Cast: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Moon Bloodgood, Bryce Dallas Howard, Common, Jane Alexander, Helena Bonham-Carter, Jadagrace; Director: McG; Producers: Derek Anderson, Moritz Borman, Victor Kubicek, Jeffrey Silver; Screenwriters: John D. Bracanto, Michael Ferris; Music: Danny Elfman; Editor: Conrad Buff IV; Genre: Science-Fiction/ Fantasy, Action/Adventure; Cinematography: Shane Hurlbut; Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures; Location: New Mexico, USA; Running Time: 110 min.;Technical Assessment: 3
Moral Assessment: 2
CINEMA Rating: For mature viewers 18 and above
Terminator Salvation is the fourth film of the series. It begins in 2018 Judgment Day and the machines have take over the earth. John Connor (Christian Bale) leads a resistance group and is both seen as a hero in waiting and a false prophet. They discover that Skynet is now attempting to create cyborg a combination of human and robots. Meanwhile death row inmate Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington)wakes up after 15 years and only remembers being on a death row. He emerges unharmed from a nuclear explosion and crosses path with teenage Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin), who is Skynet’s primary target for obliteration and John Connor’s father to be. Between trying to save his future father and the remaining humanity from annihilation, John Connor must decide whether Marcus is an ally or a traitor send by Skynet.
This Terminator installment plays more like a war movie than a Terminator movie with its loudness and non-stop metal clanging and banging. The script is well played but develops to be tedious. There is good camerawork complemented by the high intensity editing which keeps audience at the edge of their seats, gritting their teeth watching through half closed eyes. The action and CGI are enigmatic and impressive. This movie is worth time to spend on a lazy slow day.
There are several great characters in this movie. John Connor, incidentally is also “JC”, is the Christ-figure in the film. Everyone anticipates the “Messiah” but almost no one believe or accepts him as their savior. Marcus Wright is the sinner turned saint as he continually overrides his programming choosing to side with the humans and ultimately sacrificing his life so that another person may live. However, the movie is too violent. The brutality continues from Opening to Closing Credits with not many words to describe the physical and psychological attacks. Because of the graphic carnage and action, the movie is not suitable for young children and impressionable teenagers.
