In this sequel (or prequel?) our hero discovers a way to actually win the war, but is sidetracked when he has to rescue the man who would become his father, Kyle Reese. Meanwhile, a mysterious man named Marcus Wright stumbles naked, covered in mud, and in the pouring rain, searching for John Connor and the people responsible for his unclothed condition.
The plot, while not as strong as the first and second installments, is just as thought-provoking intellectually, and is much better than the third. I love how there were some nice philosophical points being made on the difference between man and machine, and how it echoes some of Wall-E’s themes. While Rise of the Machines was an unnecessary entry to just continue the franchise (and completely disregarded Sarah Connor’s end quote in T2 about how “we make our own fate”), Salvation earns the right to be an important entry into the canon by introducing us to how Connor met Reese, and how the first T800 (the one that was to be sent back in time in the first movie, or Arnold) was manufactured.
There are tons of references for Termites (can I call the fans that?) to catch. Two famous quotes, and a cameo are all I’m going to reveal.
The action is jaw-dropping and breathtaking, especially the middle car-chase. Except for the shakey-cam final showdown (why must all the films have a metal factory as the setting for the climax?), the rest of the action sequences are shot beautifully and steadily for you to absorb the pandemonium enfolding around our heroes. The establishing shots of the bombed-out city and the gas station from the first movie are also filmed beautifully, reminding me of Wall-E or I Am Legend in their eerie post-apocalyptical depictions. You really feel like you’re in the deserted streets, with ash raining down from the sky perpetually.
The characters are played convincingly by Mr Bale and Mr Worthington. Mr Worthington seems to get the bigger chunk of screen-time than Mr Bale, and like Rare Addict mentioned, it is less of John Connor’s tale and more of the mysterious Wright’s story. The female leads don’t have much to do besides falling in love with the guys and maybe saving their butts every now and then. Anton Yelchin’s (that Russian guy from Star Trek) Kyle is meant to be a younger, more inexperienced freedom fighter, but he comes off as annoying and ‘twerpy’ to me, I don’t know… The robots are the main attraction of the film, and whether it be big-honking ‘Gundams’, death-on-wheels Moto-Terminators, or the lethal and eponymous T-800, they are all depicted convincingly with stunning 3-D effects and even have ‘personalities’.
Overall, this summer blockbuster boasts out-of-this-world special effects, emphatic characters (especially Mr Worthington’s Marcus Wright), and excellent cinematography and set design. The only letdown is the plot, which seems to move from one setpiece to the next, with little time for character development and poignant moments, which was done much more brilliantly in T2 (Like when a young Connor teaches Arnie how to be human, and how Connor’s paradigm of the robot that almost killed her changes). It also isn’t quite ‘epic’ or ‘definitive’ enough, leaving the ending open to a sequel (They were right with the tagline ‘The End Begins’). And they didn’t quite explain how John Connor came to be the ‘crowd favourite’ (ie what made him so special or significant to the people).
With the exception of the Moto-Terminator car chase, most of the action scenes aren’t memorable, and I wished they had included more battlefield sequences than the opening act. The soundtrack too isn’t particularly memorable. Terminator Salvation definitely met my expectations as a worthy addition to one of the greatest action sci-fi franchises of all time, but there is still room for improvement.
Rating: 4/5
What does anyone who has seen this think (ie those who haven’t posted their opinions)?