Robin PottratzReview: "Terminator Salvation" too cold and serious to be fun *1/2 stars out of 4
June 14th 2009 19:56
When Terminator Salvation neared its release date, it seemed that no one wanted to talk about the film itself...the primary topic of conversation was the hilarious angry tirade by Christian Bale on the Director of Photography. In all retrospect...that was probably for the best. Terminator Salvation is an action film as cold and heartless as the machines it features.
Christian Bale in his first post Dark Knight role is John Connor, the leader of the human resistance against the Skynet machine program who has since destroyed the planet and left it in a post apocalyptic state in the year 2018. Connor has a pregnant wife Kate (Bryce Dallas Howard, reprising Claire Danes' T3 role) and goes underground to lead the human charge against machines.
He must find his father Kyle Reese (played by Anton Yelchin...who has traveled back in time...yep another time travel plot). Reese meanwhile has hooked up with Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a former death row inmate in the present who is now a machine with human emotion. After Reese is captured, Wright hooks up with Blair Williams (hottie Moon Bloodgood) and is taken back to the resistance headquarters where he learns his true fate.
By the time the film reaches its climax at Skynet Central...the story has become uninteresting, bland, laughable, and boring. The biggest problems with Terminator Salvation is that everything about the film is cold and dark...including the actors who are all given one note to play and don't even play it that well.
Bale seems to be doing his Batman voice throughout the entire film...which is not a good thing. He doesn't really act in the film...he mostly screams, grunts, and snarls. It is a shame because we all know how talented Bale is and to see it wasted like this is disheartening.
Bryce Dallas Howard seems to only be given one direction...look concerned.
Sam Worthington does what he can, but the role of Marcus Wright is very strangely written, first he makes out with a cancer patient, then he runs naked screaming, then he does a badass action swagger, and then finally screams some more. I think Worthington is talented and it does show here...but I hope he can show it in a better role in the future.
Anton Yelchin still looks like he is 12, so he doesn't fit in the brutal and cold world that Director McG has created. Lastly, Moon Bloodgood, who is also pretty talented has been given only one direction as well...look hot...which she does very well.
Overall, Terminator Salvation lacks any semblance of a heartbeat...which seems to be the point of the film. Maybe this is a film that just shouldn't have been made at this time...but it has...and its not good.
Everyone looks lost in the film, and the worst of all are the little winks to the audience that Director McG gives, which seemingly don't fit. For example Kyle Reese tells Marcus Wright when they meet "come with me if you want to live." Also when Kate Connor asks John Connor what she should tell the other soldiers...John replies "I'll be back."
When it reaches Skynet...we are treated to a CGI Schwarzenegger...yes, you read that right...a CGI Schwarzenegger. This film is so sterile and metal that when it gives these little glimpses of light, they just seem inappropriate and insulting.
Terminator Salvation is really a mess...but at least Christian Bale can look forward to one thing...only two more years til another Batman sequel.
Christian Bale as John Connor, shooting up a machine in "Terminator Salvation"
Christian Bale in his first post Dark Knight role is John Connor, the leader of the human resistance against the Skynet machine program who has since destroyed the planet and left it in a post apocalyptic state in the year 2018. Connor has a pregnant wife Kate (Bryce Dallas Howard, reprising Claire Danes' T3 role) and goes underground to lead the human charge against machines.
He must find his father Kyle Reese (played by Anton Yelchin...who has traveled back in time...yep another time travel plot). Reese meanwhile has hooked up with Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a former death row inmate in the present who is now a machine with human emotion. After Reese is captured, Wright hooks up with Blair Williams (hottie Moon Bloodgood) and is taken back to the resistance headquarters where he learns his true fate.
By the time the film reaches its climax at Skynet Central...the story has become uninteresting, bland, laughable, and boring. The biggest problems with Terminator Salvation is that everything about the film is cold and dark...including the actors who are all given one note to play and don't even play it that well.
Bale seems to be doing his Batman voice throughout the entire film...which is not a good thing. He doesn't really act in the film...he mostly screams, grunts, and snarls. It is a shame because we all know how talented Bale is and to see it wasted like this is disheartening.
Bryce Dallas Howard seems to only be given one direction...look concerned.
Sam Worthington does what he can, but the role of Marcus Wright is very strangely written, first he makes out with a cancer patient, then he runs naked screaming, then he does a badass action swagger, and then finally screams some more. I think Worthington is talented and it does show here...but I hope he can show it in a better role in the future.
Anton Yelchin still looks like he is 12, so he doesn't fit in the brutal and cold world that Director McG has created. Lastly, Moon Bloodgood, who is also pretty talented has been given only one direction as well...look hot...which she does very well.
Overall, Terminator Salvation lacks any semblance of a heartbeat...which seems to be the point of the film. Maybe this is a film that just shouldn't have been made at this time...but it has...and its not good.
Everyone looks lost in the film, and the worst of all are the little winks to the audience that Director McG gives, which seemingly don't fit. For example Kyle Reese tells Marcus Wright when they meet "come with me if you want to live." Also when Kate Connor asks John Connor what she should tell the other soldiers...John replies "I'll be back."
When it reaches Skynet...we are treated to a CGI Schwarzenegger...yes, you read that right...a CGI Schwarzenegger. This film is so sterile and metal that when it gives these little glimpses of light, they just seem inappropriate and insulting.
Terminator Salvation is really a mess...but at least Christian Bale can look forward to one thing...only two more years til another Batman sequel.
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