Saw Terminator: Salvation Friday afternoon. Wasn't too impressed with the last outing, T3, so I went into this notexpecting much. Also, I feel a particular amount of apathy towards the director, McG. Not to mention that I don't think Christian Bale is right for the character. I like Bale, but oddly he seems *too* intense in this role. I know that sounds like a strange criticism, but there's a time to take yourself seriously as an actor . . . and this is not one of those times.
Anyway, the movie was a blast! I had read negative reviews that dogged the film for being too action-heavy and emotion-lite. The word "empty" was being used a lot. So imagine my surprise when I saw a movie that had a whole lot of heart, and maybe some action thrown in. Personally I think it was a travesty that the trailers revealed the big surprise behind the film's main protagonist (and no, it's not John Connor). Because, for me, Marcus was ironically the most human of all the characters in this movie. If you watch the end, the obvious allegory to the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz can be made, and if you explore that concept to its fullest, you'll get an idea of what the writers were attempting in this first leg of a planned three-part series. Sam Worthington did an awesome job with this material, so much so that Bale as John Connor almost takes a back seat.
But of course, this is still Connor's tale, as all the previous three movies in the franchiise have been leading up to this moment when the war between the resistance and the machines escalates. As a fan of the previous movies, I appreciated all the inside nods with certain comments made by the characters, as well as certain familiar shot choices that tie in this movie to the iconic first and second films. Danny Elfman's score was a little forgettable here, so nothing to say about that. I think I was so riveted to the story playing out on the screen to bother paying attention to melodic cues, though.
I really enjoyed this first act. It sets up nicely for the sequel films, and I honestly find myself drawn into the struggle of the human resistance. That's no small feat for what is essentially supposed to be *the* summer action blockbuster of the year. Yeah, yeah . . . I know about Transformers 2 -- but Michael Bay can suck it! (haha) I'll still go see it, of course, but mostly so that I can keep my "80s Kid" membership card intact.
Oh, and perhaps to drool over Megan Fox a little. Yeah, just a little.
But anyway, go see this movie if you haven't already. Especially if you are a fan of at least 2 out of the 3 previous Terminator movies.