Terminator Salvation

It's hard to expect anything more than what the trailers showed us. McG serves up (unsurprisingly) a decent summer blockbuster, cheerfully shoving in one quote after another, all in the visual style of Charlie’s Angels. It works, especially in the first half, more than adequately. The atmosphere of the demolished streets draws the viewer right into the middle of any hit game, and the action sequences, in which the heroes are chased by giant robots, have more life in them than all of Transformers. The problem, however, is the writers, who obviously don't care much for sound logic and have to start dissecting characters and relationships just to get to the tear-jerking ending that grabs you (literally) by the heart. In the end, one name comes to mind - Sam Worthington. This guy is going to make a big splash in the ranks of charismatic Hollywood guys. It is he who overrides my seventy percent hesitation to give it a fourth star. It's hard to say what time away and a potential second watch will do to that. (08/06/2009)

The fourth Terminator is somewhere between the visual purity of T3 and the grandeur and fatefulness of T2. You can almost feel through the TV screen the physical action scenes, which have bombastic sound and precise editing. Similarly, the dirty and uncertain future is portrayed with appropriate dark music and excellent lighting. McG also treats the viewer to several knockouts in the form of brilliantly shot scenes and various camera tricks. But the last act is not good, with a finale that is logically simple, overly terse and in the context of the preceding events, not sufficiently epic. The characters are fine and technically gripping. It’s a pleasant bridge to the next installment, which I can imagine. (06/06/2009)

I did not rush to watch this movie, even though the series is among my favorites. However, the first reactions from fans and reviews warned me that this would not be my cup of tea, and my expectations were completely fulfilled. Not that Salvation doesn't have anything to offer, as it has a very decent budget, the special effects are good, and it also has a decent pace and action. In principle, the reviews are right, which mention the resemblance to Transformers or Mad Max. But that is precisely the kind of movie that doesn't appeal to me. The original Terminator managed to create a myth alongside action, realistic violence, and adventure elements thanks to a quality screenplay that strictly adhered to logic within its sci-fi construct, and that is simply something that the fourth installment lacks. The screenplay is stitched with a needle that is too hot, the plot contains a number of inconsistencies, and the overall concept is somewhat fantastical. It reminds me of sci-fi for older children. Just the appearance of the giant robots, as if they escaped from a construction set... Overall impression: 45%. (21/07/2009)

This film starts off as the coolest post-apocalyptic action orgasm since Mad Max 2. It takes only the names of the characters from James Cameron, while providing the well-cast Worthington/Yelchin duo with an interesting introduction. Terminator Salvation is engaging with its atmosphere, deadly new T600s and Transformer-like giants emitting sounds reminiscent of Spielberg’s Tripods. It is a great visual experience relishing its B-movie but extremely entertaining and spectacular take on the subgenre. BUT... in the second half, the creator of Charlie’s Angels seems to acquire the unfortunate impression that he can master Cameron’s reason-governed universe and starts to reference and alter it, and all of the enthusiasm for this film gradually evaporates. It seems like McG hasn’t even watched Cameron’s movies. At most, he has seen Scott’s Blade Runner, about which he was intrigued the most by fire lashing out of chimneys. P.S.: Worthington plays a more remarkable and important character than Christian Bale. (21/05/2009)

An A-movie budget for a B-movie that takes itself way too seriously, and which would benefit immensely if the director, instead of watching the Transformers movies and War of the Worlds, had put on the original Terminator. (08/06/2009)