terminator salvation

[myrrh]

So, I saw this today.

I enjoyed it, but I left with a feeling of wanting. Like something was missing. I think that what was missing was the actual time-traveling part of the story. This is more of a straight action-war movie, then a sci-fi flick. Keep that in mind, and you will enjoy it.

The story line is great, and the stunts and action is over the top, but I think it is missing those super-moments of ultra badassness that the previous films, particularly Judgement Day had.

Some good parts were that you got to see how Kyle Reese joined the Resistance, and learned about Connor and his relationship. You get to see how Connor gets the scar on his face, and why he is such a legend. There are some more info on Cyberdine too.

I feel that this one should have been T3. I didn't like how T3 started and Judgement Day didn't happen until the end. They could have eliminated the whole whack female terminator story, and started T3 with the nukes going off, and move right into the story-line of Salvation. In fact, after seeing this one, you can just make pretend T3 doesn't even exist, because all of the references to the overall story-arch goes to T1 and T2.

I think that on a second viewing I may get into it a bit more, and give it a better review. It is full on action the whole time, and it is with the new style of action shots - where everything is quick and in real time. Where as in T2 for example, they would go into semi-slow motion for the off the wall shots, which left your jaw dropping on the floor.

[kagenaki koe]

what's missing was an all out epic destruction derby saving private ryan type battle at the end (just like in the beginning of the movie). at least that's what i would have wanted. the movie just seemed a lot more epic in the first half or so, then became, i guess...counter-epic?

i'll have to disagree on the elimination of T3. it seems to me that even the writers of T:S, tied in some of their ideas from all 3 movies, and even a large chunk of the story (or you could say, the "twist") references T3.

first, there's no way you can look at Edward Furlong's character and say he really looks like the guy who grows up to be Bale's portrayal of him as an adult. in Nick Stahl's John Conner, we at least get to see a guy who really had a fear of a future he wanted to avoid happening. and you'd also have to consider that technically at the end of T2 they stopped Judgement Day from happening...that doesn't really transition that well into "well the bombs went off anyway years later, so now heeeere's The Salvation story arc!". T3 also happens to fill the gap of what happened to Sarah and John after they blew buildings and shit up in T2 (they were later considered terrorists of sorts). this gives more weight to how weary and heavily burdened John's life had been by the time we see him in T:S.

back to the "twist" or major reveal in T:S that directly references T3, i'll try to make this as spoiler free as possible (but it would mean that you'd have to watch T3 all over again). in T3, Arnold explains why he was sent back...he actually killed John, then got reprogrammed by Kate Connor...he also explains how Skynet pulled that off in the future. i bolded that part for a reason, since John in T:S is well aware of that "plan" by Skynet. which is again mentioned by Skynet (using Dr. Kogan as the "face") in the "twist" (they knew they had to change things up a bit since John IS aware of a plot to assassinate him). some hints: you have the hunter/killers and their "purpose" or mission; harvesters and their purpose; terminators terminate; and then the OTHER class, which was the big reveal moment in T:S (which also happens to be the original mission of Arnold pre-reprogramming by Kate).

but back to T:Salvation. the thing that probably bugged me the most is about Kyle Reese's overall "importance" to the story. again avoiding spoilers, what he means to John in this movie. or maybe Sarah didnt think of at least telling this part of the story: John was succeeding in the original "tale" from T1 before all the time-travel business and he and Reese existed in the same timeline (and they still exist in the same timeline in Salvation). it's the "which came first, chicken or egg" thing that never was really explained in Jim Cameron's original tale.

also ron howard's daughter looks way too young for the role of Kate (who is supposed to be the same age as John)

[myrrh]

I will have to go back and watch T3 again, now that you mentioned all those parts.

About Kyle Reese though, I liked how he was portrayed in this. I believe (off of memory) that in T1 Reese said that Connor saved his life, that's why he had such respect for him.

Something as an afterthought, I think they should have thrown in for a seen is how the dogs smelled the Terminators with the rubber skin, which then made them make the T-800, as Reese talked about in T1.

[den]

I should really see T1, which I never have. But any plot line about time travel is confusing, and you really need that ol' willing suspension of disbelief. T3 changed the whole story arc, by making it about keeping John Connor alive and not preventing the inevitable war. I felt like this movie tried to be different things, one side wanting to focus on the character backstory and the other on awesome battle scenes, and neither really succeeding. I remember seeing the trailers and thinking of this awesome epic apocalyptic battle (like those Matrix animated prequels, if you've seen those) but that never happened. It reminds me of Ang Lee's the Hulk, trying to be two different things. You really have ignore or explain away any plot holes and enjoy the ride, and if you do that, the movie's not bad.