By Julian Martin
In:Site Staff Reporter
2.5/5 Stars
For a series built on the seemingly impossible ideas of time travel and evil robots, the Terminator franchise has always felt relatable. Films that could have been reduced to over-the-top action sequences were also tales of personal struggles and triumphs. Unfortunately Terminator Salvation discards this winning combination, and instead offers a predictable and emotionless sequel.
Set in the near-future, Salvation follows John Connor (Christian Bale), a Resistance soldier fighting against the Terminator army (dubbed “Skynet”). Skynet is bent on destroying humanity. Connor wants to save it. While he tries to stop the end of the world, the soldier must also rescue a young Resistance fighter named Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin) from the machines. Reese is younger than Connor – but is actually Connor’s father.
The pair both top the Terminators’ Most Wanted list because, although it hasn’t happened yet, Connor will actually defeat Skynet in the future.
While previous Terminator films attempted to believably explain how any of this could make sense, Salvation gives few explanations and largely assumes audience members are already familiar with every character, plot twist and paradox from previous entries in the series.
Similar examples can be seen throughout the film. Connor’s wife, Kate (Bryce Dallas Howard), who played a key role in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, is given no introduction, and only a handful of lines. The list goes on (even the Governator makes a cameo) until the entire movie seems as if it’s one big tribute made just for fans.
These throwbacks would work perfectly if they actually served a purpose. Instead, thanks to uninteresting characters and a bland story, viewers have no incentive to care about what’s taking place on-screen. Connor’s cry of “I’ll be back,” elicits only the feeling of an awkward, and slightly-insulting, hand-out.
Director McG’s Salvation is also a much-darker and humorless world. Combined with a storyline chock full of more plot holes then any movie should be allowed to have, exhilaration is hard to come by. Rather, you’re often left feeling like you’re waiting for something worthwhile to happen.
The film does show a few intense battles. One fight pitted Reese and former-criminal-turned-hero Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington) against a Transformer-sized Harvester robot in a heart-pounding chase scene. The sounds and special effects in these instances conveyed an epic intensity not found throughout the rest of Salvation.
For 25 years, films, comic books and even a TV show have built up the Terminators as cold, immoral robots while Connor has been portrayed as humanity’s only hope. The future Resistance fighter however is less a Neo-like messiah and more of a one-dimensional warrior channeling Rambo.
Bale helped to revive another series in 2005 by showing a tormented, yet compassionate, superhero in Batman Begins. Sadly the only thing that’s been carried over is the distinctive weird gravelly-voice used whenever Bale donned the Batsuit. You could feel more empathy towards a broken iPod then the soulless Connor.
What keeps Terminator Salvation from being a complete failure is the film’s supporting cast. Yelchin plays Reese as quiet and brave: you can easily picture him as the future hero from Terminator. Moon Bloodgood also gives a heartbreaking performance as a lonely Resistance member.
Ironically Wright is the most sympathetic character. Although he thinks of himself as human, he happens to be one of the very machines the Resistance is fighting against. Salvation shows the potential for a great film by focusing on the conflicted Terminator just long enough to have Connor steal the spotlight.
Terminator Salvation could have been an exciting reboot along the lines of Batman Begins and Star Trek. However, McG’s film comes off as a confusing mix of prequel and sequel that makes the dismal X-Men Origins: Wolverine seem like a thought-provoking summer blockbuster.
