“Terminator Salvation”?

The fourth installment in the Terminator series wasn't marketed very heavily. Which is a shame, as this PG-13 version had excellent writing (the opposite of the Transformers sequel, which was pretty to look at but lacked a coherent script), and the Terminator exoskeletons running amok looked "real," as the CG animation looked much better than 1984's stop motion effects. Also, Christian Bale was a great casting choice. He plays a great tough guy, and is a welcome addition to the franchise. He did, however, use his Batman voice at one point. You do what works, I guess!

As just mentioned above, the film was rated PG-13. This is a departure from Terminators 1-3, which were all rated R for language, nudity, and violence. Apparently, when the human race is reduced to scattered survivors, there's less cursing and everyone keeps their clothes on. The film was surprisingly action packed while lacking the unnecessary F-bombs. The writing was strong, and the plot moved along at the right pace, the movie running under 2 hours. Some moments were pretty unbelievable, but they looked great!

This film is a great example of a movie using special effects to aid storytelling. The CG was good, but wasn't the main attraction. There were a few cheesy lines (“I'll be back”), but I think those were thrown in for fans, and were understated. John Conner, the prophesied leader of the resistance, must decide how to lead those under his command. Listening to tapes his mother left him, he must make the right decisions in order beat Skynet. The arrival of Wright throws a monkey wrench into the mix, and Conner must decide whether he's trustworthy.

The "Salvation" in the title was aptly placed. In the beginning, Marcus Wright, a murderer on death row, donates his body to science. Waking up in 2018, he now has a chance to redeem himself as he joins the fight for the survival of the human race. However, he’s hiding a secret that could jeopardize the resistance. Will Marcus help or destroy the human race? That is a big question that John Connor has to deal with. Marcus’ involvement throughout the unfolding of the plot has the potential to ensure the survival of the human race, and salvation is found in the sacrifice he makes at the end of the film. I won’t give away the ending. You’ll have to see it for yourself.

The film, thankfully, does not tie up the franchise, leaving room for a sequel. If more films like “Terminator Salvation” are made- tight writing, good acting, and smart special effects, they may do well in the box office. However, Terminator’s cult following may undermine box office potential, as fans may be disappointed with the vision that these newer films are made. We’ll have to see what happens with Terminator 5.