Directed by:
McGCinematography:
Shane HurlbutComposer:
Danny ElfmanCast:
Christian Bale, Anton Yelchin, Moon Bloodgood, Sam Worthington, Common, Bryce Dallas Howard, Helena Bonham Carter, Roland Kickinger, Jane Alexander (more)VOD (5)
Plots(1)
Judgment Day has come and gone. Modern civilization has been destroyed. An army of Terminators roams the post-apocalyptic landscape, killing or collecting humans where they hide. But small groups of survivors have organized into a Resistance, hiding in underground bunkers and striking when they can against an enemy force that vastly outnumbers them. Only one man saw Judgment Day coming, a man whose destiny has always been intertwined with the fate of human existence: John Connor. But something totally new has shaken Connor's belief that humanity has a chance of winning this war: the appearance of Marcus Wright, a stranger from the past whose last memory is of being on death row before awakening in this strange, new world. If humanity is to survive, Connor must decide whether Marcus can be trusted, and the two must find common ground to make a stand against the onslaught and meet the enemy head on. (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)
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Reviews (13)
An A-movie budget for a B-movie that takes itself way too seriously, and which would benefit immensely if the director, instead of watching the Transformers movies and War of the Worlds, had put on the original Terminator.
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This film starts off as the coolest post-apocalyptic action orgasm since Mad Max 2. It takes only the names of the characters from James Cameron, while providing the well-cast Worthington/Yelchin duo with an interesting introduction. Terminator Salvation is engaging with its atmosphere, deadly new T600s and Transformer-like giants emitting sounds reminiscent of Spielberg’s Tripods. It is a great visual experience relishing its B-movie but extremely entertaining and spectacular take on the subgenre. BUT... in the second half, the creator of Charlie’s Angels seems to acquire the unfortunate impression that he can master Cameron’s reason-governed universe and starts to reference and alter it, and all of the enthusiasm for this film gradually evaporates. It seems like McG hasn’t even watched Cameron’s movies. At most, he has seen Scott’s Blade Runner, about which he was intrigued the most by fire lashing out of chimneys. P.S.: Worthington plays a more remarkable and important character than Christian Bale.
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How an interesting subject can be turned into a pretty mediocre bore. I don't know why, but sometimes I had to grimace at their conversations, speeches. But what really annoyed me was that everybody's favorite shaky cam à la documentary style. Nothing against it, for example in Children of Men it was really useful, but here it's useless. Like I wanted a good look at what was going on, but was told: "Sorry, baby!". Sure, some things were good, but the lighter moments can't save a movie that's supposed to be Something. The only thing I was honestly pleased with was the "rubber" imitation of Arnie's face, I enjoyed that special appearance.
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The world of the dark future James Cameron only hinted at, which gave a sense of something unknown that I never wanted to see on screen so that its menacing atmosphere would not disappear. Exactly this world is brought to us by McG with Skynet and the Resistance Movement, and to my great relief, he manages to dispel all concerns already with the exposition. There are plenty of reasons to be joyful after all. Whether it's both the dignified opponents at the center of the action, the crucial supporting characters, or the gallery of Terminator villains. But above all, the feeling that the saga was meant to come to these moments. For the direct continuation, I enthusiastically supported it thanks to the feeling that something great was being born. And yet the reality was different.
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It's hard to expect anything more than what the trailers showed us. McG serves up (unsurprisingly) a decent summer blockbuster, cheerfully shoving in one quote after another, all in the visual style of Charlie’s Angels. It works, especially in the first half, more than adequately. The atmosphere of the demolished streets draws the viewer right into the middle of any hit game, and the action sequences, in which the heroes are chased by giant robots, have more life in them than all of Transformers. The problem, however, is the writers, who obviously don't care much for sound logic and have to start dissecting characters and relationships just to get to the tear-jerking ending that grabs you (literally) by the heart. In the end, one name comes to mind - Sam Worthington. This guy is going to make a big splash in the ranks of charismatic Hollywood guys. It is he who overrides my seventy percent hesitation to give it a fourth star. It's hard to say what time away and a potential second watch will do to that.
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