Terminator Salvation
Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: May 21, 2009
6.0
USER SCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 846 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
382
Mixed:
299
Negative:
165
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User scoreBy dateMost helpful
10
MetipaytonMar 18, 2023
It was one the best movies that i have watched in the past 5years, yea sometimes it was so slow and cold performance and in an instant everything would have changed and you couldn't even blink!
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8
RD1996Jun 27, 2022
This was a good Terminator movie. Always wanted to see a Terminator movie that took place after Judgment Day and this is it. Never understood the hate for this one. It aged pretty good if you ask me. Especially compared to the last fewThis was a good Terminator movie. Always wanted to see a Terminator movie that took place after Judgment Day and this is it. Never understood the hate for this one. It aged pretty good if you ask me. Especially compared to the last few Terminator movies that have released.… Expand
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3
NickTheCritickMay 1, 2022
Again with these low-quality sequels that aren't even worthy of tying the shoes of the first two movies. No cinematic art in this film, another terminator without ideas and without cinematic power.
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5
BroyaxMar 28, 2022
Des explosions en veux-tu, en voilà, des explosions à en perdre la tête, c’est la grosse promo : toutes les explosions à -75% ! des petites, des grosses, des énoooormes explosions ! et putain qu’elles sont belles ces explosions ! booooum boumDes explosions en veux-tu, en voilà, des explosions à en perdre la tête, c’est la grosse promo : toutes les explosions à -75% ! des petites, des grosses, des énoooormes explosions ! et putain qu’elles sont belles ces explosions ! booooum boum baboum kaboum badaboum !!… impossibles à décrire en vrai, surtout avec les effets sonores… explosifs. Tout le film d’ailleurs devrait recevoir un Oscar pour sa partie sonore : un pur régal pour les esgourdes.

Les autres effets spéciaux ne sont pas en reste : tout ce fric (des centaines de millions ?) est là pour vous servir. D’autant que la réalisation est très correcte… entendons-nous bien cependant : rien à voir avec les deux premiers ou même le troisième mais à côté (par exemple) d’une merde comme Elysium ou Edge of Tomorrow (par exemple), c’est presque de la belle ouvrage.

Puis, passé cet émerveillement (au passage, excellent choix que Christian Bale pour John Connor) on note que la musique signée Danny Elfman est bêtement criarde, gueularde, formatée et syndicale. Heureusement, la bande sonore des machins qui pètent de partout la font quasiment oublier.

Le scénario qui rappelons-le après 3 films doit composer avec une base sévèrement bancale est ici très alambiqué, tellement alambiqué qu’on pourrait en sortir 25 litres de 3 étoiles. Pas crédible pour un sou, on atteint le point de rupture de tout l’univers terminatoresque sur le point d’imploser sous son propre poids (et il est lourd le bougre !).

Par exemple, la petite gamine complètement débile et issue de la diversité obligatoire équivaut à elle seule à se tirer une ogive nucléaire dans le pied ; Kyle Reese en ado est une tête à claques et j’en passe. Et des pires. C’est pénible. Ajoutons que tout humour a totalement disparu, ce T4 étant bloqué au premier degré comme un ascenseur en panne.

Finalement, ne peut-on faire un bon Terminator sans Schwarzenegger ?… mais si on le peut ! pourvu qu’on ait un minimum de bon sens : la série des Chroniques de Sarah Connor l’a démontré malgré ses défauts. Du grand spectacle ici donc… mais pas beaucoup plus !… Expand
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5
EnergiyeMar 24, 2022
Not as insultingly bad as the following two entries. Pretty average movie. Terminator never should've been a franchise in the first place.
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2
DarkwingSchmuckMar 8, 2022
Loud, dumb, obnoxious, and mind-numbingly relentless, Terminator Salvation is a 2-hour headache masquerading as a movie.
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6
alexandreaDec 1, 2021
Better than 3 but still not amazing. The premise is simply the best in the franchise.
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10
CEO_OF_HELLNov 15, 2021
After watching dark fate and genisys. This is the best terminator after 2. Don’t bother watching any other terminator after this one! Also enough of that time travel ****
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4
robertoiglesiasApr 27, 2018
I don't like this movie that much, due to the second half undermining the potential in the first half, as well as the setup being confusing. Why would the machines kidnap Kyle Reese instead of killing him, which would prevent him fromI don't like this movie that much, due to the second half undermining the potential in the first half, as well as the setup being confusing. Why would the machines kidnap Kyle Reese instead of killing him, which would prevent him from traveling back in time?… Expand
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7
rjmacreadySep 9, 2020
Some decent early scenes gradually give way to a silly plot and a CGI Schwarzenegger. Not quite as bad as I remember from my first viewing...but still the weakest Terminator film in the franchise, at least up to this point (I still haven'tSome decent early scenes gradually give way to a silly plot and a CGI Schwarzenegger. Not quite as bad as I remember from my first viewing...but still the weakest Terminator film in the franchise, at least up to this point (I still haven't watched Genisys, so wish me luck with that)!

Ultimately, it's more like a second-rate Mad Max (with added robots) than a Terminator film, but not horrifically bad for all that. It's certainly a darn sight better than Transformers; though I'm not convinced "McG" is much of an improvement over Michael McF-ing Bay.… Expand
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6
FilipeNetoMar 19, 2021
Building an entire franchise on top of the smashing success of two films was a mistake, and the comparison between "Terminator 2" and this film is even unfair. Through this film, we travel to an apocalyptic future, where a program calledBuilding an entire franchise on top of the smashing success of two films was a mistake, and the comparison between "Terminator 2" and this film is even unfair. Through this film, we travel to an apocalyptic future, where a program called Skynet managed to start a war between humans and machines. Human resistance is led, of course, by John Connor. But what to do when a man comes to him who may not be who he says he is?

I honestly don't want to talk about the plot too much because talking too much about it implies, in my perspective, revealing too much about the film, and I honestly don't want to do that. This is due to the fact that it is too simple and thin, in addition to being a little obvious, being quite easy to guess the main events and twists. In fact, the script, despite trying to offer us something more than chase scenes, turns out to be just a pretext for action scenes, one after another, with the story itself being relegated to the background.

It is quite evident that director McG (what an absurd pseudonym, it looks like a car brand!) bet all his chips on creating a "blockbuster action" movie, and invested extensively in production values and noisy and impressive action scenes, neglecting almost everything else and letting the name "Terminator" to help to make the film saleable.

The cast is satisfactory. As it could not be otherwise, Arnold Schwarzenegger returns to assume the role of terminator, but in a CGI version of himself, ugly and uninteresting enough to disappoint anyone. Christian Bale could have done better, too. He is a shadow of himself here. On the contrary, Sam Worthington offers us a complex and charismatic character, and Anton Yelchin also offers us a consistent and solid performance. Unfortunately for both actors, the film is not very interesting, and I have doubts if any of them keep good memories of this work.

It is, truly, in the technical features that this film shows some value and justifies its budget. The action is the strongest part of the film and was designed to satisfy audiences who are pleased with much destruction, shots, explosions and noise. This is not necessarily bad, on the contrary, it is welcome in this kind of film, but sometimes excess is also a sin and exaggeration takes away some credibility in some scenes, transforming the film into something as real and exciting as a great and expensive video game. Cinematography is very good, the film has an elegant look and the destroyed world is impressive. The sets and costumes are very good and the effects and CGI are great, made to impress.… Expand
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5
imthenoobFeb 2, 2012
Outside of T2, This is the only decent sequel. McG did a great job crafting a setting we have never explored before in a Terminator film. Bale and Worthington were great leads, The action was enjoyable and it was very easy to stay interestedOutside of T2, This is the only decent sequel. McG did a great job crafting a setting we have never explored before in a Terminator film. Bale and Worthington were great leads, The action was enjoyable and it was very easy to stay interested in despite some moments not necessarily fitting the flow of the narrative and feeling out of place.

Salvation had a lot of potential and sadly, We never got to see a sequel since the company behind it had sold the rights to the franchise. I wish the later films followed this format more closely because Salvation, while clearly being flawed, did a lot of things right.… Expand
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6
geewahJan 30, 2021
McG's best movie. And that's saying something.
It's also not even close to being the worst Terminator movie. That's also saying something.
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7
gracjanskiDec 4, 2020
The whole movie takes place during the war between the machines and humans...finally, because I am sure many wanted to see that. The action is good, the story is average, the dialogues bad sometimes.
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3
AgentZNov 19, 2020
Every single time I watch this slow, forgettable snooze-fest I always end up falling asleep on it. All of the characters are one-dimensional bores. There are a lot of idiotic plot holes (such as Terminators kidnapping humans and taking themEvery single time I watch this slow, forgettable snooze-fest I always end up falling asleep on it. All of the characters are one-dimensional bores. There are a lot of idiotic plot holes (such as Terminators kidnapping humans and taking them hostage instead of just killing them like they're PROGRAMMED to do) and some huge continuity errors (such as Sarah Connor's audio diary voice clips being different from the ones she made at the end of the first Terminator film). Christian Bale was severely miscast as John Connor. He overacted his role and was annyingly shouting a lot. It was like hearing a screaming child. Bale was a horrible John Connor. You can hear his annoying, infamous Batman (or as some people like to insultingly say: Throat Cancer Man) voice when he screams. John Connor was stupidly sidelined throughout almost the entire film and was overshadowed by a bunch of cardboard characters who are nobodies (including a young black girl who never talked at all). Sam Worthington was so forgettable in this sequel as a cybernetic Terminator on the human resistance side. I don't even remember his character's name. Kate Connor (who used to be Kate Brewster before marrying John Connor) was almost completely absent in the film and heavily underutilized. She was so underused that I forgot she was even in this film and forgot she was even recast and played by Bryce Dallas Howard who replaced Claire Danes in the role. This is the first and so far only Terminator movie where Arnold Schwarzenegger is absent (probably because he was too busy being the governor of California back then or something), so the role of the T-800 was recast with Arnie's understudy Roland Kickinger (who is also a tough, muscular Austrian and actually looks a lot like Arnie and looked like him so much that I actually that he was Arnie the first few times I watched Salvation) replacing him in the role. The The plot was completely all over the place. The characters are all horrible, beyond boring, one-dimensional, completely forgettable, utterly underdeveloped, and completely lack personality. The cast was horrible and all purely lack chemistry and charisma, though it's not ENTIRELY their fault cause the writing and directing were horrid. Oh, and this movie is way too loud. Salvation is a slow-paced, boring, forgettable, over-the-top, loud, mindless action-packed snooze-fest filled with a lot of plot holes and one-dimensional characters. I really don't see how this awful movie has a 5.9 user score. Terminator Salvation honestly should have way lower than a 5.0 user score.… Expand
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5
Neoimtheone1981Oct 16, 2020
Hit and miss for me. Mostly miss, although it doesn't seem to fit for me as a terminator fan (especially the first two) I do seem to keep trying to give it chance after chance. It's not bad but not entirely that great either, especially as aHit and miss for me. Mostly miss, although it doesn't seem to fit for me as a terminator fan (especially the first two) I do seem to keep trying to give it chance after chance. It's not bad but not entirely that great either, especially as a terminator movie.… Expand
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10
MikeMikey321Nov 6, 2020
My favourite in the franchise!!! Such an underrated movie! Don’t sleep on this one! You will have a good time with this movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!s
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7
eva3si0nOct 31, 2020
Terminator Salvation has a good cast. And most importantly, he has a fresh look at the franchise. Personally, I liked the film, but it does not go into any comparison with the first 2 films of the franchise. But against the background of theTerminator Salvation has a good cast. And most importantly, he has a fresh look at the franchise. Personally, I liked the film, but it does not go into any comparison with the first 2 films of the franchise. But against the background of the last parts, Terminator Salvation looks much more confident.… Expand
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6
naraicksAug 29, 2020
Its better than 3, its better than 5
its on par with 6
the production design is amazing, the atmosphere and sense of mounting dread is good. Its better than it should be with McG as the director
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1
Gamepro3093Aug 19, 2020
An absolute slog with muddy looking visuals, bland characters,a forgettable score, run of the mill action sequences and a weak plot. While it does bring some fresh ideas to the series, they’re outweighed by everything else this one gotAn absolute slog with muddy looking visuals, bland characters,a forgettable score, run of the mill action sequences and a weak plot. While it does bring some fresh ideas to the series, they’re outweighed by everything else this one got wrong. Pass on this one.… Expand
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7
KelvinSelimorAug 18, 2020
Terminator Salvation. He didn't come back. In short, mixed emotions after watching the fifth part of The Terminator. On the one hand, these are cool special effects and action. On the other hand, a rather strange plot. Almost the entire filmTerminator Salvation. He didn't come back. In short, mixed emotions after watching the fifth part of The Terminator. On the one hand, these are cool special effects and action. On the other hand, a rather strange plot. Almost the entire film revolves around one character who constantly finds himself in the confrontation between humanity and machines.… Expand
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7
tremaultMar 9, 2020
This is not a bad movie. It has a lot of interesting ideas and cool robot designs. I could have done without Christian Bale though.
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5
MattBrady99Jan 31, 2020
"Ohhhhh, goooood for you. And how was it? I hope it was **** good, because it's useless now, isn't it? Ah-da-da-dah, like this in the background. What the **** is it with you?"

Best rant ever. Better than the actual movie. Happy birthday"Ohhhhh, goooood for you. And how was it? I hope it was **** good, because it's useless now, isn't it? Ah-da-da-dah, like this in the background. What the **** is it with you?"

Best rant ever. Better than the actual movie.

Happy birthday Christian Bale… Expand
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9
AndruxaFeedNov 12, 2019
Терминатор, каким он должен быть. Не понимаю почему, эту часть считают хуже мерзотной третьей.
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8
NolanLundgaardOct 6, 2019
After seeing the so-so reviews about this movie, I was kinda scared to watch it because the first 3 (well, first 2 I guess) were really good. And honestly, despite some issues, I really enjoyed this continuation of the epic Terminator saga.After seeing the so-so reviews about this movie, I was kinda scared to watch it because the first 3 (well, first 2 I guess) were really good. And honestly, despite some issues, I really enjoyed this continuation of the epic Terminator saga. Lots of fans will love Terminator: Salvation.… Expand
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4
LoletinAlexisJul 24, 2019
Terminator Salvation is not the "salvation" of this franchise, but the ultimate killer after Terminator 3.
A script that is too simple, characters that do not attract attention at all (except Sam Worthington) and rather poor action scenesTerminator Salvation is not the "salvation" of this franchise, but the ultimate killer after Terminator 3.
A script that is too simple, characters that do not attract attention at all (except Sam Worthington) and rather poor action scenes make up this franchise murder.… Expand
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4
JPKJul 1, 2019
Extremely Disappointing
Salvation is bloated, boring, sloppily written, and lacks the substance of the first 3.
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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5
mohamad91hkJun 5, 2019
Normal movie with a lot of stars, i expected to see an amazing movie, but actually the movie focus on explosions without strong story or performance, I'm not a fan of Terminator and Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, but when i saw Bale, Sam,Normal movie with a lot of stars, i expected to see an amazing movie, but actually the movie focus on explosions without strong story or performance, I'm not a fan of Terminator and Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, but when i saw Bale, Sam, Bryce, Anton, etc. are acting here, i thought it will be an amazing action movie.… Expand
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6
TyranianApr 14, 2019
Salvation is a decent Terminator film, Bale and Worthington are good and the visuals are cool but the ending is dumb.
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6
Almighty_DavidJul 24, 2018
This is easily one of the worst written movies I have ever seen. It is brimming with cringeworthy moments and nonsensicalness. However, as much as I hate to admit it, it is visually exciting enough that I still felt pretty decentlyThis is easily one of the worst written movies I have ever seen. It is brimming with cringeworthy moments and nonsensicalness. However, as much as I hate to admit it, it is visually exciting enough that I still felt pretty decently entertained watching it.… Expand
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6
TheRussianatorApr 17, 2018
This is an improvement over the 3rd installment, it has a great atmosphere, amazing action sequences, a good performance from Anton Yelchin, but also suffers from weak storytelling and wooden, one-dimensional characters.
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0
poet7158Jan 6, 2018
Worst movie ever not even close to the original Format nothing lie the series or movies.
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6
bfoore90Aug 10, 2017
Breaks no new ground, though everyone mostly did a fine job. Terminator Salvation at the end of the day ends up being a movie that is loud, dumb but entertaining that lacks the spirit of the original trilogy. I really enjoyed Arnold's cameoBreaks no new ground, though everyone mostly did a fine job. Terminator Salvation at the end of the day ends up being a movie that is loud, dumb but entertaining that lacks the spirit of the original trilogy. I really enjoyed Arnold's cameo towards the end as the film does alot to try and make up for his presence. Overall score: C+… Expand
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0
FuturedirectorJul 17, 2017
Schwarzenegger's charismatic interpretation's gone; The Terminator's impressive action sequences have evidently finished and a thin script takes place.
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6
LinttaFlamingoSep 27, 2016
Christian Bale hacks a Terminator by plugging a USB to his phone. That's what this movie is. Loud, dumb, entertaining, but no actual logic or character development. No Arnie. There are some cool T-800 scenes, but for the most part the movieChristian Bale hacks a Terminator by plugging a USB to his phone. That's what this movie is. Loud, dumb, entertaining, but no actual logic or character development. No Arnie. There are some cool T-800 scenes, but for the most part the movie is just loud and wants to entertain you. It did entertain me, but from a story perspective or character or anything like that, it has pretty much nothing else but the backstory of the main characters.… Expand
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8
WeAreTheJuiceSep 7, 2016
Somebody get Mr. Bale a cough drop..please!

Aside from the all too histrionic nature of Christian Bales imaginings, I sat through this film twice, both times honored to do so... This is a Terminator film written strait to me. I was on theSomebody get Mr. Bale a cough drop..please!

Aside from the all too histrionic nature of Christian Bales imaginings, I sat through this film twice, both times honored to do so... This is a Terminator film written strait to me. I was on the edge of my seat from the get go, chuckling at some of the sarcastic quips from Mr. Yelchin, and surprised at the depth of character which Mr. Worthington portrays. The special effects felt appropriate and the costume design hasn't stood out as much since T2. While of the five movies in the series, only T1-3 complement each other in story, lock and key, both this and Genisys stand out as strong re-imaginings. Definitely popcorn worthy.… Expand
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7
SuperHyperSTFeb 3, 2016
After the dreadful terminator 3.who ruined the franchise forever (remember that i didnt watch genesis yet).my hype for terminator salvation...was mediocre.but when i hitted the start button,the movie becamed one of the best terminatorAfter the dreadful terminator 3.who ruined the franchise forever (remember that i didnt watch genesis yet).my hype for terminator salvation...was mediocre.but when i hitted the start button,the movie becamed one of the best terminator movies.memorable characters,efects,duels,and of course:Mototerminators.They revealed all types of terminator aside from all the 3 we all know in love...ish(TX sucks)The mototerminators that i have mentioned before.the fish terminators.name the type and its on the movie.The bad thing is... less schwarzenegger.Althrough the movie didnt save the franchise,is a great movie.… Expand
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2
EpicLadySpongeFeb 3, 2016
Whoever came up with this idea has better get fired right now. No Arnold Schwarzenegger or even the charming from the first two movies. Ultimately the weakest installment in the franchise.
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7
TheQuietGamerJan 10, 2016
The first Terminator to take place almost entirely in the legendary future conflict between man and machines. After three movies taking place in the past (present?) that only gave us glimpses into what the future looked like, it's nice to seeThe first Terminator to take place almost entirely in the legendary future conflict between man and machines. After three movies taking place in the past (present?) that only gave us glimpses into what the future looked like, it's nice to see a movie that actually takes place during that chapter in the war. Even if it isn't how we were told it would look.

It's missing that dark, futuristic vibe the original films portrayed the world of the conflict as having at this point. What we get here is a bunch of brown. It definitely sells the apocalyptic side, but outside of the robots onscreen this doesn't feel very futuristic. To be fair though this does take place before the glimpses in the original films did. John Connor isn't the big leader yet. Still, it just would have been cool to see it portrayed more like the original films. It's a minor quibble, but still one that bugs me.

As far as the plot goes it's pretty solid. It takes cues from the original in it's set up and has plenty of references and tie-ins that definitely show how it's a continuation of the series. A plot hole shows up in the form of Kyle Reese's age. The original movie sowed him meeting John when he was a kid, but here he is a teenager. A pretty big oversight. I suppose you could chalk it up to the crazy amount of time traveling in this series leading to a few changes in the overall timeline, but given how tight the narrative and timeline changes have been handled in the series up until this point, it's pretty obvious this is just a goof up.

The movie is a lot of fun to watch thanks to the great spectacle of the action and a very talented cast. There are plenty of explosions and gunfights to behold (who said excess is always a bad thing?) so it definitely hold it's own in that department. There are a few cool, new Terminators to gawk over.

Despite some goofy moments here and there along with some questionable dialog, the non-explosive parts of the movie are often just as entertaining. Like I said before the movie has a talented cast. They do great work with the material. All that's missing is Arnold Schwarzenegger. We do get a CGI version of him as some fan service, but it's just not the same. It's hard to not miss his presence given how significant it is to the series.

Despite some writing missteps this is a very entertaining film. It doesn't live up to it's predecessors 1-3, but it's a worthy addition to the series even with it's flaws. It's nice to finally see a movie take place during the actual future war. It's just a shame the series didn't continue on from here. Especially with"Genisys" having me worried about the future of the series.

There are Terminator fans out there who will (and are) disappointed with this entry in the series, but I still find it to be a good movie regardless. One that takes place during a time that series has been pointing towards since the first movie. With action this good, a cast this great, and some cool new Terminators on display it's kind of hard for this movie to not be entertaining. Even if it didn't blow me away like the previous one's did.

My total score for the movie is a 7.8/10… Expand
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8
homer4presidentNov 19, 2015
I liked this move. I thought it was a great revamp of a tired franchise. Bale was a great addition fresh off his Dark Knight boost. I thought the ending was rushed and implausible, but hey, that's the future and maybe they could do a medicalI liked this move. I thought it was a great revamp of a tired franchise. Bale was a great addition fresh off his Dark Knight boost. I thought the ending was rushed and implausible, but hey, that's the future and maybe they could do a medical procedure that quickly. I watch it periodically.… Expand
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6
NotoriousFraudAug 4, 2015
First of all this movie is no where near as bad as many critics will tell you, the acting isn't the worst in fact the leads are pretty good. The action is also fantastic using a surprising amount of practical effects for the Terminators andFirst of all this movie is no where near as bad as many critics will tell you, the acting isn't the worst in fact the leads are pretty good. The action is also fantastic using a surprising amount of practical effects for the Terminators and explosions. Downside is the writing isn't that good, which is why a lot of people don't like this movie. Personally I think it's much better than Terminator 3 even with the lack of Arnold Schwarzenegger as the titular character because at least this one does not look like a made for TV movie.… Expand
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4
vikesh2206Jul 18, 2015
Terminator Salvation plays more like a typical modern blockbuster than a Terminator film with its huge production values paired with one-note characters and military jargon.
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5
BoogeeFilmGuyJul 13, 2015
I think the only way to describe this movie is that its 'alright'. It's not bad, by any means, but its not very good either. Maybe only having Schwarzenegger as a cameo wasn't the best idea.
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7
TheApplegnomeJul 5, 2015
An action-packed continuation of the Terminator franchise, that might not be as glorious, but still great! Don't listen to the bad reviews!!!

7.8/10.
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3
diogomendesJun 29, 2015
The weakest output from the Terminator franchise, "Terminator Salvation" is an exhaustingly boring, poorly paced and un-interestingly plotted action film that doesn't appreciate the efforts of its charismatic cast.
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3
JacobJun 19, 2015
Terminator Salvation does little to salvage the franchise providing another loud, dumb, and unnecessary film in the Terminator franchise. While the story is not a straight up retread of the previous films it is uninspired filled with tons ofTerminator Salvation does little to salvage the franchise providing another loud, dumb, and unnecessary film in the Terminator franchise. While the story is not a straight up retread of the previous films it is uninspired filled with tons of tropes; loud and dull action; and thiny written characters whose arcs are predictable and as lifeless as the machines they are fighting. A gritty Terminator film set in the future in a prequel sequel isn’t a bad idea but without anyone interesting to connect with or action scenes that are shot well the film falls on its face. Even if the film is entertaining at some level it lacks any staying power and will be forgotten about shortly after one leaves the theater.… Expand
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3
MovieManiac83Apr 23, 2015
Let's talk about names. Character names, to be specific. As much of a rabid fan of the first two Terminator films as I am, I have always been bewildered by James Cameron's inexplicable saddling of the potential savior of all mankind with theLet's talk about names. Character names, to be specific. As much of a rabid fan of the first two Terminator films as I am, I have always been bewildered by James Cameron's inexplicable saddling of the potential savior of all mankind with the brown-envelope-bland moniker of "John Connor." It's akin to calling Bruce Wayne "Tom Smith" or having to refer to Arnold Schwarzenegger (now there's a name for you) as "Governor Arnold **** There's zero zip, nada panache; it just doesn't have the requisite hero ring to it. John Connor sounds like the name of a high school gym teacher. The wiry, wily Connor (Bale), who, in this equally ill-titled Terminator Salvation, is on a mission to locate and protect the life of his future father, Kyle Reese (Yelchin), is a model of post-nuclear industriousness, commanding a truly ragtag global resistance (via shortwave radio) against the self-aware machines of Skynet and their killer cyborgs, the Terminators. (At this point in the apocalyptic, time-traveling, man vs. machine mythos of the franchise, the year is 2018, and the parent is roughly half his son's age.) Connor has his grimy mitts full. But the name thing still rankles – and it can be extended to the director of Terminator Salvation: McG. The nickname (I assume it is a nickname) smacks of unintentional, comic mediocrity, as in McDonald's, McJob, McHammer, et al. McG previously helmed the wiseass-fun Charlie’s Angels in 2000 and hasn't done anything for my adrenaline centers since then. He stages action sequences with grand aplomb, though, and in this, at least, Terminator Salvation is worth its admission price … but only just (and it'll help if you slam a few sucrose-infused Apocalyptic Ice Slurpees – the film's tie-in with the venerable 7-Eleven summertime sugar bomb – in advance of taking your seat. There's a great sequence – the only great sequence, come to think of it – wherein a hulking, three-story, Transformer-esque Terminator tears apart an abandoned roadside gas station (and, ha-ha, former 7-Eleven) that generates some real frisson. But it's pure CGI, and when the dust fades, it still can't hold a candle to the stop-motion and very endearing goofiness of Stuart Gordon's 1990 Robot Jox. (And it never even comes close to the truly unforgettable sequence in Stanley Kramer's It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World in which an enraged Jonathan Winters demolishes a very similar human outpost while trying to terminate Phil Silvers and Buddy Hackett. Now that's entertainment.) Terminator Salvation, on the other, shinier, more metallic, and thus less human hand, is terrifically dull, full of ear-searing sound design and much yakkity-yakking about the fate of humanity but entirely lacking any sort of soul or sense of good old summer matinee fun. The film is just like its machines, which, by the end of McG's McBlockbuster deserve to win their war against humanity, if only to curtail, once and for all, uninspired and inhumanly mechanistic filmmaking such as this.… Expand
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3
SkyrimGuy935Jan 26, 2015
Terminator Salvation is what nearly killed the franchise forever. Unlike T1 and T2, this movie is entirely soulless and has no heart or likability to the characters, who come across as bland and uninteresting. Not to mention, it directlyTerminator Salvation is what nearly killed the franchise forever. Unlike T1 and T2, this movie is entirely soulless and has no heart or likability to the characters, who come across as bland and uninteresting. Not to mention, it directly contradicts things that have been firmly established in Terminator lore. For example, why the heck is John Connor, the LEADER of the human resistance and mankind's last hope, taking ORDERS from some random douchebag??? In addition, at one point, a T-800, which was DESTROYED once covered in molten metal, rises up after having a huge vat of what is likely molten steel dumped all over it and starts chasing after John again with no negative repercussions. Also, Christian Bale gave in this movie apparently what was him method acting from The Dark Knight. In other words, he was almost like a gruff sounding Keanu Reeves. And Sam Worthington. He was decent in Avatar. In this, not so much.

3.8/10.… Expand
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8
LoRevisorJan 20, 2015
Também não é brilhante como T1 e T2 mas Terminator 4: Salvation supera e muito Terminator 3.
Anton Yelchin Christian Bale e Sam Worthington todos estão excelentes como Kyle Reese,John Connor E Marcus Wright respectivamente. Bryce dallasTambém não é brilhante como T1 e T2 mas Terminator 4: Salvation supera e muito Terminator 3.
Anton Yelchin Christian Bale e Sam Worthington todos estão excelentes como Kyle Reese,John Connor E Marcus Wright respectivamente. Bryce dallas howard também faz um bom papel.
Com cenas de ação mais empolgante do que do 3,e um bom visual pós apocalíptico,o filme funciona.… Expand
0 of 3 users found this helpful03
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7
Larry223Dec 18, 2014
Después de la película medio decente de Terminator 3 tenemos otra película después de 6 años, valió esperar? Pues esta película fácilmente supera a su predecesora. Aquí vamos al futuro, nos muestran como se mueve la guerra durante el futuro,Después de la película medio decente de Terminator 3 tenemos otra película después de 6 años, valió esperar? Pues esta película fácilmente supera a su predecesora. Aquí vamos al futuro, nos muestran como se mueve la guerra durante el futuro, no es el mismo visto en Terminator 1 y 2. Lo cual es comprensible, es 2018, por lo que se puede perdonar que vallan de día y aun no hayan lasers, de hecho, las maquinas tampoco tienen lasers ni modelos avanzados de Terminator, por lo que si Skynet no crea los lasers lo que queda de humanos no lo harán. Aquí tenemos 2 perspectivas, la de la resistencia y la de los supervivientes, el personaje Marcus nos muestra los supervivientes mientras que John nos muestra el lado de la resistencia. Termina siendo interesante ver este futuro, en T1 y 2 solo nos mostraban trocitos, por lo que si te gusta la saga podrás disfrutarla. Eso si, hay algunos agujeros argumentales, como por que no matan de inmediato a Kyle Reese para que John no naciera... Tal ves por temor a destruir la realidad? El viaje en el tiempo y si el no protege a Sara entonces John no nace pero en T2 que paso... Es mejor así para ser sincero. Pensaba darle un 08/10, pero el final es muy cliche y la película seguro se vuelve algo aburrida la 2da vez que la veas. Por estos motivos le doy un 07/10, es una película que supera a la anterior muy fácilmente pero no llega a ser de lo mejor por unos pocos y lamentables detalles. Si eres fan de Terminator seguro la disfrutas mas que T3.… Expand
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5
Le__XenomorphDec 16, 2014
Ehh... This movie was a mixed bag for me. It had good acting but a terrible plot. But the special effects and Christian Bale literally save this movie. Overall an OK Terminator movie but it is also unnecessary and messy. 5/10 (mediocre)
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9
CPD98Oct 19, 2014
No entiendo las malas críticas. Esta es de lejos la mejor película de Terminator, olvida las entregas de Arnold, T4 ofrece acción de la buena y, al fin, la trama es interesante de verdad.
Muy recomendable y para nada el director haNo entiendo las malas críticas. Esta es de lejos la mejor película de Terminator, olvida las entregas de Arnold, T4 ofrece acción de la buena y, al fin, la trama es interesante de verdad.
Muy recomendable y para nada el director ha estropeado la saga, al contrario, la ha mejorado.… Expand
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4
demolisher7778Jun 3, 2014
A huge disappointment for Terminator fans like me. The story was week and the acting was poor (with the exception of Christian Bale). However, the action was exhilarating and the special effects were stunning but that isn't enough to balanceA huge disappointment for Terminator fans like me. The story was week and the acting was poor (with the exception of Christian Bale). However, the action was exhilarating and the special effects were stunning but that isn't enough to balance with the movies poor story. Terminator Salvation was OK at best. It felt like a generic action movie.… Expand
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7
danielb1982May 1, 2014
I made the mistake of taking notice of the bad reviews Salvation got, which lead me to delaying purchasing this film.

Having been a fan of the previous films, bar the third movie, I decided to buy Salvation. True, its nowhere near asI made the mistake of taking notice of the bad reviews Salvation got, which lead me to delaying purchasing this film.

Having been a fan of the previous films, bar the third movie, I decided to buy Salvation.

True, its nowhere near as good as the first two, but having watched the film myself, I found it to be thoroughly enjoyable, Christian Bale did a great job as John Connor.… Expand
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4
ThomasCApr 29, 2014
could have been so much better, this film is watchable but nothing more, plot is weak and not enough violence that you would expect for a terminator film. and WTF were they thinking? NO ARNIE!!!!!!
2 of 3 users found this helpful21
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3
PrivateJokerApr 10, 2014
So here we have yet another cynical attempt by Hollywood to make money on old property. T1 and T2 are classics. They raised my standards of what an acceptable action movie is. T2 wrapped up the story so well that T3 should have never existed,So here we have yet another cynical attempt by Hollywood to make money on old property. T1 and T2 are classics. They raised my standards of what an acceptable action movie is. T2 wrapped up the story so well that T3 should have never existed, but it unfortunately does. After so many years since the unnecessary T3, I was really surprised that this came into fruition. Surely I thought they would have a really solid justification for bringing this back. They didn't. I'm not even going to criticize the movie for being directed by a total hack, or the lack of involvement from Schwarzenegger -- I'm just going to dissect it for what it is, and it still sucks pretty bad on its own. T1 and T2 had this pseudoscience that was fictional, but consistent: in other words it made up it's own rules per say and stuck to them. The fact that judgement day was prevented in T2 means that the post-apocalyptic setting of this movie is a flaw in itself. It just doesn't make sense. The only way this could have some coherence is if it was stated it takes place in some type of hypothetical scenario or another dimension or something of that nature, but this movie is adamant that it is a direct sequel. Due to this, comparisons to the original 2 (or even T3, which is a bad movie, but better than this) are bound to arise. And this is what dooms the movie among various other things. One of those things is the awful casting. Every character (with the exception of Yelchin, who was just OK) seemed out of place, like they belong in a soap opera. My biggest rant in this context is Christian Bale. It's apparent that they needed to snag at least one hugely popular actor for marquee value, but oh god is his performance terrible. His gravelly Batman voice/mannerisms do not translate well to this one. He just comes off like a complete douche bag: in every scene he has this exaggerated sternness, which is obviously meant to convey that this is a very intense and serious movie, but it has an adverse, almost comical effect, not to mention that this one's rated PG-13 anyways. That might seem small, but the fact that they included a PG-13 installment in an R-rated franchise makes me (correctly) assume that the studio ultimately just aimed to make money with this movie, and nothing more. Catching this notion seriously cheapens the "experience." Throughout the movie I was seriously irritated with the sloppy editing and bad dialogue. The whole thing just stank of this made for TV quality that's hard to explain, but also really cheapens the experience. This movie just simply lacks any charm or personality: it's an overproduced mess and should never have been, but studio greed has cemented yet another bad Terminator movie in the series. If you're even slightly interested in this series, watch the first 2 and forget this and 3 even exists...… Expand
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5
OfficialMar 8, 2014
It does not have enough character development, but it offers us plenty of exciting action. The first half was dull at times and disappointing, but the second was an improvement. What it needs is more emotional scenes between characters.
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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0
Leo9127Feb 23, 2014
McG just killed the Terminator franchise, **** him, nothing that made the first great is here, the action is just like Transformers, **** is all over your face, there is no Arnold, or even a menacing villain like the T-1000 from T2, no justMcG just killed the Terminator franchise, **** him, nothing that made the first great is here, the action is just like Transformers, **** is all over your face, there is no Arnold, or even a menacing villain like the T-1000 from T2, no just get an endless **** storm of lame CGI “terminators", the script couldn't be more cliched, the characters are bland, Christian Bale doesn't have any of the charm that John Connor had in T2 instead he just becomes a clichéd character, who has no chemistry with anybody, the same goes for Sam Worthington, the whole movie just felt pointless, and a shameless attempt to cash in the Terminator franchise without putting any effort, which at least Terminator 3 had some effort this piece of **** however didn't.… Expand
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4
marcmyworksFeb 8, 2014
A quite unfortunate attempt to be a revamp of the gone franchise. Without Arnold returning they relied on a CG cameo of his muscled form as well a convoluted amount of characters and effects. Sam Worthington was the only selling point of this film.
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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4
TimeOfTheChimpsJan 24, 2014
This series has finally managed to terminate itself. Why the casting directors chose Christian Bale, I will never understand. He's basically Bruce Wayne in a post-apocalyptic world, somewhere he doesn't belong. The plot is too long and drawnThis series has finally managed to terminate itself. Why the casting directors chose Christian Bale, I will never understand. He's basically Bruce Wayne in a post-apocalyptic world, somewhere he doesn't belong. The plot is too long and drawn out, with way too many explosions and not enough Arnold. The only redeeming quality about this film is the performance from Sam Worthington, which is the only thing about this flick "worth" watching. He is the reason why this movie recieves a 4, because everything else is a rotten sandwich in a dirty toilet.… Expand
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10
crytechJan 11, 2014
love this film mostly christian bale`s performance, just love it. the story is very very nice, music just awe..................................................................................
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3
mailinhJan 7, 2014
I am wondering why actors like Bale and Worthington confirm to such a film with bad screenplay that is apparently not at all action packed but instead laughable. Without Arnold Schwarzenegger the obvious ridiculousness is missing which is notI am wondering why actors like Bale and Worthington confirm to such a film with bad screenplay that is apparently not at all action packed but instead laughable. Without Arnold Schwarzenegger the obvious ridiculousness is missing which is not a matter to replace that with usually good actors who make a complete fool of themselves in "Terminator Salvation". Part four was an opportunity to get rid of the trifle that Schwarzenegger caused in previous parts. But no, that would have been too shrewd. Instead of that a Schwarzenegger copy appears and fights with Connor...
I ween that Bale alias Connor didn't mean it literally as he quotes Schwarzenegger pretty much at the end of the movie: "I'll be back." So hopefully "Genesis" will not come out as soon as I fear. Although with Schwarzenegger back again it will certainly be a laughable matter again. Who knows, at least that is my point of view.… Expand
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3
KaptainHutchinoDec 12, 2013
A CG Arnie goes to show how this film lacks the heart of the originals, and covers it up with special effects. The problem is it gives the unique atmosphere that worked in the earlier ones a blockbuster twist, losing it completely.
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5
python2000Sep 11, 2013
Even worse than Terminator 3 Rise of the Machines. Terminator Salvation is a stupid science fiction action movie. The first 2 movies were clever science fiction movies. Explosions go off and the directors want you to be excited, but your notEven worse than Terminator 3 Rise of the Machines. Terminator Salvation is a stupid science fiction action movie. The first 2 movies were clever science fiction movies. Explosions go off and the directors want you to be excited, but your not because it's just Bruce Wayne meets the guy from Avatar and hits the fan. There are some scenes which will please old school Terminator fans and people just looking for mindless action. But there all about 30 minutes apart and are too infrequent to redeem the rest of the film. Terminator Salvation is a stupid science fiction movie with NO MEMORABLE LINES WHATSOEVER which is the exact opposite to the first two movies and overall it reminded me of Transformers Revenge of the Fallen drunk.… Expand
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7
J24O1Jun 12, 2013
A much different but interesting take on The Terminator universe. Which gives the franchise that new direction it needed and gave the franchise that new life and energy.
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2
BrianMcCriticJun 7, 2013
A very disappointing mess of a film. I am a big Christian Bale fan but not even he can save this loud, pointless, and just dumb film. The visuals aren't bad, but everything else is.
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5
A_NorthernerMar 18, 2013
Due to its very nature, in making a film of the post nuclear war against machines between the Resistance and Skynet, director McG was already onto a hiding to nothing. James Cameron's films featured an occasional shot of the war but wereDue to its very nature, in making a film of the post nuclear war against machines between the Resistance and Skynet, director McG was already onto a hiding to nothing. James Cameron's films featured an occasional shot of the war but were always based around a single Terminator relentlessly pursuing its targets as part of an intelligent time travel plan. By focusing on the war, what made the previous films successful is lost. Connor and Reese fight against motorbike terminators, hunter-killer planes, aerobots and giant terminator robots, proving successful against them all. To say the tension is missing would be an understatement. Bale does his deep Batman voice thing, less forgiving here, and in places the script suffers from cheese overload in places, none more so than Connor stealing (or a lazy tribute to) Arnie's seminal line, 'I'll be back'. This was almost too much to take. Yelchin is also given some equally cheesy lines that seem out of kilter with his character's previously strong willed and determined nature.

Visually, McG does deliver some decent looking action scenes but the film doesn't have the charm of the originals. Salvation is an overblown, sledgehammer approach to the series, and as a standalone action film it would be average but as an entry into the Terminator franchise it is a weak one and one that does not need repeating.… Expand
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4
Jailhouse_McGeeFeb 5, 2013
Good looking and boosted by kinetic action, but the script is life-threatening stupid. Any machine with such a muddled, non-functional master-plan has to fail against even a completely unorganised human race. Characters are underdeveloped andGood looking and boosted by kinetic action, but the script is life-threatening stupid. Any machine with such a muddled, non-functional master-plan has to fail against even a completely unorganised human race. Characters are underdeveloped and the dialogue is barely okay. Christian Bale roars more than he speaks, which becomes quite annoying after some time. But as you expect it from director McG, the untalented cousin of Michael Bay, this is flashy, stupid fun.… Expand
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7
Bruce722Nov 29, 2012
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. While I didn't think this movie was as good as the first two, I thought it was way better than the 3rd film. The acting was great, the story was well told and tied into the story arc well, and the effects were incredible. It really is impressive to watch all four films over a short period of time. You really appreciate how far the technology has come. I thought they did a great job with the setting and overall feel of the environment. I also thought that the concept of Sam Worthington's character was really interesting and the "Arnie" cameo was pretty sweet. There were some things that I wasn't a fan of however. I thought they tried to add too many new little gizmos for Skynet. I also thought the ending seemed a bit weak and almost like an afterthought. They have paraded around the concept through the entire series of your "fate" not being set and yet the series is always determined on never wavering from the future laid forth in past films. While the argument can be made for that logic, it can also be made countering it. Lastly, while I thought the casting for Kyle Reese was fantastic, I thought having Bryce Dallas Howard play the role of Kate Connor was a terrible idea. Not only does she look nothing like Claire Danes but she also looks way too young. The timing just doesn't feel authentic at all. Shoot, they could've just used Claire Danes and kept the continuity completely. I doubt she was too busy since she hasn't really been doing anything major. Also, while she would still be young, at least she's a bit older than Howard is and they could've always made her look a little more aged. If you can make a robot look like the spitting image of Arnie, I don't think adding a decade or so to Claire Danes would've been too much of a challenge. Overall though, this was a very good movie and definitely fit into the series well. While they have yet to really show why John Connor is a threat in the first place or to show the resistance make even a dent in Skynet, they at least hinted towards a possible light to end the darkness with the frequency concept. I don't know if they're ever going to make a fifth film or even reboot the franchise which seems to have become the rage these days but if they do neither, at least we can more or less figure out how things unfold from here.… Expand
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6
Compi24Nov 28, 2012
Christian Bale's performance in this film surprisingly saves it from an otherwise tastelessly written film.
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4
cameronmorewoodNov 12, 2012
Apparently, Christian Bale hasn't been told he's one of the great actors of his time. I'm sure if he had been, he wouldn't be wasting his time and energy with this incoherent swill.
2 of 4 users found this helpful22
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6
dev92Aug 25, 2012
This wasn't a poor film it just didn't live up to the standards set in the first two. Still I thought it was a solid film with a fairly clever idea. I enjoyed it and would happily see a fifth one if it is ever made.
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8
MovieBuff36Aug 24, 2012
THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE DIRECTOR'S CUT. I can see the hate on Terminator Salvation compared to James Cameron's films due to the weak writing and the fact its PG-13 but to all you haters on Metacritic, see the R-Rated Director's Cut - It is soTHIS REVIEW IS FOR THE DIRECTOR'S CUT. I can see the hate on Terminator Salvation compared to James Cameron's films due to the weak writing and the fact its PG-13 but to all you haters on Metacritic, see the R-Rated Director's Cut - It is so much better than the theatrical PG-13 version. McG just cut out the R-Rated material to give it a PG-13 rating which I know, is stupid because what he cut out were important plot points and character development, nudity, and R-Rated material violence is added that includes blood and someone being stabbed with a screwdriver. McG even cut out some character development between Blair Williams and Marcus Wright and John Connor which made the film thin on writing. Terminator Salvation doesn't capture a lot of what made the first two great or Rise of the Machines visually amazing but it is time for a new formula in a new setting. Besides, the whole "Send a Terminator back in time to kill the main character but send another Terminator to protect him/her leading to action" formula was kind of getting tired in the script of Rise of the Machines but hey, there's actually pretty good character development in Salvation even though the script could of been better and more powerful and less thin. Also, why was it lacking substance for Marcus Wright and the Terminators? Sam Worthington was actually flawed but good at his performance as Marcus Wright. James Cameron recommended to McG to have Worthington join the cast, and plays a good infiltrator that has a perfect conflict to his character: Being determined to be an Infiltrator-Terminator by SkyNet or stay as his human self. He was executed in 2003, then reborn as an Infiltrator during the War Against the Machines but his living brain and heart still remains in his body not knowing he was recreated as a Terminator-Infiltrator. Marcus Wright was actually good character communicating with the Resistance and SkyNet when joining the War Against the Machines and facing his conflict of human or infiltrator. Christian Bale was pretty good as John Connor to. He was right for the role of playing John Connor in his 30s as a Military Soldier - better than Nick Stahl in Rise of the Machines. Terminator Salvation is an important to the Terminator franchise. Why? Well, remember in the first when Kyle Reese was sent back in time by John Connor to protect Sarah Connor from the T-800? John Connor has to meet him so he can send him back in time in the future and Kyle can impregnate Sarah so John Connor exists and it shows where the T-800s modeled after Schwarzenegger came from. It also gives a reason why the T-800s in the first two and the T-850 (The infiltrators Arnold Schwarzenegger played) were sent back in time from the 2020s since Terminator Salvation is set in 2018. Though the ending was bit corny when John Connor almost lost his life to the prototype T-800 that was played by Roland Kickinger as Schwarzenegger them Marcus Wright gave him his heart so he could continue fighting the machines in the war but it was a decent resolution giving the audience the message that everyone deserves a second chance (This scene is expanded in the Director's cut with nudity and more violent material) The Director's Cut of Terminator Salvation is Rated R for some violence and brief nudity.… Expand
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7
starscream97Aug 24, 2012
GOOD: The main cast for the most part do a terrific job and you can really feel the sense of dread they were going for. BAD: All of the supporting cast (except Michael Ironside) just seem bored and half asleep most of the time. GOOD: SamGOOD: The main cast for the most part do a terrific job and you can really feel the sense of dread they were going for. BAD: All of the supporting cast (except Michael Ironside) just seem bored and half asleep most of the time. GOOD: Sam Worrthington is great in the lead role as Marcus. Bad: Christian Bale's John Connor is a generic one dimensional soilder. GOOD: The plot is really great and interesting. Bad: The subplot of the frequency that can shut down Terminators doesn't really go anywhere. GOOD: The action scenes and effects all look and sound great. BAD: The final battle is a bit lackluster… Expand
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5
JayJPAug 3, 2012
This film ruined the whole terminator story, Kyle Reese hadn't been sent back in time yet so Skynet wouldn't know who he was and when Skynet tells Marcus that he had killed John Conner something that Skynet had been trying to do for yearsThis film ruined the whole terminator story, Kyle Reese hadn't been sent back in time yet so Skynet wouldn't know who he was and when Skynet tells Marcus that he had killed John Conner something that Skynet had been trying to do for years well no time travel had taken placein the future yet so how would Skynet know that they'd been trying to kill him for years, apart from that it was a good change to have it set in the future instead of basically the same storyline with the previous 3.… Expand
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6
Jedi_JettsonJul 16, 2012
Not as bad as people who hate it say it is. It's actually decent. I know the story revolves around the war against the machines but at least there is some pretty good character development between John Connor (Christian Bale) and MarcusNot as bad as people who hate it say it is. It's actually decent. I know the story revolves around the war against the machines but at least there is some pretty good character development between John Connor (Christian Bale) and Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington) who also have pretty good performances. Bryce Dallas Howard was also perfectly cast as Kate Brewster. Besides, at least its a sequel that continues John Connor's prophecy as the leader of the resistance who defeated the Terminators in the war. It also provides solid PG-13-style entertainment.… Expand
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7
BasilZeroJun 10, 2012
Terminator Salvation might not be the sequel that most Terminator fans will be looking for, but its full of action packed scenes which will leave you in suspense and wanting for more. The storyline takes place in the somewhat distant futureTerminator Salvation might not be the sequel that most Terminator fans will be looking for, but its full of action packed scenes which will leave you in suspense and wanting for more. The storyline takes place in the somewhat distant future from the previous movies and explains on the origin of the original Terminator, however with known foresight by the main character John Conner after his adventures in T2 and T3.… Expand
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4
HalfwelshmanJun 7, 2012
Terminator Salvation promised to finally let us loose in the nightmarish dystopian future we've only seen glimpses of so far in the series. Yes, the entire film is set after the machines have risen up and destroyed the vast majority of humanTerminator Salvation promised to finally let us loose in the nightmarish dystopian future we've only seen glimpses of so far in the series. Yes, the entire film is set after the machines have risen up and destroyed the vast majority of human civilisation, but does this make for a tense and exciting film? No, not really. In all the other installments (including the underwhelming Terminator 3) you have the constant sense of jeopardy, that judgement day is coming, and that made for some brilliant tension. In Salvation, however, all that doom has already occurred, and all that remains is the gloom. The storytelling is pedestrian, McG's action direction is competent but uninspiring, the new models of terminator we see look like rejected designs from the Transformers art department and most of the actors look like they're in it for the money alone. Christian Bale shouts and Batman growls his way through the film playing an older John Connor, Bryce Dallas Howard is wooden as John's pregnant wife Kate, Moon Bloodgood's pilot is just the typical warrior woman with truly ridiculous tousled hair and Michael Ironside really stretches himself playing yet another stern military leader. At least Anton Yelchin is decent as a young Kyle Reese and Helena Bonham Carter is good as always when she's briefly on screen as a terminally ill Cyberdyne scientist whose actions instigate many of the film's key events. The real highlight of the film, though, is Sam Worthington - his character Marcus is an incredibly tortured soul, and a fascinating tribute to numerous icons of film and literature - everyone from Frankenstein's Monster to Jason Bourne is in there somewhere. He makes for an utterly compelling protagonist in the hands of Worthington who manages to make Marcus tough and gruff, but also incredibly sympathetic. It does annoy me that the original idea for the film had Marcus as the central character, until Christian Bale was cast as John Connor, prompting the script to be re-written to focus on him instead. The original film concept would have certainly resulted in a more satisfying final product, as though John Connor is undeniably at the centre of the Terminator saga, he's not a particularly interesting character in himself. Aside from showing Sam Worthington at his very best, and having quite an entertaining finale that has some crowd-pleasing callbacks to earlier Terminator installments, Salvation offers very little apart from grey visuals, moody pessimism and a predictable plot. You only have to re-watch James Cameron's masterful first two installments, and even the flawed third film in the series (which still offered the odd thrill and plentiful camp humour) to see how much the glowing cybernetic eye has dulled over the years. Perhaps it's because of the absence of Mr Schwarzenegger, perhaps it's because there's no time travel, or that all the interesting stuff has already happened by the time film begins, or maybe it's because Christian Bale threw a tantrum and McG has very limited talent. Whatever the reason, Terminator Salvation is a rather dull film, which is almost worse than being a bad one. Is this the death of the Terminator franchise? I almost hope so.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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5
pauljohnsonMay 28, 2012
A clichéd film brought down by a mediocre script riddled with plot holes. Bale unfortunately struggles in his role as John Connor, but it is somewhat elevated by the performances of Sam Worthington and Anton Yelchin. There are soA clichéd film brought down by a mediocre script riddled with plot holes. Bale unfortunately struggles in his role as John Connor, but it is somewhat elevated by the performances of Sam Worthington and Anton Yelchin. There are so many missed opportunities in this film, and while there are good CGI shots and battle sequences, the formula for these films is beginning to feel tired.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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2
csw12Mar 30, 2012
This movie needs to be terminated. Without Arnold this series has no point in watching. A truly ugly film with a setting that doesn't even look like earth. The whole movie was just a bunch of dreadful noisy crap with terrible acting all around.
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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1
LevelsAndGearDec 27, 2011
"Terminator: Salvation" One Line Review! "D"

This has to be one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Despite having a decent cast and ok acting, the plot was horrible, the dialogue was atrocious and for a movie chock full of machine guns and"Terminator: Salvation" One Line Review! "D"

This has to be one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Despite having a decent cast and ok acting, the plot was horrible, the dialogue was atrocious and for a movie chock full of machine guns and robots, it was boring as heck. D.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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0
MattCarterWADec 13, 2011
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie was not good. At all. Open heart surgery in the desert? Who? Who does that? Killing off the ONLY human (he wasn't actually human) character in the movie? Why? He was the only one with redeeming qualities. YOU DON'T GIVE ARNOLD A GUN to kill your primary targetg!? Instead you ask him to throw the herald of your demise around as softly as possible so that he doesn't die from internal bleeding, a severe concussion, etc etc.

Terminator:Salvation was a reminder that the future cannot be changed, John Connor cannot die until his time, and everything else in between doesn't matter. That is how this movie was treated. The Skynet A.I. lays such a bad plan to capture or eliminate John Conner, that I almost passed out from anguish. John Connor, time and time again, uses his "protected child" mentality to wade into the line of fire and get everyone but himself killed. He will stop at nothing, including alerting Skynet to the location of his base of operations. He wants Sam Worthington dead the half Terminator (...). No amount of precious resources or valuable logic will get in HIS way. Once thought of as a brilliant strategist, Chistian Bale's portrayal of John Conner leaves him as nothing more than a screaming child trying to get their parents attention.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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4
Delta_AssaultSep 28, 2011
I thought it was... okay. Felt like an average summer blockbuster, which is exactly what all the reviews prepared me for. McG is definitely no James Cameron, as if we needed further evidence.

The second half is quite a bit of an improvementI thought it was... okay. Felt like an average summer blockbuster, which is exactly what all the reviews prepared me for. McG is definitely no James Cameron, as if we needed further evidence.

The second half is quite a bit of an improvement over the first half, which felt very limp. A lot of that's the fault of the editing, which is pretty choppy and not... good. I mean, maybe this is nostalgia talking, but you look at Cameron's Terminator, Aliens, T2... (not gonna talk about Titanic cause I don't remember it much) and his storytelling is very natural, it all just flows from one scene to another. The edits are smooth and logically guide you through the plot.

The editing in this film felt like the studio was mandating something close to 2 hours or something. Lots of scenes that just end and you're immediately jerked into another.

And I just remembered that there's this great line Kate Connor gives in some of the trailers, something close to "If you saved us all in another future, you can save us in this one." I always really loved that line, it felt poetic and dramatic and was delivered well. But uh... I don't think it's in the film at all. Must've gotten cut, along with a lot of other things. She didn't say much of anything, I don't think. And she was pregnant, but they don't mention that at all.

And oh yea, it definitely feels like a PG-13 film. One scene in particular has this guy trying to crawl out of a giant pen, where a T-600 immediately guns him down with a giant arm-mounted gatling gun. Except we don't see him get shot at all, it's a complete cutaway. We see a shot of the T-600 tracking him, hear some gunshots, and see him slumping and falling. It's just pathetic.

The T-600s in this film must've gone to the stormtrooper school of shooting, because it's almost comical how lousy they are. Instead of squads of stormtroopers missing with sporadic firing though, you've just got one T-600 walking menacingly while firing his huge gatling, completely spraying everything but the side of the barn, it seems. It's a nitpick I suppose, but you'd think SkyNET would arm them all with smaller guns if their gatlings meant their aiming accuracy effectively went to nil.

Oh, and Danny Elfman apparently just took the gig for a paycheck. Because his score is terrible. At some random points, you'll hear the classic Terminator score, but it's much too little. Elfman's own work is completely forgettable. I was hoping they were going to just play the classic Terminator score for the credits, but no dice.

Acting's pretty much just competent. The standout's probably young Kyle Reese, who also played Chekov in Star Trek. While his Chekov wasn't to my liking, here he's channeling some serious Michael Biehn, and it was very impressive.

Okay, let's talk visuals... the CGI in two scenes were pretty awful. First one's Marcus falling from the Transport and skipping across the river. Lots of laughter from my audience, because the CGI of his body skipping was just so fake looking and ridiculous. And of course, the second one's my Governator and yours, Arnold. Uh... it was kinda maybe sorta convincing, if you squinted your eyes a lot? Maybe if you'd been crying and your vision was all blurry from the tears? I dunno... I suppose it's the best we can do with state of the art CGI these days. But it still looked very unconvincing. And of course, you've gotta wonder why SkyNET just stuck the T-800 in that cell without a gun to shoot Connor. That would've saved a lot of chasing and punching and clawing, right? Meh... the script may have been looked at by Jonah Nolan at some point in time, but it doesn't seem like a Nolan script. Not by a long shot.

So yea, right now... it's way below the brilliance of T1 and T2. Not sure about T3, it's been a while since I've watched it. Better then or equal to, I suppose? Somewhere in there.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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5
grandpajoe6191Sep 18, 2011
MacG's "Terminator: Salvation" doesn't offer anything new; just story and action revolving around wars and battles, In the end, the movie is just a CGI bridge in the Terminator series.
7 of 10 users found this helpful73
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3
Spielberg00Aug 2, 2011
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A Schwarzenegger-less disappointment. Terminate it, because really, it makes most sense that RISE OF THE MACHINES would be the final movie (making it a trilogy)--especially with the ending it has.… Expand
1 of 4 users found this helpful13
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6
AlienSpaceBatsJul 23, 2011
Continuing to spread ever-thinly the narrative of it's progenitors, this Terminator sequel is an enjoyable couple of hours that nonetheless falls apart if you even dare to engage your brain for more than a fraction of a second. It would'veContinuing to spread ever-thinly the narrative of it's progenitors, this Terminator sequel is an enjoyable couple of hours that nonetheless falls apart if you even dare to engage your brain for more than a fraction of a second. It would've been more interesting to have the story disregard John Connor and focus solely on the Marcus character; the machine-in-search-of-humanity thematic is one of my favourites in Science Fiction literature, the film manages to keep this concept interesting for about 10 minutes, then it degenerates quickly into typical action fare,… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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2
bikemanJul 1, 2011
This was a dissappointment and the worst, by a long shot, of the series. Terrible, poorly written screenplay. Cheesy characters, and one of silliest endings I've seen. This one is loser in what had been one of my favorite sci-fi moviesThis was a dissappointment and the worst, by a long shot, of the series. Terrible, poorly written screenplay. Cheesy characters, and one of silliest endings I've seen. This one is loser in what had been one of my favorite sci-fi movies series. I hope the people involved in this never make another movie.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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3
WykedEvilMay 15, 2011
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Don't be back! This movie had a cool effects bit, but the main character is a terminator himself! You'd figure he'd be under skynet control! And you'd think that the not being hungry or not felling anything would give something away!… Expand
1 of 3 users found this helpful12
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6
gm101Apr 27, 2011
The weakest of all the Terminator movies. Seriously, no Arnold? As for the plot, it felt like it was supposed to be for a Terminator video game, not a full-length movie. At least the movie had great action scenes and solved a plot hole fromThe weakest of all the Terminator movies. Seriously, no Arnold? As for the plot, it felt like it was supposed to be for a Terminator video game, not a full-length movie. At least the movie had great action scenes and solved a plot hole from T3, the reasons why I gave this movie a passing grade of 6. But if they're gonna make a T5, they better focus on what made the first three great, and get Arnold back!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
ZorglyFeb 8, 2011
Everything about this movie is average. Acting, story, cinematography, sound... actual the special effects are mostly good, but still. This movie is nowhere close to the caliber of the original terminator movies. It has its flashy and coolEverything about this movie is average. Acting, story, cinematography, sound... actual the special effects are mostly good, but still. This movie is nowhere close to the caliber of the original terminator movies. It has its flashy and cool moments but in the end feels shallow and mostly forgettable. The governators cameo was amusing. Overall it's better than alot of whats in the theaters these days, but don't go out of your way to see it… Expand
0 of 2 users found this helpful02
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9
EliteF50Nov 12, 2010
Terminator Salvation is a fantastic action movie. One of the best of the series. The only downside? Sam Worthington. The guy just can't keep a steady American accent. Everything else was beautiful. The cinematography, the action sequences,Terminator Salvation is a fantastic action movie. One of the best of the series. The only downside? Sam Worthington. The guy just can't keep a steady American accent. Everything else was beautiful. The cinematography, the action sequences, the acting, etc.… Expand
0 of 3 users found this helpful03
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8
SikoandrOct 24, 2010
first things first i have to bring this up, why is Christian Bale acting like hes still in batman? lol.. GOOD: the action sequence, the acting, the setting, they picked perfect actors and the robot effects was amazing

BAD: the story wasfirst things first i have to bring this up, why is Christian Bale acting like hes still in batman? lol.. GOOD: the action sequence, the acting, the setting, they picked perfect actors and the robot effects was amazing

BAD:
the story was weak, they focused way to much on this guy named Marcus when they should be focusing on the War Leader John Connor.. when terminator 5 releases make sure to give it a stronger story please… Expand
1 of 3 users found this helpful12
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6
JamesH.May 15, 2010
It has the makings of a worthy entry in the Terminator series, but it only partially succeeds. The special effects are great, it is impressive technically, good sound, cinematography etc. It lacks the the depth and character development though of it
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
brettjApr 4, 2010
Insulting to any true sci fi fan. So so crap. i.e A terminator grabs john conner and throws him against a wall. WRONG! A terminator would grab john conner and kill him as quickly as possible by ripping his head off. McG needs a bullet. I Insulting to any true sci fi fan. So so crap. i.e A terminator grabs john conner and throws him against a wall. WRONG! A terminator would grab john conner and kill him as quickly as possible by ripping his head off. McG needs a bullet. I want this movie erased from time and space. Maybe the next 'sequel' can send a terminator back in time and kill McG to stop this movie been made. Now that would be worth watching.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful
7
EvanPMar 25, 2010
Salvation is underrated. Especially by the fans. I would agree that it lacks the comedic relief provided in the first films which then in turn feels like Salvation is taking itself too seriously. However, I think the story is going in the Salvation is underrated. Especially by the fans. I would agree that it lacks the comedic relief provided in the first films which then in turn feels like Salvation is taking itself too seriously. However, I think the story is going in the right direction! We've already seen terminators sent back in time to kill the Connors... 3 times actually. I want to see post rise of the machines. What's the story behind John Connor and sending the T-800? Lots of action and connections to the earlier films. I liked it a lot.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
KyleRJan 12, 2010
I wasn't expecting to see so many bad thing's said about what i consider one of the better movies of 2009. I really enjoyed this movie acting, effect and plot. The replay value could be better, trying to figure out what the deal I wasn't expecting to see so many bad thing's said about what i consider one of the better movies of 2009. I really enjoyed this movie acting, effect and plot. The replay value could be better, trying to figure out what the deal was the guy with from the past was interesting. Very nice special effects. I enjoyed this over GI Joe and Star Trek. Obviously a lot of people see this movie as a failure but im very shocked at just how many and the 52 doesn't do this justice IMO.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
scottvJan 9, 2010
Awesome action pretty much from start to finish, a wide variety of machines, and a good story line. I'm surprised this movie did not get much better reviews. I think this was the best terminator films since the original. Several of the Awesome action pretty much from start to finish, a wide variety of machines, and a good story line. I'm surprised this movie did not get much better reviews. I think this was the best terminator films since the original. Several of the action scenes reminded me of the first time that I saw the "Road Warrior" which is a very good thing. Lots of fun and only brief moments without action, most of which are very cool. Many of these reviews are way to critical of the script, are any of the terminator films really all that complicated, deep, or realistic? No they are not, so lighten up and enjoy it like you would an Indiana Jones movie for goodness sake!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
SeanFJan 8, 2010
Bear with me as I may find it difficult to actually express how appalled by this film I was into words - although I guess that already gives you a good idea of my opinion of this film. I'll try to keep this short and list just a few of Bear with me as I may find it difficult to actually express how appalled by this film I was into words - although I guess that already gives you a good idea of my opinion of this film. I'll try to keep this short and list just a few of the reasons for loathing this film. First, this film is part of a trend of films that Hollywood is churning out with much more frequency, that have forgotten that the basic principle of any good film is not how much shit you can blow up but actually having a good story and characterisation. However, I… Expand
4 of 6 users found this helpful
1
johnmJan 4, 2010
T1 was great but the sequels have gotten progressively worse. This was dreadful schlock. The terminators showed more acting skills than Bale and Worthington. This was a movie devoid of any content, plot, sense, suspense or meaning. The T1 was great but the sequels have gotten progressively worse. This was dreadful schlock. The terminators showed more acting skills than Bale and Worthington. This was a movie devoid of any content, plot, sense, suspense or meaning. The ending is a gimmick. The giant terminator was good though.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
JaniSJan 2, 2010
The special effects are amazing, acting is amazing but the plot and the story is very poor. Clichés after clichés killed this movie for me.
0 of 1 users found this helpful
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