Terminator: Salvation

"You can focus on what is lost...or you can fight for what is left." - Williams

release year: 2009
genre: sci-fi action
viewing setting: home Bluray 4/7/26 and 7/27/13 and theater 5/25/09

synopsis: In 2018, mankind is in the midst of a war against the machines, who are harvesting people for reasons unknown.

impressions: Finally, this franchise got a kick in the ass: rather than yet another multiple-combatants-travel-back-in-time situation, we have basically a connective chapter from the war with Skynet. When I saw this in the theater in 2009 I thought that was great; after my most recent viewing, I'm backing off of that position somewhat. The movie has plenty of action and special effects, but in some ways it just didn't FEEL like a "classic" Terminator movie. Probably because it wasn't; there was no clear-cut bad Terminator and no one sent back to stop it. Either way...this particular piece of the war against the machines deals with several things: John Connor's rise to leadership, the genesis of the T-800 model, and a young Kyle Reese. It was fast-paced, had some compelling characters, and there was even a brief (CGI) appearance by Arnold as the first T-800 Terminator. I'd also like to note that this movie paid homage to all of the previous ones in little ways.

acting: Christian Bale is great as a troubled but hardened warrior and leader. Sam Worthington is a death-row inmate from 2003 who wakes up in the insane 2018 world. Anton Yelchin is an enthusiastic young Kyle Reese. Moon Bloodgood is a heroic pilot who does what's right instead of following orders.

final word: This sequel wasn't afraid to go in a different direction, which was both good and bad.

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