"Terminator Salvation's" post-apocalyptic nightmare
John Gregg
Issue date: 5/31/09 Section: Entertainment
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"Terminator Salvation" places heroic human freedom fighters John Connor (Christian Bale), Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin) and Kate Connor (Bryce Dallas Howard) in the ultimate struggle against machines on an eerie post-apocalyptic Earth as their battleground.
Joseph "McG" McGinty Nichol sits in the director's chair this time, painting a severe picture of the world in which John Connor now lives. The infamous self-ware computer software, Skynet, has wiped out most of humanity with a devastating nuclear holocaust.
The Los Angeles landscape is mostly devoid of life in 2018 and looks more like an arid wasteland. Every day is a desperate fight for survival against well-armed robotic killers.
It seems appropriate the first sound heard in this environment is a massive missile explosion. This is followed by the dull swoosh of helicopter blades, a shower of gunfire and the use of other pyrotechnics.
Aside from keeping an audience alert, the decidedly loud opening sequence signals clearly that Connor and his troops are locked in constant war.
The plot of this fourth installment surrounds a new Terminator prototype (Wright) that believes he is human. From there, the film is largely a feast of high-speed chases and gunfights.
That said, while perhaps not as life changing as the original film, the core mythology of the franchise has never been stronger.
The "Terminator" saga began in 1984 with the cult favorite staring Arnold Schwarzenegger as a killer cyborg from the future. It wasn't until "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" in 1991 that the series became a blockbuster sensation.
After a long hiatus, a less impressive third installment, "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" debuted in theatres in 2003.
For those unfamiliar with the complex mythology involved, "Terminator" focuses on John Connor, a prophesized savior who will rescue humanity from near extinction by machines.
The past three films have featured a number of cyborgs, each more advanced than the next, traveling through time to destroy Connor before he can achieve his destiny. All of those attempts have failed utterly, and Connor is finally ready to lead the resistance movement.
The message of "Terminator Salvation" hinges on the difference between man and machine, also one of the central themes of the original films. Therefore, "Salvation" can survive quite well on its own without time traveling or Schwarzenegger, although CGI contributes to a fun cameo.