Terminator Salvation

Publisher: Warner Bros.	Running Time: 1 Hour 55 Minutes
Release Date: May 21, 2009	Format: Theatrical

There have always been stories about the end of times. Every culture has its own interpretation of how it will come about and even when it will be. The Bible refers to the end days, as do more contemporary works of fiction such Left Behind. Whatever reason it is that humanity is so interested in knowing more about our untimely demise, there certainly is a fascination that has spawned a number of different series in one way or another.

Terminator is one of those series. Ironically the fall of the human race is not brought on by God or an outside force from another planet. It is our own actions, our own creations that seek to destroy us. It is a battle of man vs. machine. The common threat of annihilation at the hands of robots brings mankind together with one goal in mind: to stop the machines and bring peace back to our planet.

Salvation takes place in the year 2018. Judgment Day has already come and gone with Terminators roaming what is left of civilization, killing or collecting humans in their path. The movie follows the rise of John Connor, the son of Terminator 1 and 2's Sarah Connor, through the ranks of the Resistance. His decisions are often questioned and second guessed by his superiors, despite the view that he is an almost prophetic warrior.

Christian Bale (of Batman fame) does an admirable job portraying the older John Connor. The teenager that was first introduced in Terminator 2 is now a hardened, yet unquestionably reasonable soldier. While Bale's portrayal of Connor displays a high level of self-confidence, he also has his doubts throughout the movie as to whether some decisions he makes are the right ones. When his superiors order him to bomb Skynet headquarters, he defies them in part due to human prisoners being held there.

The pacing of the film is about where you would want it. There is plenty of action, the story is put together nicely and the actors fit their roles quite well. Salvation is not long by any stretch and when the credits finally roll you leave the theater satisfied. Even without Arnold Schwarzenegger taking a leading part in the film (he is a bit busy being governor of California), this still feels very much like a Terminator movie.

Final:	6.5
Written by Kyle	Review Guide

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