Terminator Salvation: Solid and well thought out

Jun 5 2009 By Rupert Basham

Terminator Salvation

Many people will argue that the original Terminator films are the best action films ever made. A throwaway thought by James Cameron turned into pacy, well directed and most of all, intelligent films.

The premise of time travel sometimes give film makers license to over complicate their narratives, often jumping in and out of the supposed time line, often leaving the audience perplexed and confused.

The Terminator films, didn't do this.

A guardian from the future (Kyle Reese in the first, and Arnie as the T-800, in the second), is sent back in time to make sure that John Connor, the future leader of the resistance in a war against machines, in fact survives long enough to become the future leader of the resistance in a war against machines, who by that point have devastated the earth and waged war on humans.

In essence, the first two films are long chase sequences, where an efficient killing machine hunts down its target.

Terminator Salvation is the first of a new trilogy where we see John Connor (Christian Bale) become the prophet-esque leader he was destined to become.

From the outset, the film had a lot to live up to. An attempt to make a third Terminator in 2003's Rise of the Machines, failed drastically, as it was just, well, bad.

This new take on the Terminator franchise, is refreshing, as it lives up to the hype and delivers a solid, well thought out action film that won't disappoint fans.

The plot follows Connor as he embarks on a mission which could possibly end the war on the machines once and for all. On the way, he meets a terminator, Marcus (Sam Worthington) who thinks he is human, and doesn't know that underneath his skin and organs is actually metal. All the way through the film, Connor battles with his gut instinct, that despite Marcus' good intentions, he is after all, a machine.

Bale is excellent as Connor, giving us an insight into a man who has been told most of his future, and must adapt and do the best he can to save humanity.

He is exactly the sort of man you imagined when you first heard about this leader of the resistance, back in 1984, and the intensity he brings to the role, almost makes you forgive him for the four minute rant he had at a sound guy who walked into his shot.

Sam Worthington, who will be seen later this year in Cameron's own 3D sci-fi epic, Avatar, and in Clash of the Titans next year, is solid, despite his natural Australian accent seeping through every now and then. His confusion at a world he doesn't understand and his constant battle for redemption for former crimes, makes him a compelling character, and when on screen, you almost forget about Bale.

Other characters are rooted firmly in the background, but at least are established for the sequels. That is, apart from Kyle Reese, who despite being younger than him, is actually Connor's father. Connor's other mission in the film is to save this young man, so he can send him back in time to protect his mother, which is the plot of the original 1984 Terminator (see, it's not complicated at all).

The film pays constant homage to the previous films, with a chase sequence of bike versus truck, a final showdown in a melting plant and a sneaky clip of ''You Could Be Mine' by Guns N' Roses, which was used on the soundtrack to Terminator 2.

Salvation never forgets its roots, and that is due to the director, McG, of Charlies Angels fame. The film was considered a risk in any director's hands, let alone the man, whose biggest accomplishment to date was relaunching Demi Moore's career, but credit where credit is due, and after months of talks with Cameron and Arnie, he has made a convincing and satisfying instalment, which, doesn't disappoint.

As a summer blockbuster which is going head to head with Michael Bay's Transformers sequel, you would expect the action sequences to be big and bold and innovative, and they are. McG delivers interesting tracking shots, charting battle sequences from the perspective of the individuals involved.

One particular scene involving Marcus escaping gun fire, takes a lot from the 18 minute single shot used in 2005's Children of Men, where steadycam is used to follow the characters into the battle.

The machines as well, look classy, slick and terrifying, which is necessary if we're to believe this bleak apocalyptic future, which after this film, you will wanting to be seeing more of.