DVD Reviews

Terminator Salvation (Director's Cut) – Blu-ray Review

By Patrick Luce Dec 8, 2009, 13:25 GMT

In the aftermath of Judgment Day and the machine takeover, resistance leader John Connor (Christian Bale) must counter Skynet’s plan to terminate mankind. Rallying his underground street fighters for a last, desperate battle, he realizes that to save the future he must rescue his own father Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin). But the most shocking discovery comes with the arrival of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a mysterious loner from the past ...more

While Terminator Salvation has all the needed elements to be part of the franchise (the big action sequences, battle against overwhelming odds and hope for tomorrow), the film never quite seems like a Terminator movie.

Part of this problem could be due to the fact the film is set during the actual war with Skynet so there is no time travel involved, but also because it just feels like several action sequences strung together with bits of plot in between the next big explosion.

Directed by McG, the new film in the franchise was written by John Brancato and Michael Ferris. The film sees Christian Bale stepping into the role of John Connor in a post-Judgment Day world where he leads a group of soldiers as a member of the resistance, but not its head. Some people believe his talk about how to defeat the machines while others doubt it.

Bale is joined in the film by Anton Yelchin (handling the role of a young Kyle Reese); Sam Worthington (as the mysterious Marcus Wright); Bryce Dallas Howard (John Connor's pregnant wife Kate); Moon Bloodgood (fighter pilot Blair Williams); Common; Jadagrace; Helena Bonham Carter (who pops up at the beginning and end of the movie as Dr. Serena Kogen) and a growling Michael Ironside (the resistance leader).

After introducing us to death row inmate Marcus Wright (who signs over his body to Dr. Serena Kogen and Cyberdyne Systems' Genetic Research Division) in 2003, the film jumps up to a burned out 2018 after Judgment Day and kicks off with a big action sequence where John Connor and a group of fighters raid a Skynet facility.

While there, Connor makes some startling discoveries about something Skynet is planning, sees some human captives, and is the sole survivor of an attack by the machines. He heads to the resistance command and finds out there is a signal that can cripple all of the machines (umm didn’t they do something like that in the Matrix films?). Naturally, Connor clashes with command, but volunteers his unit to test the signal.

The film then jumps back to the Skynet facility where Marcus Wright emerges from the pit (in a scene that reminded me of John Goodman’s escape in 1987’s Raising Arizona), and begins his journey to figure out who he is and what has happened to him. Wright has no idea what year it is, that he is a cyborg/robot/Terminator (kind of like some of the Cylons didn’t know they were Cylons in the remake of the Battlestar Galactica series).

Wright hooks up with a young Kyle Reese (as Yelchin delivers the needed lines “Come with me if you want to live”), and try to make his way to Skynet’s headquarters in San Francisco. It doesn’t take Skynet long to nab Reese (who they are trying to kill since he will become Connor’s daddy when Connor sends him to the past to protect his mother), and Wright to fall into the hands of Connor and the resistance.

Wright discovers the truth about what he is, and Connor decides it is worth the risk to trust him so that he can save Reese from the machines – since if the machines kill Reese then he won’t be born.

The film then moves at a pretty predictable pace with Wright and Connor heading into Skynet’s main facility to take it down, rescue Reese, and save the day – or at least leave the film open for another sequel. There is even a great (if not cheesy) fight scene with Connor and a Terminator model who might remind fans of the first film in the franchise.

Terminator Salvation is a somewhat predictable film that relies more on its big action sequences and CGI than on a solid plot. In fact, thinking about the film’s plot (Connor having to save Reese so that Connor can later send Reese to the past so Connor can be born) could honestly make your head explode.

Since the plot is a bit shaky at best, McG fills the screen with massive explosions, loud firefights, and lots of stunt/CGI work (such as a giant robot that scoops up humans like Little Bunny Foo Foo). In this aspect, the film works. If explosions and action sequences are all you are looking for, it will please from start to finish.

However, the film starts to fall apart when you look at character development, plot points, and how it compares to past films in the franchise. While better than 2003’s Rise of the Machines, it is still a long way from the first film in the franchise or James Cameron’s superior Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

McG’s take on the Terminator franchise does tie to past films nicely (such as we get to see how Connor got that nasty scar and hear a little Guns N’ Roses “You Could be Mine” in one scene), but for some reason it never really feels like a Terminator movie.

Bale does a decent job in the film, but never makes Connor his own. Instead, he seems to be channeling some of the rage from his Batman character, and mixes it with some of the aspects from his character in 2002’s Reign of Fire (where he was a fierce fighter, but felt a responsibility to protect the people under his care).

Parts of the Connor role fit him like a glove. Bale can handle big action sequences and seems at home in such a strong, driven character. Still other aspects of the character seem forced – such as the “I’ll be back” line.

Worthington also does solid work in the film, but his character seems more of a device to move Connor from point A to point B, and is never fully developed in the film. This is partly because he is supposed to be a mystery and slowly discovers the truth about himself. The actor does a good job in the role and I am interested to see how he handles himself in larger films – such as James Cameron’s upcoming Avatar and the remake of Clash of the Titans.

The film also has some good work put in from the rest of the cast, but their characters are on screen so briefly that they seem to not really matter or leave a lasting impression.

The Blu-ray’s Director’s Cut adds about three minutes back into the film (including a quasi nude scene with Moon Bloodgood), but the extra time isn’t enough to save the film. It does look incredible on the Blu-ray format with every layer of detail brought out in clear definition. McG got the burned-out look of a post Judgment Day world right, and the Blu-ray format is the way to see this film.

It also comes loaded with some decent special features (such as watching the film with the director) which will be enjoyed depending on your like of McG and the movie. There is nothing ground-breaking in the features, but fans will want to take the time to watch.

Terminator Salvation is not a horrible movie, but it isn’t as good as it could have been. Even with the added time of the Director’s Cut, the film still suffers from a weak story that seems to borrow from other sci-fi films and television series.

Instead of a strong plot, the film comes across as one action sequence after the next with bits of acting to tie the sequences together. I didn’t instantly hate the movie, but I didn’t want to immediately see it again the way I did when Terminator 2: Judgment Day came out.