In 1984, James Cameron brought to the big screen a visual spectacle known as "The Terminator" that changed action movies forever by revolutionizing special effects and catapulting a little known Austrian body builder named Arnold Schwarzenegger into super stardom.
In 1991, Cameron topped himself with "T2: Judgment Day," which expanded the mythos created in the first film and solidified the franchise in cinema history. However, these days Terminator is not the relevant franchise that it used to be. After the lack of a profound effect "Terminator 3" had, audiences have not really been begging for the next installment, but like it or not, the fourth movie in the series is back with "Terminator: Salvation". Unlike the other three, Salvation picks up nearly 10 years in the future, where machines run the world - an idea that has only been alluded to in the previous movies. So is this fresh take something that the series needs or are some things better left to the imagination?
"Terminator: Salvation" starts off in 2003, where death row inmate, Marcus Wright (played by up and comer Sam Worthington) awaits his execution. He is met by Serena Kogan (Helena Bonham Carter), whom asks him to donate his body to science - for a chance at redemption. Wright eventually agrees. Little does he know, the procedure leaves him as a half human/half Terminator.
The movie cuts to 2018, where Judgment Day has come and gone. Modern civilization has been destroyed. An army of Terminators roams the post-apocalyptic landscape, killing or collecting humans where they hide in the desolate cities and deserts. Small groups of survivors have organized into a resistance, hiding in underground bunkers and striking when they can against an enemy force that vastly outnumbers them. We find John Connor (Christian Bale) and a group of resistance fighters attacking a Skynet base (the artificial intelligence program that runs the Terminators) only to find that the machines have been kidnapping humans and performing experiments on them - a horrific discovery, which can only mean some terrible things are coming.
There are small groups of resistance fighters all around the globe, including the Los Angeles group, including Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin). For all you Terminator fans, we know that Reese actually grows up to be John Connor's father.
After Connor discovers the existence of Reese, he must secure his safety because the entire future depends on it. Connor also needs to find out if he can trust Marcus Wright, who is the only person that can help him on a full-scale attack on Skynet and bring their robotic oppressors down.
Let's face it, McG (who's real name is Joseph McGinty Nichol) has not really been known for making the most respectable films. He brought to cinema two Charlie's Angels movies. That is two more than this planet needs. "Terminator: Salvation," however, proves that McG actually knows what he is doing. James Cameron's films have only talked about Judgement Day and given short clips of what the post-apocalyptic future is like. McG takes the audience to this future and doesn't look back. His direction is clear, concise and has a gritty atmosphere reminiscent of films like "The Road Warrior" and "Children of Men," and delivers action that will blow the previous "Terminator" films out of the water. Though it is a visual spectacle, McG never lets the real focus escape him and that is the story and characters.
"That was critical for all of us to make sure it wasn't just explosions and loud sounds," explained McG. "It's always fund to have an action packed picture in the summer but it's got to be in the service of story and in the service of character. And you've really got to have a message to tell and that is our message, the heart."
Visually, this film is extremely impressive. Having Industrial Light & Magic pretty much insures that you get quality though. These special effects ground breakers created some of the most amazing robots seen. The three installments before this never really got past a few humanoid Terminator models. "Salvation" has more than you can hope for from hydrobots to moto-terminators to hunter-destroyers. The film puts away the green screens for a more set oriented approach, which allows for a more organic feel for the actors to work with and ultimately a gratifying aesthetic experience.
Christian Bale is the obvious star of the film. The character of John Connor has gone through some interesting changes. The first two stars to take on the role were Edward Furlong and Nick Stahl, both of whom are rather small and wimpy guys. That's why it is so refreshing to have Christian Bale take on the role. Not only is he just an all - around badass (just watch the "Dark Knight" or "American Psycho"), but he is a great character actor and can really bring intensity to his roles. There are some amazingly heavy plot points where Connor must do some major ass kicking, but the real intriguing part is the internal struggle he has with becoming the savior of mankind and whether he can live up to his destiny.
Sam Worthington is also not to be forgotten as Marcus Wright. Though he might not be a household name yet, he will be. Worthington is appearing next in (ironically) James Cameron's "Avatar" and is currently shooting the remake of "Clash of the Titans." Worthington's Marcus Wright is just as interesting a character. We've never seen a half human/half terminator before and it is actually pretty cool. He's the metaphor for what it really means to be a human and the emotions and thoughts that we have. Also, he can fist fight a T-800. What's not to like?
Overall, "Terminator: Salvation" is just what the franchise needs. McG has proved that he has what it takes to be a heavy hitter in Hollywood and can craft an action packed blockbuster with substance. The only problem might be that it is not a re-imagining, but a fourth installment. Newcomers may need to do some homework with the previous films, but this shouldn't keep anyone from experiencing the blockbuster gem.
"Terminator: Salvation" is now playing in movie theaters nationwide.
thetriangle.org
In 1991, Cameron topped himself with "T2: Judgment Day," which expanded the mythos created in the first film and solidified the franchise in cinema history. However, these days Terminator is not the relevant franchise that it used to be. After the lack of a profound effect "Terminator 3" had, audiences have not really been begging for the next installment, but like it or not, the fourth movie in the series is back with "Terminator: Salvation". Unlike the other three, Salvation picks up nearly 10 years in the future, where machines run the world - an idea that has only been alluded to in the previous movies. So is this fresh take something that the series needs or are some things better left to the imagination?
"Terminator: Salvation" starts off in 2003, where death row inmate, Marcus Wright (played by up and comer Sam Worthington) awaits his execution. He is met by Serena Kogan (Helena Bonham Carter), whom asks him to donate his body to science - for a chance at redemption. Wright eventually agrees. Little does he know, the procedure leaves him as a half human/half Terminator.
The movie cuts to 2018, where Judgment Day has come and gone. Modern civilization has been destroyed. An army of Terminators roams the post-apocalyptic landscape, killing or collecting humans where they hide in the desolate cities and deserts. Small groups of survivors have organized into a resistance, hiding in underground bunkers and striking when they can against an enemy force that vastly outnumbers them. We find John Connor (Christian Bale) and a group of resistance fighters attacking a Skynet base (the artificial intelligence program that runs the Terminators) only to find that the machines have been kidnapping humans and performing experiments on them - a horrific discovery, which can only mean some terrible things are coming.
There are small groups of resistance fighters all around the globe, including the Los Angeles group, including Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin). For all you Terminator fans, we know that Reese actually grows up to be John Connor's father.
After Connor discovers the existence of Reese, he must secure his safety because the entire future depends on it. Connor also needs to find out if he can trust Marcus Wright, who is the only person that can help him on a full-scale attack on Skynet and bring their robotic oppressors down.
Let's face it, McG (who's real name is Joseph McGinty Nichol) has not really been known for making the most respectable films. He brought to cinema two Charlie's Angels movies. That is two more than this planet needs. "Terminator: Salvation," however, proves that McG actually knows what he is doing. James Cameron's films have only talked about Judgement Day and given short clips of what the post-apocalyptic future is like. McG takes the audience to this future and doesn't look back. His direction is clear, concise and has a gritty atmosphere reminiscent of films like "The Road Warrior" and "Children of Men," and delivers action that will blow the previous "Terminator" films out of the water. Though it is a visual spectacle, McG never lets the real focus escape him and that is the story and characters.
"That was critical for all of us to make sure it wasn't just explosions and loud sounds," explained McG. "It's always fund to have an action packed picture in the summer but it's got to be in the service of story and in the service of character. And you've really got to have a message to tell and that is our message, the heart."
Visually, this film is extremely impressive. Having Industrial Light & Magic pretty much insures that you get quality though. These special effects ground breakers created some of the most amazing robots seen. The three installments before this never really got past a few humanoid Terminator models. "Salvation" has more than you can hope for from hydrobots to moto-terminators to hunter-destroyers. The film puts away the green screens for a more set oriented approach, which allows for a more organic feel for the actors to work with and ultimately a gratifying aesthetic experience.
Christian Bale is the obvious star of the film. The character of John Connor has gone through some interesting changes. The first two stars to take on the role were Edward Furlong and Nick Stahl, both of whom are rather small and wimpy guys. That's why it is so refreshing to have Christian Bale take on the role. Not only is he just an all - around badass (just watch the "Dark Knight" or "American Psycho"), but he is a great character actor and can really bring intensity to his roles. There are some amazingly heavy plot points where Connor must do some major ass kicking, but the real intriguing part is the internal struggle he has with becoming the savior of mankind and whether he can live up to his destiny.
Sam Worthington is also not to be forgotten as Marcus Wright. Though he might not be a household name yet, he will be. Worthington is appearing next in (ironically) James Cameron's "Avatar" and is currently shooting the remake of "Clash of the Titans." Worthington's Marcus Wright is just as interesting a character. We've never seen a half human/half terminator before and it is actually pretty cool. He's the metaphor for what it really means to be a human and the emotions and thoughts that we have. Also, he can fist fight a T-800. What's not to like?
Overall, "Terminator: Salvation" is just what the franchise needs. McG has proved that he has what it takes to be a heavy hitter in Hollywood and can craft an action packed blockbuster with substance. The only problem might be that it is not a re-imagining, but a fourth installment. Newcomers may need to do some homework with the previous films, but this shouldn't keep anyone from experiencing the blockbuster gem.
"Terminator: Salvation" is now playing in movie theaters nationwide.
thetriangle.org
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