I felt compelled to give my support for Terminator Salvation so here I am. BTW how awesome is that poster?!
Critics here in the UK have absolutely slammed the fourth installment to the franchise. It's performance in the US has been disappointing. And at the moment the fifth film looks unlikely. Why is this?
Has Christian Bale's outburst on set been damaging? Is McG's name a put-off or is it just because Star Trek has taken the audience away from the new Terminator?
Critics in the UK have criticised the film for lack of humour and laughs that littered the first two movies. Well it is a war movie! An apocalyptic world isn't very amusing and the film benefitted from its dark and sombre mood. Other critics have suggested it is poorly acted and directed, with the action being poor. Really??!! I can truthfully say it is some of the best action I've ever seen.
Many reviews have alluded to the first two films and Arnie. Let's face it Arnie is a legend but makes all of the Terminator movies up to now quite laughable and comical. T1 is tense, exciting and great for 1984 but did it live with me? Hell no. It is a very decent Sci-fi movie but for me personally only really hits full throttle in the last 25 minutes. I actually was quite bored of Arnie after awhile. He is a terrible actor and the film transforms when his skin is shredded and the machine is revealed underneath. The scenes depicting the war with machines is ok but nothing special. However the small budget means this is obvious so fair enough but this movie is decent but not a patch on T2 or T4.
T2 is genius. James Cameron created an action epic that even now looks astonishing. Robert Patrick? Wow. That CGI is terrific and the story is highly impressive. Arnie is still terrible but as he is more talkative and human he brings more humour to the table. T2 is a stunning action flick that still amazes to this day but McG's Salvation comes tantalisingly close to measuring up to it.
I didn't miss Arnie. Yes he pops up in CGI which raises a smile but to be honest this movie would have died with the Governator. It is a far more serious and dark movie than its predecessors. Essentially it is a war film. Cameron teased us 25 years ago with machine vs man war flashbacks but they looked undeveloped and what McG has done so well in T4 is the tone, colour and overall feel of a faded and desolate pallette on screen. It is desert with smashed metal scattering the ground, electricity pylons half standing up and body parts littering the dirty ground. Judgment Day has happened and we are immediately taken into a lonely world where war and death is pungent in the air. A fantastic opening sequence where it really does feel as if you are there (who needs 3-D?!) foreshadows a movie jam-packed with exhilarating action set-pieces that literally took my breath away. Sometimes there are movies that you watch and enjoy and then there is a movie like this. A movie which you are truly astonished by as you're watching it. I was in such a state of awe that I felt like pinching myself.
Every action scene is shot with gusto. Fast paced but easy to follow and not repetitive (unlike the poor Quantum of Solace or Terminator 1) and with clear referencing to the original films. Most memorable scene has to be the escape in the pick-up truck. But there are countless others including the finale that harks back to the first two movies but retains an originality with the design and overall sheen of class to this film.
It is dark, note the Holocaust like containers crammed with humans and the machines are merciless. It is a stark warning of the dangers of technology but also an uplifting feeling to see humanity working to a common goal and uniting to fight till the end. It is bleak in many areas but unlike some movies such as QoS it still is bloody entertaining!
As for the acting Bale does a solid job but perhaps lacks some humanity, though given what he's been through you can't really blame him! Sam Worthington is excellent as the 'mysterious' Marcus Wright. He takes the movie away from Bale a bit but near the end Bale regains his pride. Worthington instils a strength and enigmatic quality to his character. Moon Bloodgood and Common give decent turns despite their limited screen time, shame really as Bloodgood is striking and one has to hope that she remains for the possible fifth installment. The real star has to be Anton Yelchin though. Already nailing his role in Star Trek, he makes Kyle Reese his own and leaves Michael Biehn's version a distant memory. It is the first time I've seen Yelchin really deliver a rounded performance. Ever since Alpha Dog he has promised much and now he looks like finally delivering. Special mention to the girl sidekick as well, silent but effective.
There are weaknesses. The plot is decent but loses focus in places and the end is good but not great. Bryce Dallas Howard (Kate Connor) is marginalised and certain characters would have benefitted from more screen time but these are small gripes. Star Trek was great fun but I feel as if the critics went overboard on it and now are slamming Terminator for being too violent and humourless.
I loved the references to the earlier movies and enjoyed Arnie's CGI return immensely not to mention the lines repeated in the movie that don't come across as cheesy or forced. McG really has done the impossible, he has succeeded where many expected him to fail.
I'd say T2 is better but only just. It smashes T3 out of the park and nudges T1 to one side. Explosive entertainment that is the best blockbuster this year. Can Transformers top this? The trailer looks brilliant but it is gonna be a big ask. We'll just have to wait and see...
0 comments:
Post a Comment