| Overall Grade: |
A- |
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| Story: |
B+ |
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| Acting: |
A |
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| Direction: |
A- |
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| Visuals: |
A |
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An Honest Review From A True Fan
by John (movies profile)
May 22, 2009
154
of
170 people found this review helpful
First of all I'd like to say to just ignore the "haters" of the movie because they're just being ignorant about the movie. I see a lot of bad reviews on here and all of the complaining is simply stupid. Yes, there were flaws, but no movie is perfect. In my honest opinion, it was a really great movie, not Oscar-worthy, but great.
To those who bad-mouthed the movie, do you all even know what's going on? Like the facts of it and the little important details? Seriously, a lot of people were expecting the "James Cameron version" of the post-apocalyptic world and that's not how it is...yet.
If anyone remembers, the scenes we saw in T1 and T2 of the war against the machines were set in 2029, also the year when Kyle Reese was sent back to 1984 (T1) to protect Sarah Connor. T2 is set in 1995. T3 is set in 2004 (Judgment Day occurs). "Salvation" is set in 2018, 11 years before Reese is sent to the past and 11 years before the "James Cameron version" of war is seen. This is the first of a trilogy. This is the beginning of Skynet. They're just starting to assemble these machines, we're not going to see a field of machines walking around shooting people yet.
A lot of people complain about character development. Let's see here, John Connor's character has been developed over the past three Terminator movies revealing he's the future leader of the resistance and the one who takes down Skynet. Kyle Reese, his character was developed in T1, as the Resistance soldier sent from the future to the past to protect Sarah Connor and would become John's father. He's a teenager in this movie, we already know his fate so it doesn't matter. Kate Brewster Connor, her character was developed in T3, she wasn't needed much in this movie. As for the others, yes, they could have been developed better, but we're just in part one of a trilogy, let's give it more time shall we?
This is the right direction of the movie because this is the rise of Skynet. People wonder why the machines are stupid. Well, the ones we saw in previous Terminators were from 2029, so Skynet, after realizing their past mistakes, created smarter Terminators to send to the past. Right now, 2018, we have a T-800, which was the one that started it all. It's slow, bulky, and stupid. I believe the T-700, which is sleeker and a little smarter, made an appearance in this film at the end (the final battle). The T1 and T2 versions were the T-600 models, which are learning computers, so they learn from mistakes right away. They are far more advanced than the ones seen in Salvation, which made them more dangerous. Again, stop complaining people, it's model development for the machines.
A lot of people got mad about the plot, saying there was no plot. There is a plot. I'll tell you the plot. SPOILER WARNING: John Connor's mission throughout the movie is to reach Kyle Reese because he holds the key to mankind's survival. He is John's father and John knows that he has to send him back in time to protect his mother and to father him. Without Kyle Reese, there is no John Connor. Remember, this is like an alternate universe type thing. It recurs over and over again. So really, the main plot for other characters are to stay alive and take down Skynet's central base. John Connor's plot is to find and save Kyle Reese. He is also rising through the ranks, he is not yet the leader of the Resistance.
Overall, the best way is to not expect a crazy, it's-always-night-time battle. There aren't hundreds of machines walking the Earth. Resistance soldiers aren't dying left and right. Maybe it'll be like that in T5 or T6, but not this one. Have an open mind to see the BEGINNING and the roots of James Cameron's vision. It's not time yet. I take it the next two films will span over the next 11 years until the year 2029 in the story. It really was an exciting movie and the effects are great.
Christian Bale IS John Connor. The last time we saw John Connor, he was a wimp in T3. Bale brings the intense look and feel that the character needs. Bale portrayed him to the way Connor needs to be. He knows his role and fate. He acts upon what his heart tells him. Sam Worthington was great as Marcus Wright. He made his character seem believable and he put emotion into it. Anton Yelchin delivered on his portrayal of a teenage Kyle Reese. The way he talks and acts resemble how Kyle was in T1. He really brings out that tough mentality and you see how he becomes this hardened soldier with no fear of the machines.
As for the other characters, Moon Bloodgood's character was a nice addition, but her emotions in the movie were rushed a bit. Yes, her emotions. Bryce Dallas Howard brought the worried look of any wife whose husband is fighting against machines. Small role, but she did what she could and it came out great. Common's character, Barnes, while never really established as Connor's right hand man, you could tell through the dialogue of other characters that John trusts him more than others. You'll see what I mean.
"Salvation" was a great addition to the Terminator franchise and I really can't wait to see how the second one will go.
Enjoy the movie and remember to not go in expecting guys dying left and right and the machines just shooting away. It's not close to that at all, but the action scenes are fun! This is EXACTLY how the films should go and evolve.
This is to all the complainers:
Seriously people, stop bashing the film. You're worst than the critics themselves. All of you expected to see a crazy war, but that's not how the story goes. Rubber-skin terminators existed all the time, in T1, Kyle Reese tells Sarah about them himself. It's when he explains why he doesn't know if he can beat the advanced terminators with the weapons of 1984. Check it out. Sorry you were so disappointed though. One more thing...
- To the person complaining John Connor transformed from a kid to a low-tone voiced Christian Bale in a decade: It wasn't over 10 years, it's 23 years. He's suppose to be like 33 in this movie now. He was 10 in T2. |
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