Guest Blogger: Can Soran defend Terminator Salvation?
Editor's note: Once again, I'd like to thank NFD reader Soran for putting the work in to create this article on Terminator Salvation. Anyone is welcome to submit an original article to me for posting - Do you want to get something off your chest be it movies, television or hollywood gossip? Feel free to send it over.
I just saw Terminator Salvation this weekend, and I have to say, I can't see the problem that everyone has with this film in fact, I left the theatre feeling great about it, and that feeling lasted the rest of the day and night. I find myself for once disagreeing with a majority of AICN as well as the Herculean Exemplar Phil from newfilmdimension, and that's a fairly rare thing, trust me. (Note: Stole the Herculean Exemplar thing from masterful video game reviewer "Yahtzee", it's not mine 
) Spoilers lie ahead - you were warned.
I walked out of the theatre thinking GOOD things about this movie. I felt good nearly the entire rest of the day and night because this film left me satisfied and feeling good. Was it perfect? No! Not hardly. This movie is not the next 'Dark Knight', and if you thought it was going to be, then you weren't paying attention to the details of the press conferences. If you walked in there thinking that it was going to be a "true" sequel to Terminator 2, then you also still weren't paying attention, but it's forgivable because McG misled you here, and I'll explain how.
It's rare that a movie review needs to cover the P.R. of the event in question, but in this case, McG very literally dug his own grave and he deserves the negative feedback he's going to get from myself and probably everyone else. This movie was billed as a thematic and stylistic return to Terminator 2: Judgement Day, but "Better". He made no apologies for changing the way the Terminators worked, and making the SkyNET work areas more dirty and 'realistic', while also ditching the blue lens filters from Terminator 1. He was trying to use high-silver-content film to bring out the true contrasts of a 'realistic' post-apocalyptic world.
And all this time he's billing a stylistic return to Terminator 1/2? No. Terminator 1 would've been blue lens filters, fluorescent lighting, skulls everywhere, small cramped tunnels and people in rags. This movie was clearly NOT a return to Terminator 1 stylistically, and barely returned to Terminator 2. Again, all this information was there in the previews if you were paying attention.
Next, he says that he got told off by Bale and was told that the screenplay had to be written so that the lines could be delivered naked on a stage by play-actors and still have resonance. He claims that Bale got Jonah Nolan onboard to rewrite the script by Ferris and Brancato. Funny how Jonah Nolan's name does *NOT* appear during the credits at all. My best guess? Whatever the rewrite was, it must have been decided by the people in control of the movie that they did not rewrite a high-enough percentage of the film to be counted as a writer. Those of you who follow entertainment news will also remember that last year, Ed Norton was left out of the writing credits for exactly this reason on "The Incredible Hulk" movie. He was told he didn't rewrite a *significant* enough percentage of the script to be billed as a writer in the credits! Rumor has it Ed refuses to return to the franchise because he wasn't credited with screenwriting the Hulk, don't know if that will hold or not.
So where's the truth in McG's statements? To be honest, from what I can tell, there was only one truth in what he was saying, the distilled core of his ridiculous statements is this - "I paid Christian Bale an awful lot of money to play John Connor and have Jonah rewrite the script just enough to make John Connor the main character and then change the ending, and I paid Stan Winston's company a lot of money to make the Terminators WAY better this time." Because in the original draft by Ferris and Brancato, Marcus was the main character, and his flesh was indeed going to be removed and John Connor's flesh was indeed going to be put on, and the big surprise of the movie was going to be John was a machine, just like AICN said.
Now, you might think that since McG is a big fat liar that his film is not enough of a return to the old ways to merit going, that it's another Terminator 3, but when you separate yourself from Cameron's masterful works just a bit (and it only takes a bit, believe me, I LOVE Cameron's works), you start to realize that this movie isn't that bad. Jonah did manage to fix just enough of the plot to make the movie not lame like Terminator 3.
And then, suddenly, you start to realize what a lame director Terminator 3 had, as you start to see the movie come to life, brought that way by McG's excellent use of lighting, angles, and special effects, as well as the fucking actors!! Everyone gave their all to this movie, all of them felt like they were giving their ALL, except Kate Connor (I've forgotten her actress's name) - she felt like she knew she had a worthless character and wanted to leave. But every performance, from Bale's very interesting rendition of Connor to the newcomer's version of Kyle Reese were engaging and fun to watch. And, just like we were told, for every moment on-screen, Sam Worthington is everything they said he was and more - he was engaging, dynamic, well-acted and interesting to watch. I even liked Helena Bonham Carter as SkyNET and as the doctor, I felt she lent an authentic air to the role that normally I wouldn't have been able to swallow.
Yes, there was more that they could have done with Connor - there really was more they could have done with Marcus too. The truth is, that's how all films feel to me except 'Dark Knight' , 'Terminator 2', and 'The Crow'. Generally speaking, movies are often a lot of unrealized potential because of deadlines, Hollywood Producers lording over you, and lackluster writers that need a firm Director to whip the script into shape. Was Sarah Connor's dialogue wasted? Oh yes. Was 'Common''s character very interesting? No, he wasn't. Was the SkyNET aspect of the plot cliche'd? Yes.
But there is SO MUCH going for this movie, most of the time I didn't care. I wanted to see Marcus live. I wanted to see him get his second chance because Blair believed in him. I wanted to see John get vindication over the head of the Resistance. I wanted to see Kyle get saved. I was literally on the edge of my seat for about 1/4 of this movie wondering what the hell was going to happen to these characters. The 'second chance' motif really felt right to me, it felt like this was a story worth telling, it made sense and it felt right. Unlike Terminator 3 which basically said "no second chances, you're screwed," the polar opposite of the message of Terminator 2. The action was amazing, explosive, and entertaining, leaving only one 'drag' point of the movie (the chase sequence of John trying to get Marcus and Blair was forced and uninteresting and could have been cut). Oh and, despite the fact that it was not a stylistic return to Cameron's Terminator, you can feel the love McG has for Cameron's work in every frame of this movie. There are three very direct references in this movie to "Aliens" - if you look for them they're clearly there, and it's clear McG loves Terminator and Aliens and wants to try to bring the passion back to this franchise - and that's what matters.
This is a story worth seeing, this is an action packed movie worth going for the explosion, this is a visual tour de force backed up by a tale of how John Connor became important and one man's journey through the post-apocalyptic world, and his own personal horror. Was it perfect? No, very few movies are, and yes it had room for improvement that was readily obvious, but it leaves the avenue open for a new Terminator film NOT written by Brancato and Ferris and taken care of by McG, and that means everything in the world to me. Will it? No telling, since DVD sales and overall ticket sales haven't been tabulated yet, but if this is the future of "Terminator", I'm 800,000 times happier with this future than with the one offered to us by Terminator 3. And most of all, I had fun watching it.
We've all lost a great thing in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and I hope that we can build towards a new franchise guarded by McG and hopefully with some new writers. If you think you can give it a fair shake, knowing that it's not a true homage to Cameron, but instead something new and different, I think you should go see it, and enjoy yourselves.
--Soran
 |
 Terminator Salvation  US $5.50
|
 TERMINATOR SALVATION US $2.25
|
 Terminator Salvation Arnold game SKIN Nintendo DS Lite US $9.92
|
 Terminator Salvation (DVD, 2009, WS; Includes Digita... US $.01
|
 36 Playmates- Terminator Salvation Marcus 10" Figures US $9.98
|
 TERMINATOR SALVATION PS3 GREAT CONDITION!!! US $31.00
|
 Terminator Salvation (Xbox 360, 2009) US $7.50
|
 Terminator Salvation (Playstation 3, 2009) US $2.98
|
 TERMINATOR SALVATION DIRECTOR'S CUT (2-DISC) US $21.01
|
 TERMINATOR SALVATION 2010 COLOR 16 MONTH CALENDAR 4109 US $5.95
|
 Terminator Salvation (Blu-ray Disc, 2009, WS; Direct... US $9.50
|
 Terminator Salvation (DVD, 2009, WS; Includes Digita... US $2.25
|
 Terminator Salvation US $6.00
|
 Terminator Salvation (DVD, 2009, WS; Includes Digita... US $2.26
|
 Hunter Killer Terminator Salvation Movie 3.75 Inch RARE US $19.99
|
 Terminator Salvation T-600 12'ch Collectiable Doll. US $25.00
|
 Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series NEW!! US $17.99
|
 Terminator Salvation PS3 US $25.00
|
 Terminator Salvation Blu-ray director's cut SEALED NEW US $.99
|
 Terminator Salvation DVD Widescreen Edition NEW US $13.99
|
| Powered by phpBay Pro |
Related Posts
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed or sign up for daily E-Mail updates!
Yeah, too bad they didn’t stick to the original story ending. How cool would it have been if that happen halfway through the movie? And Moonblood and John MarkII had to bust into Skynet to rescue Kyle.
I would have liked the original ending if someone had said, during the movie (Even if SkyNET said it, I wouldn’t have minded) that all the time travel before was now being overwritten.
Like, if SkyNET said, “All bets are now off - we have seen our future and we did not like it, so we took … steps.”
Or better yet, if something time-travelled like in “Star Trek” and said “THIS IS THE UNIVERSE’S REBOOT BUTTON”, then I could have accepted the original ending.
But to be honest, you NEED some sort of reset to swallow that ending, because it’s pointless for terminators to be sent back through time to kill off a leader who, infact, is a skinjob of the original infiltrator you send INTO HIS CAMP! It invalidates Terminator 1 and Terminator 2 to have Sam be John Connor - I like the ending we got better.
I think maybe this movie suffered from “Dark KNight” syndrome. I think if John Connor had been played by an excellent no name actor, people wouldn’t have had the expectations they had.
~Lanie~
Wil Wheaton just re-Twittered -
“WHAT? Buffy movie without Joss? That’d be like a Terminator movie filmed by McG! What, too soon?”
HAHA! Wesley Crusher got jokes!
@Lanie
That’s interesting. I wonder if T4 would have been received better if an unknown was Bale. At first glance, probably not because the movie was written by a 2 year old on drugs.
For me it sounds like another Star Trek. As a log time fan I had a lot of problems with the new movie. But at the end I was very entertained and had a lot of fun. I expect no less for Terminator Salvation. But nothing more also.
Sadly we’re living in a time where movies get more and more superficial (like Star Trek) and yet the represent a lot of fun. I whish it was otherwise. But it isn’t and I have no means to change anything about it. So I have to live with it in these fast-living times. Because that’s what those movies are now. Fast and without any brain. And that’s because it’s mainstream-SF and in the eyes of the producers no brain’s needed there.
As my sisters boyfriend told me. “What do I need a profound story for in Star Trek? I wan’t fun! When I need a story I would watch a Coen Bros movie!”
Sad that is. The times of JMS et al are gone…
Leave your response!
Who’s so far being consider for the NFD 2009 sexy celebrity title?
Recent Film Reviews
Subscribe to NFD
Categories
Yesterday's Movies
Original Articles
Scores & Soundtracks of the Week - Total Recall
Photos of the Week: Total Recall
LOL Friday: Funny photo of the week
Concept Artist of the week
SciFi & Fantasy Art of the Week (NSFW)
Fan Art of the week