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Terminator Salvation
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Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Rated: PG-13
Directed
by: McG
Starring: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anton Yelchin, Jadagrace, Helena Bonham Carter, Common
Released by: Warner Bros. Pictures |
In Short: The fourth installment of the Terminator saga is an ear-splitting, rock-em-sock-em ride with some great special effects, but this effort pales when compared to the original classic. |
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Robots vs. Man Redux
He's Back!
When it comes to milking a good idea, the powers that be at Warner Bros. really know how to keep things going. Think Batman, Superman, and, of course, The Terminator. The first classic film, released way back in 1984, starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and was written and directed by James Cameron. It wowed audiences and set the benchmark for all the versions that have followed. Now 25 years later, Terminator Salvation joins the franchise as the fourth installment.
It's still robots versus humans in the post-apocalyptic world that Cameron created. But this time out, John Connor—our key protagonist who either wasn't born yet or was a kid in the earlier flicks—is now a hard-edged grown-up, played by Christian Bale. He's determined to stop the machines from killing off the few humans left on the planet, but they are formidable opponents.
From the moment the story begins, it is an ear-splitting, non-stop action ride that features awesome special effects and some pretty good acting. We see this especially from newcomer Sam Worthington, who takes on a tricky role with sexy believability. As the film progresses, however, the plot becomes more and more hard to swallow, with an ending that is just ridiculous. It seems that without the genius of James Cameron to steer the story, the world of the Terminator is a paler, less interesting vision than the original.
A bright spot in the flick is the return of the original Terminator, as Arnold rises up yet again (albeit in a CGI version of his younger self), proving that "I'll be back" is still the real deal.
Reviewed by Jenny Peters
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(Updated: 05/21/09 KR) |
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