{"id":72832,"date":"2009-05-21T09:00:17","date_gmt":"2009-05-21T17:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lookingcloser.org\/?p=72832"},"modified":"2014-07-10T17:42:53","modified_gmt":"2014-07-10T23:42:53","slug":"terminator-salvation-2009","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lookingcloser\/2009\/05\/terminator-salvation-2009\/","title":{"rendered":"Terminator Salvation (2009)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"sentinel\"<\/p>\n

This review was originally published at Filmwell<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2013<\/p>\n

When Arnold Schwarzeneggar first uttered the words \u201cAhl be bach!<\/em>\u201c, people laughed and cheered. James Cameron\u2019s The Terminator<\/em> was suspenseful, \u00a0exciting, and funny in a way that only the best B-movies can be. We loved the idea of an android assassin from the future hunting down a pregnant SWF who had no idea that her son would grow up to be humankind\u2019s savior during an onslaught of rebel machines. Arnie\u2019s wicked killing machine quickly became an iconic big screen monster. We loved him, and we wanted more.<\/p>\n

When Cameron\u2019s ginormous sequel arrived, the first film\u2019s simple ideas swelled to epic proportions. With Planet Earth on a course for nuclear devastation, another Terminator came back to try and kill young John Connor. But a \u201cgood\u201d Terminator came after him to save the day. The time travel aspect was interesting, but simple enough that it didn\u2019t disrupt the action. And\u00a0Terminator 2: Judgment Day<\/em> set a new standard in special effects and action set pieces, becoming one of the biggest sci-fi action flicks ever released. Cameron managed to enthrall us with by developing a style that was both fun and dire, exhilarating and exhausting, clever and cacophonous. He surpassed the Road Warrior<\/em> franchise by framing his explosive marathon chase sequences within a compelling story about three characters who made us care: \u00a0Sarah Connor, her son destined for greatness, and their otherworldly protector.<\/p>\n

That all feels like a long, long time ago.<\/p>\n

Since then, Cameron left the franchise for even more ambitious projects. Jonathan Mostow tried to keep the series going with a third Terminator<\/em> film \u2014 Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines<\/em> \u2014 that was, thank goodness, only disappointing, not a disaster. The action was frantic, the effects impressive.\u00a0By preserving the personality and humor of our favorite Terminator, Mostow narrowly avoided joining Bret Ratner (X-Men 3<\/em>) and Richard Lester (Superman 3<\/em>) on the list of directors who have ruined franchises with lame third installments.\u00a0But the storytelling began to show signs of strain. Things were getting tangled up as time-travel convolutions became more complicated. And the story\u2019s chase-movie conventions began to feel a little too familiar.<\/p>\n

The obligatory echo of Arnold\u2019s famous line began to sound more like a threat than a promise.<\/p>\n

Today, the fourth movie in the Terminator<\/em> series, Terminator Salvation<\/em>, is here. This time the director is McG (Charlie\u2019s Angels<\/em>). And if that name makes you think of McDonald\u2019s, you\u2019re on the right track.<\/p>\n

Just as McDonald\u2019s burgers never look like what you see in McDonald\u2019s commercials, this movie is a betrayal. T4<\/em> tastes like it was thrown together in a greasy kitchen by folks who ignore instructions for good hygiene, press heavily processed ingredients together into cardboard containers, and hand it to us with a scowl. And when Arnie\u2019s favorite line occurs at last, you\u2019re likely to hear the audience protest: \u201cNo! Don\u2019t come back!\u201d Especially since it comes this time from the film\u2019s most annoying character.<\/p>\n

But let\u2019s focus on the positive. I\u2019ll review some of my favorite memories from seeing Terminator Salvation<\/em>:<\/p>\n