So it's coming out Thursday, and I think I'm gonna see it that night (uhh, tomorrow). I'm nervous. I'm anxious. I hope it's the best movie of the year. I hope that McG and Bale have made it a masterpiece. I hope that the 40% Tomatometer is wrong.
With the release of Terminator Salvation (aka Terminator With Batman and Transformers!) we'd like to take a closer look at the franchise that has explored such pressing issues as our dependence on machines, what it means to be human and how utterly incredible it would be if Robert Patrick could turn his arm into a f*cking knife.
However, in our exploration of this series, we have come across a few gaps in logic, which we felt compelled to share with you. Why? Because we don't feel pity, or remorse, or fear, and we absolutely will not stop, ever, until every movie you have ever loved is ruined.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
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"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
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"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
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McG makes 90-minute long music videos. The giant robot in the trailer also evoked Transformer cash-in. It looks like it's trying to be something serious and is going to get its foot caught in its own conceits.
The first movie worked; the irony of the machines trying to destroy Connor and inadvertently causing his birth was perfect. Then they decided to make more.
I enjoyed both sequels as action stories, but the time travel stuff drives me nuts. Whatever Rules you make shouldn't be broken. If the intent of your story is to change stuff, you have to be careful. For all the no-way issues in Back to the Future, at least they didn't create a grandfather paradox or technology out of no-when.
The first is a classic. The second is a bigger, louder, inferior remake of the first, but it totally f*cks up the series continuity. The third was interesting, if a bit campy. I really enjoyed the TV series and I'm sorry to see it go.
Going to see T:S tomorrow. If nothing else, I hope it's a good action movie.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
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"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
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"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
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It's excellent in many ways, and disappointing in one. Overall, it's a solid 8/10, and well worth seeing in the theater. The acting is top-notch. Even though it's a prequel of sorts, it still keeps you guessing. The action sequences are brilliant and non-stop, and McG doesn't shake the crap out of the camera during them. And there are a ton of neat little tips-of-the-hat to the other movies. McG and the writers clearly have a great deal of reverence towards the franchise, and it really shows. It's a serious film with almost no levity, but that's OK. I was concerned about the PG-13 rating, but (unlike Die Hard 4.0) I never noticed it.
So what's the one disappointment? It's two hours of incredible visuals, acting, explosions, chases, and fights, but it doesn't do a whole lot to advance the story of John Connor. I mean, it explains how he became the leader of the resistance, but it doesn't flesh out much of it. It was similar in that respect to the Star Wars prequels (not in its suckiness-quotient) in that there just wasn't a lot of meat to the story.
Now with that said, we already know that there's a contract for two more Terminator films, so this is (probably) just laying a foundation for them.
Thumbs up, go see it.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
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"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
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Well, maybe I'll go see it now. After reading dozens of bad reviews, I was beginning to think there is no good holiday weekend movie to go see. I hate to spend $50 on a disappointing movie.
I'll be honest, all the bad reviews basically say the same thing I'm saying....It's short on exposition and story. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing....This isn't T1. But (thankfully) it's also not T2 with its overbearing, heavy-handed preaching.
It's an excellent action movie set in the Terminator universe. It'll never be held in the same regard as T1 or T2, but how could it?
The 34% on the Tomatometer is bogus. It's a far better film than that.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
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I think of McG as a hot-and-cold directer. The only movies of his I've seen were the two Charlie's Angels: really enjoyed the first one but the sequel was dull. I guess for Salvation he's hot again.
The funny thing is that the negative reviews all say basically the same thing; that it looks great, great action, Sam Worthington is a scene-stealer, but that the story isn't as strong as it could or should be. Seriously, every negative review I read on rottentomatoes had some version of that criticism, but praised everything else.
That has nothing to do with McG, it has to do with the script.
Or.......It has to do with the editing, as McG has already said that there's gonna be over an hour of bonus material on the DVD.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
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"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
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"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
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Malik23 wrote:Well, maybe I'll go see it now. After reading dozens of bad reviews, I was beginning to think there is no good holiday weekend movie to go see. I hate to spend $50 on a disappointing movie.
Yeah, I passed on it this weekend after reading some really bad reviews. I may try to see it next weekend.
This isn't T1. But (thankfully) it's also not T2 with its overbearing, heavy-handed preaching.
You know, as awesome as T2 was at the time, it's a bloated mess that contradicts the first (not that this is hard, as we've seen from your link ).
I thought T3 was surprisingly good. In fact, I think it's more fun to watch than T2, but perhaps not as epic. I'm a big fan of T3. When we want to watch a Terminator DVD, that's the one we pop in. And I grew up on T1! It's just a pleasant flick.
Yup. I have a hard time sitting through T2 anymore.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
_____________
I liked it, but I felt they missed some opportunities to shore up the whole story. T3 does have some memorable lines that John Conner should have paid attention to, like getting killed on July 4th, 2023 by the very Terminator that saves him and his wife in the last movie. Spoiler
I would have liked it better if the Marcus Wright character had actually been from the far flung future carrying the plans for the time device and purple laser guns, to ensure it all happens to plan. Carrying John Connor's cloned heart in order for it to be used to save him so he can in turn defeat Skynet, which in turn sends back all the components that lead to both antagonists being created so that far flung future can happen.
Thoroughly mediocre and an opportunity wasted. The movie felt very lightweight with little attention paid to the script. The action was decent but there were no jaw-dropper moments or scenes. It felt like McG cobbled this film together out of pieces from other better movies hoping that the whole would be greater than the sum of the parts. I'm a huge Terminator fan and I feel like this movie missed the chance to reinvigorate the franchise much like Nolan did with Batman. I might just be getting irrascible in my old age but the action could not compensate for gaping plot holes and paper thin story. What a waste of Christian Bale's talents. McG is a hack.
War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.John Stuart Mill
Again, I think that the issues with the film have less to do with McG than they do with Nolan's script.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
_____________
I'm waiting for the BD. I'll watch it, but not at the theater.
Harry's review at AICN was one of the most scathing reviews he's ever posted. Man, he was pissed. Granted, I don't put much stock in his reviews because he usually likes everything. I read his site mainly for the talkbacks. But when such an easy to please geek hates the movie, I know it's got some problems.
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