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Terminator Salvation (2009)

Director: McG

Time Out rating

Average user rating

65 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

There’s a chase scene half way through ‘Terminator Salvation’ that rivals anything in the series. A breathlessly paced, pulse-pounding desert escape, it lasts about five minutes and single-handedly earns the movie an extra star as sleek robotic motorcycles pursue our heroes, who are fleeing in an armour-plated pickup.

But stretching interminably on either side of this set piece is an ideas wasteland more barren than any of the blasted post-apocalyptic landscapes in the movie. ‘Terminator Salvation’ isn’t the gritty, futuristic blitzkrieg for which fans of the first two films have been salivating. It isn’t even the slick, entertaining Hollywood blockbuster most were realistically expecting. It is a shambolic, deafening, intelligence-insulting mess, a crushing failure on almost all counts.

It’s the year 2018. Christian Bale (whose on-set ballistics seem even more laughable in context) plays John Connor, self-prophesied leader of the human resistance against Skynet, the machine which rules the planet following a nuclear apocalypse. Sam Worthington plays Marcus Wright, a former Death Row inmate who harbours a dark secret.

The plot comes straight from the ‘hey, wouldn’t it be cool if…’ school of screenwriting: scenes and incidents slam into one another with no logical context or motivation. The characters are neutral: Bale growls and frowns, Worthington frowns and pouts, while other grime-spattered actors wander on screen, look perplexed, and are quickly forgotten. For kids under 14, or extremely undemanding adults, ‘Terminator Salvation’ might just pass muster as a temporary, forgettable Friday night distraction. But for fans of the first two movies, this is a disappointment of ‘Phantom Menace’ proportions.

Author: Tom Huddleston 2009-06-02 12:00:29

Time Out London Issue 2024, June 3 - 10, 2009

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User reviews of this film

Luke Curtis said...

Posted on Jun 07 2009 19:16 I really can't agree with one single line in the review, hugely enjoyable and the film flew by, always a sign of a good film for me, it never let up for a minute.

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Rory said...

Posted on Jun 07 2009 16:48 This was Fantastic heartstoping tense pulseing fun it was one of the best film of 2009!

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Steve said...

Posted on Jun 07 2009 15:24 The computer-generated special effects are nothing you haven't seen before and had less of an impact than those in T2 so many years ago (quantity does not always equal quality). Wooden acting. Storyline that made T1 and T2 look deep. If I'd seen this on the Sci Fi TV channel, sitting on my couch and sipping a beer, I would have thought "Okay, that was a waste of my time." Having paid money in a theatre, I left feeling both bored and cheated. It wasn't a really bad movie, mind you, just weak.

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Ross B said...

Posted on Jun 06 2009 01:56 Great movie - ok, as most reviews state, it's obviously not as good as the first 2 movies in the franchise, but what is one of it's strongest points is that it's completely diferent. It's not like Terminator 3 which is basically a re-hash of 2, it's future setting gives it a fresh and diferent feel. Infact this movie wipes the floor with the terrible T3, and any fan of the series will enjoy seeing Kyle Reese and the future he described to Sarah in the first movie presented stylishly before their eyes. If i was gonna rate the movies out of 10....T1 - 10, T2 - 9, T3 - 4, this new one....T4 - 8.

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John said...

Posted on Jun 06 2009 01:43 Great Film, i liked the fact it was dark like Terminator 1, the other 2 are a bit chessy at times even though Judgement day is good, I think this is the closest to the quality of the first film, cant wait to see another one!

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tabula Rasa said...

Posted on Jun 06 2009 00:56 Diverting enough without matching the first two films, It kept me entertained and the action sequences were pretty good. I also liked the look of the film. Sam Worthington seemed pretty good, but I'm really getting tired of Bale and his intensity. He seems to me the most overrated actor in movies today - such a one-trick pony. Is there any recent film where he isn't earnest , aggressive obsessed dedicated and taciturn. Always unlikeable and uncharismatic.
Overall a pretty good apocalyptic b- movie but not up to the first two. Miles better than the last one, though

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Ryan P said...

Posted on Jun 05 2009 22:24 The action and special effects are out of this world, the plot is a little slack and the story can’t live up to the first two films but a fantastic film nevertheless!

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Philip Skinner said...

Posted on Jun 05 2009 21:06 I dont know why critics gave it a bad review, as It was brilliant and packed full of action. It was not like the Quantum of Solace where you dont what is going on half the time-as it was clear and exciting.Hopefully the sequal will equal up to this...

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tomo said...

Posted on Jun 05 2009 17:35 Best film I have seen in years Bale plays Connor excellent been the best John Connor actor yet. With the usage of the line ill be back gives it great humour along with the appearence or a animated arnold Schwarznegger just brilliant. Have no idea where all these bad reviews come frum but in my books second best terminator film behind judgement day and best film of 2009 so far great movie 5 star rating all the way

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Mike Morgs said...

Posted on Jun 05 2009 17:28 Embarrassing, honestly the worst film I've ever seen and I hold 1 and 2 in high regard. The director shouldn't work again and Bale needs glasses if he chose to do this film after reading the script (if there was a script). If I could give it zero stars then I would.

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special_k said...

Posted on Jun 04 2009 21:01 So often trailers look brilliant but the film disappoints - why don't they get the people who make the trailer to make the film?

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Steve Ives said...

Posted on Jun 04 2009 18:37 Just watched the film - having been advised it against it by trustworthy sources and I am pretty disillusioned I didn't listen to their advice. It was terrible. I should first of all admit I was a big fan of the first one, and have enjoyed parts of the sequels. However, I really can't believe how ill-conceived this film was. Don't get me wrong, I love action films, but this was just shambolic. The Terminator series has been based on strong characters, tense story lines and great action sequences. All of the above were notably absent - in fact it was hard to pick any single extract that really worked. The climax was even so dire that the only reason I remained in the cinema was to find out if the the conclusion might be conclusive. Unfortunately it wasn't, so I actually think come next year or 2011, cinema-goers might even be subjected to yet another dose of complete and utter tripe. In all honesty, if such films are going to be made, please just spare us all the hope and anticipation of an up-until-now fairly decent franchise. Just call it something else and then suckers like me won't feel semi-obliged to actually spend money on cinema tickets that could be far-better utilized splurging on a night out in Tesco's.

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Steve Ives said...

Posted on Jun 04 2009 18:37 Just watched the film - having been advised it against it by trustworthy sources and I am pretty disillusioned I didn't listen to their advice. It was terrible. I should first of all admit I was a big fan of the first one, and have enjoyed parts of the sequels. However, I really can't believe how ill-conceived this film was. Don't get me wrong, I love action films, but this was just shambolic. The Terminator series has been based on strong characters, tense story lines and great action sequences. All of the above were notably absent - in fact it was hard to pick any single extract that really worked. The climax was even so dire that the only reason I remained in the cinema was to find out if the the conclusion might be conclusive. Unfortunately it wasn't, so I actually think come next year or 2011, cinema-goers might even be subjected to yet another dose of complete and utter tripe. In all honesty, if such films are going to be made, please just spare us all the hope and anticipation of an up-until-now fairly decent franchise. Just call it something else and then suckers like me won't feel semi-obliged to actually spend money on cinema tickets that could be far-better utilized splurging on a night out in Tesco's.

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usman khawaja said...

Posted on Jun 04 2009 09:43 if it was not for all the scrappy contraptions and carbon fuel explosions that litter the landscape in this new arrival of terminator franchise ,i might have been pleased but most of the audience might disagree as the action created as a consequence is stupendous .
so is the story which measures human heart against computer chips and comes up with the foregone wise conclusion that it is better to be instinctive than a programme .
there are a lot of characters parading here and a lot of toys running flying and walking around ,but as the pacing and editing is appropriate you remain diverted .
the arid apocalyptic arena of the burnt-out future california is rather miserable but in accordance with the narrative and the land shakes with enough giant cyborgs and high octane explosions to wake you up every time your attention wanders.
there are two new characters who are helping connor against the malevolent military machine net -SKYNET ,and BALE looks affective and vulnerable while exuding an authority as well and he is equally matched by sam worthington as the human android who is tormented by his mechanical half in a convincing performance .
moon bloodgood plays a millitary lieutenant to bale and a shaved bonham carter is an image for skynet as a spokesperson .
the plot involves trying to save CONNOR'S future father who will ultimately time travel to meet his mother in the first terminator ,
and for my moneythe first part is still the best depiction of the struggle between man and machine as humanity as the vision provided in the original is both haranguing harrowing and without any pretension and the ordeal of a bleak human hunt and survival rendering human race obsolete that it portrayed was both profoundly intelligent and entertaining ,
this carries the same theme further but rather with a lot of distorted metal objects and acoustic infringement of human rights .
this is more than adequate but it is a middle spoke in the wheel which is incomplete without the beginning or the end as connor desperately tries to rescue his future and his father for the sake of mankind .
the salvation is rather deluded and also semi absolved as it will take another sequel to bring it to its natural and mechanical conclusion but till that time this is more than enough for the present day human consumption .
THAT IS NOT SAYING A LOT

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Chris said...

Posted on Jun 04 2009 02:39 After seeing the trailers and reading the plot, i was excited about seeing this film, as a longtime fan of the series ( i was 4 when the first one was made and saw it when i was 5!) i was not disappointed. The timeout reviewer is seriously wrong about this film, its simply awesome. I think its a millions times better than no 3, and also better than No 2. Although nothing will ever top the first film. I think The Sarah Connor Chronicles TV series is excellent too, and this film is almost like an extension of the series in some ways, a great film with some excellent action scenes, a good plot and good acting (for once in this day and age) It even has Guns'n'Roses 'You Could Be Mine' in one scene paying tribute to the second films soundtrack! So its Five Stars from me. go see it and ignore this ridiculous Timeout review!

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