*** Official TERMINATOR SALVATION Discussion Thread

*** Official TERMINATOR SALVATION Discussion Thread

A positive review from Variety - here's a few snippets -


Terminator Salvation Review - Read Variety's Analysis Of The Movie Terminator Salvation

*** Official TERMINATOR SALVATION Discussion Thread

Positive, not positive...whatever This is the first film of the season that I have any sort of significant interest in. I am not expecting greatness, but I am kind of hoping for something special. I'll be checking out a midnight show, which I didn't even consider for any other summer release this season.

And I'm not sure why I am so interested, since 3 did nothing for me at all.

As for the Bale/Worthington thing...I'm certain that was somewhat intentional.

I'll be interested in your thoughts, Stephen.

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I don't know if i'd classify T2 as "giddy" but okay lol.

Really looking foreward to this, i've got a good feeling about it.

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Yeah, that Variety reviewer seems a little unfamiliar with T2. One of the themes in T2 was that the terminator was in many ways a better father to John than any of the humans that tried to be one to him. Sarah Conner's attempted assassination of Dyson also temporarily made her a terminator, while the T-800, trying to save Dyson's life, demonstrated more human characteristics than Sarah in that incident.

I'm guessing that the Variety reviewer hasn't seen T2 in years and is now making inaccurate statements based on hazy memories of it.

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The main criticism in the second review seems to be that Arnie's not in it. I'm not sure you can blame a film for don't including things, but anyway..
Kinda getting looking forward to this. I though the first two were (and still are, obviously) amazing. The third one wasn't as bad as most made it out to be, but it was more of the same. The ending was great, though.
And now this one. Christian Bale, a script by Jonathan Nolan and music by Danny Elfman is enough to let me forget it's directed by McG. So maybe it will turn out to be a decent film after all.

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I never cared that Arnie wasn't going to be in this. It's irrational and narrow-minded to want him in it "just because he IS the TERMINATOR!!", if he isn't needed in the story than he shouldn't be in it.

His function in this story was as a mass produced infiltrator sent on three missions, they were all different models and now that the story has moved into the future it doesn't matter that we won't be seeing many skin-covered Endos.

It's not like if they made another Die Hard film without Bruce Willis, now THAT would be something to protest just because he IS John MCCLANE!!.

*** Official TERMINATOR SALVATION Discussion Thread

They didn't make a Die Hard movie without Bruce Willis, but they made a movie with John McClane that's not a Die Hard movie (a.k.a. Live Free or Die Hard).

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Hehe, too true. The film has grown on me but it'll never be as loved by me as 1,2 and to a slightly lesser extent 3.

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17% at Rotten Tomatoes right now, granted that's only with like 6 reviews. Probably won't matter for the opening weekend anyway.

*** Official TERMINATOR SALVATION Discussion Thread

i just saw a pre-screening of this and it was terrible.

stunts and special effect were great. movie was awful. they could have did better putting this budget somewhere else.

my god, the editing was atrocious.

seriously, if you want to see some stuff blow up you are in the right movie. if you want to see a good movie go see star trek again.

*** Official TERMINATOR SALVATION Discussion Thread

Well I thought Star Trek was also preoccupied with blowing a bunch of stuff up and had a pretty mediocre story (likable characters though).

Looks like those of us who want a blockbuster movie with a good story are stuck up the creek without a paddle this summer

Forget Terminator 2 ... at this rate I'd settle for something in the vein of Kevin Costner's Robin Hood, lol.

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Hmmm, mixed reviews already, looks like this one could go either way.

I want to point out that I love how the Endoskeletons look in this one, they look somewhat smaller/slimmer, more battle-scored and aren't as perfectly chromed as Endos have been in the past. They look like unfinished metal, damaged and darkened, you just get a sense that they've been on the battlefield.

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I'm going to see this film despite what some reviews might say about it because if the action is great in it then that's what I'm looking for. Anything else is bonus material for me especially after viewing Terminator 3.

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Same here.

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Well, call me disappointed, although I wasn't expecting much. Like other have said, the action scenes were good and the effects were top notch as well. The rest of the movie feel flat for me. It just didn't feel like a Terminator movie too me and actually felt closer to Transformers (especially one scene that is almost exactly like a scene from the first Transformers). I thought the ending was a cheap rip off of T2 and no were near as exciting IMO. I actually enjoyed T3 more then this one. I just can't figure McG out. The only movie of his I've like was We Are Marshall, everything else has been bland IMO. In the end, I would have rather seen Star Trek for a 4th time but, this was a free screening so at least I didn't pay money to see T4.

One thing that really bugged me was that Bale sounded too much like Batman in many scenes. Just took me out of the movie, he should not be aloud to talk with a low scratchy voice in anything but Batman.

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double post

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I'm not really expecting a "Terminator" film in the context of it being a "monster chasing boy/girl" type of formula the first three Terminator films stick to.

Honestly I don't think they could do that again, it worked great for T1 and T2 but was starting to show its age as a plot design by T3.

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Well, the general pre-release consensus is pretty down on the film. I watched The Terminator last night (standard def and mono). I was struck by a) what an 80's movie it is, b) how far budget effects have come, c) how GOOD the endoskeleton looked anyway, and d) how solid the story and characters are. I might or might not watch T2 tonight, before I tremulously journey to the theater to see Salvation. T2 is an up film, and T is a down film. Maybe a down film is the right frame of mind.

Anyways, expectations are tempered (sadly).

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I won't feel guilty for not catching this one on opening weekend. I am bummed about the reviews, but what can you really expect from a director with a weak track record? (and for the record, I thought We Are Marshall was very pedestrian).

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I liked that movie well enought but I agree with your assessment. I will say that We Are Marshall seems brilliant when you compare it to Charlie's Angels though.

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chuck. I did the same thing. I watched t1. I liked it very much and agree with your statement. I got the new t2 skynet blu ray. been watching that.. I like the se of t2 better. its pretty good. I had my doubt that t4 was going to be any good because of the director and the PG-13 rating.
cameron still shows why he is master of directing with both t1 and t2.
He is certainly is no cameron.

Jacob

Re: *** Official TERMINATOR SALVATION Discussion Thread

Anything Terminator without Jim Cameron's involvement is nothing more than glorified fan fiction with studio backing.

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Not that there's anything WRONG with that...

I recommend anyone check out Terminator:Sarah Connor Chronicles. There are some bad episodes, but there are some damned fine ones too. Overall, much better performed, written, and creative than this gawdawful movie.

But, the FX in the film are pretty nice. Count me as another who appreciated the daytime stunts as a change of pace to the usual dark/nighttime vision we have of this future.

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After seeing this film, I feel like we have a "Kingdom of Heaven theatrical cut" moment on our hands.

I just think McG did deliver with this film but studio interference is the cause for the lack of character. Personally, I could just feel the cuts to any scenes that dealt with characters, especially between Christian and Bryce.

I mean, when John finds out about Marcus, that scene after wards between him and Bryce is really good. I mean, John is genuinely freaked out because "this is not the future his mother warned him about" and he has no idea if he's meant to be the leader of the Resistance any longer with this revelation. Christian delivers in that scene but we don't get the Bryce end of that scene which I'm pretty positive is there but as the scene starts, she's standing. When John finishes and Common comes in, she's sitting and the way the cut is made, you can see she just finished saying something.

That's one example but there are plenty of examples like that scattered through out the film and, for me, it hurts what's really good about McG's direction of the series.

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Maybe you are right Corey, and hopefully an extend cut will be released one day. As it is now, though, I will not be buying this on BD in its current form. If an extended cut is released I'll give it another shot but, I don't think I'll ever feel the need to see the current cut again. T1 and T2 are plenty good enough to satisfy my Terminator needs (I even like T3 more the T4).