Terminator Salvation….Big-Scale Bale Tale

I was really looking forward to Terminator Salvation. The Terminator series and the fictional universe it resides in has always been one of the more intriguing big screen sci-fi stories. Beyond the glossy action and cheesy one-liners there lies, amongst other things, a gritty and complex narrative incorporating elements of time travel and the idea of destiny and fate. The James Cameron original, a dark, more brooding film than its follow-ups, wielded this plot device most successfully. Whilst Terminator 2: Judgment Day certainly had the visuals and its own level of complexity, it also changed the direction of the series into more easily digestible popcorn fodder. Nothing wrong with that, I thoroughly enjoyed both parts 2 and 3. Deep in my heart of hearts though, I somewhat yearned for a darker, less flashy/more substance-orientated Terminator sequel.

Unfortunately, Terminator Salvation is not the film I craved.

This fourth installment is not as terrible a film as many would have you believe. It just has terrible moments. It delivers in many areas and is an undeniably entertaining ride, with some amazing action sequences and a decent, though admittedly flimsy storyline. In more capable hands, this could have been something special. In Charlie’s Angels director McG’s hands, it is what we all feared it would be; predominantly eye-candy with one too many layers of cheese.

McG, whose ridiculous name alone conjures up feelings of dread, is much more interested in blowing you away with gargantuan visuals than he is with granting you any cerebral satisfaction. It’s a damn shame too, because there’s depth to this story if he chose to extract it. A more thoughtful director could have breathed life into the Terminator franchise with this film, but I fear McG has potentially killed any chance of the inevitable Terminator 5 being anything more than yet another empty-headed, overblown action explosion-fest.

Is Christian Bale becoming too intense for his own good? The guy is a great actor, but there is a part of me that wants to throw a pie in his face or put a whoopee cushion on his chair, just to lighten him up. Someone needs to sneak up behind him and give him a tickle or something, because it would be a shame if he took himself too seriously and kept taking these ultra-intense roles. I have huge respect for the man, but if he’s truly a great actor, couldn’t he prove his versatility by trying a comedy next? Just a thought.

Aussie Sam Worthington fairs better in Terminator Salvation. Having seen alot of his earlier work, I was surprised he’s graduated to Hollywood. He’s a good actor, but I never thought he had that X-factor to make it huge. I’ll be more than happy to be proved wrong.

Look, I’ve been pretty negative about Terminator Salvation, but in truth, I had a good time watching it. If you are into a bit of action sci-fi, you could do a hell of a lot worse. I guess I just see an opportunity wasted here. The Terminator universe deserves better.

So do us fans.