I didn't have high hopes when I went into the theater to see this, which is good because it's the lesser of the four TERMINATOR movies.
It begins in 2003, with death-row inmate Marcus Wright willing his body to science before his execution, then goes to 2018 to show Resistance fighter John Connor invading a Skynet research facility. They see that there are indeed design plans for the T-800 (the flesh covered ones), which Connor predicted, but there are also scores of human prisoners in cages. However, Skynet new they were coming and blows up the place but not before Connor escapes, as the only survivor.
Then we go to the other half of the story, a teenaged Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin of STAR TREK) and his seven-year old companion, Star. They meet up with Marcus Wright, who has no idea who he is or what has happened. And he looks exactly the same from 15 years ago. Kyle and Marcus bond to a certain extent and when Kyle and Star are captured by a huge Skynet robot he plans on rescuing them. On the way he encounters pilot Blair Wilson (Moon Bloodgood), who takes him to the nearest Resistance camp--where John Connor is the leader. It soon becomes apparent that Marcus isn't exactly human and not like any type of Terminator Connor knows about.
Then, the rest of the story is Connor and Marcus teaming up to rescue Kyle Reese from the experiments in Skynet's home base of San Francisco.
Although the special effects are great I thought the story was just so-so, and the Kyle Reese character has more screen time then Connor, who seems very one-dimensional.
And Bryce Dallas Howard is miscast as Connor's wife, Kate, as she is way too young. Where was Claire Danes?
TERMINATOR SALVATION is exactly what you think it will be and offers nothing more.
I didn't have high hopes when I went into the theater to see this, which is good because it's the lesser of the four TERMINATOR movies.
