Terminator Salvation: The End of the Franchise
By Nathan Madison
May 31, 2009 - 23:36:53 PM
Studios: The Halcyon Company, Intermedia Film, T Asset Acquisition Company, Lin Pictures, Wonderland Sound and Vision, IMF Internationale
Writer(s): John D. Brancato. Michael Ferris
Starring: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood, Helena Bonham Carter, Anton Yelchin, Jadagrace, Bryce Dallas Howard, Common, Michael Ironside
Directed by: McG
Produced by: Derek Anderson, Moritz Borman, Victor Kubicek, Jeffrey Silver
Running Time: 1 hour, 54 minutes
Release Date: Thursday, May 21, 2009 Midnight
Rating: PG13
Distributors: Warner's Bros.
It is not easy, trying to ascertain where to begin when writing about a film such as McG's (yes, you read that right) Terminator:Salvation. Upon which aspect do you open?
The main problem with the film appears in its first few minutes, that being the character of John Conner, performed (I suppose you can call it a performance) by Christian Bale. Bale's use of his scary Batman voice in the role is not the problem, but rather the fact that John Conner has such a prominent role in the film, which was obviously not the case in the earlier draftings of the script.
According to an article in the Vancouver Sun, dated May 8th, several weeks before the opening of the film, Bale stated that "[John] Connor was a character who appeared very briefly in that original script . . ." Many sources report that, in the original script, Conner's screen time would have amounted to less than five minutes of screen time. If the scenes of John Conner in the film seemed somewhat choppy and haphazardly tossed in, without a great deal of attention paid to their coherence with the rest of the plot, there is a reason for that: most of the scenes with John Conner are not a part of the script, but were rather added in later, under demands from Bale for a larger role for Conner in the film.
Another problem with Terminator: Salvation is that a great deal is left ambiguous to the viewer, and does not make much, if any, sense. Why were people being rounded up by TERMINATORS? Seriously, why would Terminators, be rounding up people? Is there some reason why they are not . . . terminating them? Who was Helena Bonham Carter's character? Why was Kyle Reese, if the machines knew who he was (John Conner's father) kept
alive, in an attempt to lure his son to Skynet (when simply killing Reese would have solved that problem rather quickly). Why bother luring John Conner to Skynet, to kill him, when Skynet can just kill Reese, and prevent John Conner from ever being born in the first place? (They had that idea once before, I beleive). What was the mechanical implant that Marcus pulls out of his head near the end of the film? Why would Skynet patch Marcus up, in the first place? Why would the Resistance sacrifice an outstanding trump card, such as their very own Terminator, for the life of John Conner?
These are many questions found throughout the film, that, perhaps many could pass over and not give much thought to; for others, however, these are plot holes that give show an actor determined to beef up his own role (where, originally, he did in fact die in the film), regardless of any damage to the plot, and an untalented director trying to shamble together various bits of several scripts into a single coherent narrative, both failing rather miserably. The answers to some of the before-mentioned questions can be found, for the most part, at Chud.com's article explaining what the original script was supposed to be: in short, Skynet was rounding up people in order to create a hybrid organism that could survive mankind's determination to destroy itself, Kyle Reese's identity was not known to Skynet at the time, and Marcus is pulling out a chip that Skynet uses to control all of its new hybrid creatures. (Chud.com did a far better job of pointing out the film's flaws than I, and viewing their views on the film is highly suggested. It also helps in explaining many of the loose ends and plotholes that McG was apparently unable to tie up within his own film). While retaining such aspects of the original script may not have produced a far superior film, it would have given the audience a film that at least attempted to make sense.
What the audience is instead given is a jumbled selection of scenes, dialogue and uncertain plot devices that leaves the viewer wondering what just transpired. My best friend, upon our exiting the theatre asked me what I thought of the film; I could not really say, because I did not feel like I had seen a coherent film, but rather some interesting outtakes or extended scenes edited together into some sort of side-story.
The franchise is dead, after a film of this quality. The special effects were decent, and it was great seeing Arnold circa-1982 on screen again. Sam Worthington and Anton Yelchin are the standout actors in the film,
and it is a shame their obvious talents were wasted on this endeavor.
Aside from a few interesting visuals and excellent supporting actors, the film falls flat in almost every way.
There is no fate but what we make. Unfortunately, McG and Co. have made all but certain the Terminator franchise's fate. Terminated.
Sources cited:
"What Went Wrong with Terminator Salvation?" - http://www.chud.com/articles/articles/19577/1/EXCLUSIVE-WHAT-WENT-WRONG-WITH-TERMINATOR-SALVATION/Page1.html
I haven't even seen it, and I already hate it! Your review and many others have really conspired to expose James Cameron as a brilliant filmmaker, and I never thought I'd say that. Seriously, I loved the first two Terminator movies, but thought Titanic was too sticky sweet. So I'd written Cameron off. But his 1980s sci-fi vision was truly a vision, wasn't it.
I don't even think James Cameron is that great of a film-maker, in all honesty. The first Terminator was an enjoyable film and the best in the series (in my opinion), and Terminator 2 holds more of a sentimental value for me, as it was "the movie" when I was a kid.
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