I was actually quite disappointed when I initially heard that Fox decided to cancel the sci-fi series, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. I felt there was alot going for it, yet there was a part of me which understood that the story could only be taken so far. After watching Terminator Salvation, it just reaffirmed that understanding.

After the huge success of both The Terminator and T2, the storyline of the Connors versus Skynet becomes overused and all too familiar. Without much room to deviate from its theme, the franchise inevitably loses its mystique and becomes dull and overplayed. To cope with this, Terminator Salvation attempts to draw its audience in with a terrific action spectacle filled with explosions, car chases, and excessive gunfire. This initially works, but without any real story going for it, the movie itself becomes a mindless and pointless mess. The only real treat for moviegoers would be the new types of machines used in the film, but beyond the special effects, the film is quite hollow.

Christian Bale does try his best to keep this film afloat, but with such a limited dialogue to work with and a subpar plot, he is in no position to do that. It’s quite appalling really, when you consider how successful his previous role as the “Cape Crusader” was. I’m sure this film wont slow him down however, and he’ll do quite well when the next installment of Batman hits the cinema.

Entertainment wise, this film should appease those who are fans of hardcore action and violence. I’d skip this one completely if you need a storyline to keep you entertained. This film has none of it.

Synopsis:

In the highly anticipated new installment of The Terminator film franchise, set in post-apocalyptic 2018, Christian Bale stars as John Connor, the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet’s operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind. (Rotten Tomatoes)