I knew five minutes into McG’s cumbersome, misguided, lifeless “Terminator Salvation” that I would be writing a short take rather than a full review. The film sucks inspiration out of the viewer in a staggering fashion. It disavows intriguing ideas explored in the franchise to date and renders a potentially exciting re-launch of the material impotent and meaningless. It is frankly difficult to give the film a whole lot of thought.
This glossy new installment is splintered with the shrapnel of smart and at times visionary ideas, both narratively and visually. But it has no idea which way is up. It is a video game, not a piece of cinema. It is the accomplishment of a filmmaker smitten with the work of people far more talented and far more dedicated to realizing something that endures, rather than something that capitalizes on pre-existing framework. And it is a nightmare to anyone who cherished James Cameron’s now 25-year-old creation.
And that might be a key statement. Not everyone holds that creation dear. And for them, a compelling film might be in store. But I wanted more. I certainly wiped my brow with relief in the summer of 2003 when Jonathan Mostow’s largely misunderstood “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” managed to bridge two philosophies under the same umbrella, but I knew something bigger and more thematically powerful was needed to recharge the dimming light on the “Terminator” series. Something with a particular blend of creative ingenuity and allegiance was necessary. “Terminator Salvation” substitutes confused storytelling for the former and eye-rolling winks and nudges for the latter.