The environment in Salvation is a pretty fascinating one when juxtaposed to the previous Terminator films. If you happen to like post-apocolyptic fare, then this movie is for you. The settings are baron, the buildings reduced to rubble, and the lands cast with gray ash and dust everywhere. The presentation is fantastic and has a true sense of grit. Another fascinating part of this film is the sheer amount of Terminators you get to see. Previous films in the series generally focused on one single Terminator, and while there is still a focus on character here, you will see a flurry of different machines that will surely dazzle the eye. From the notorious HK's (Hunter-Killers), to T-600 Terminators (the ones that look old and very unhuman in skeletal structure), to the iconic T-800 models (which have been in all the movies so far). Plus, you'll see some other nice surprises, that I probably shouldn't mention here.

     Already, there is a lot to like about Terminator Salvation. I also like the homages paid to previous films. Some may consider these spoilers, so if you haven't seen the movie yet, then just skip this section and continue reading at the next paragraph. Salvation features the trademark lines of the franchise that everyone knows and loves, and they are inserted at the best of times. Lines like, "What day is it? What year?", "Come with me if you want to live", and "No fate but what we make." Also, when Sam Worthington's character Marcus Wright gets punched in the face, the camera closes up on his face and he does that sly turn back into the camera just like Arnold and T-1000 did back in the day. Plus, there are video tape voice recordings of Linda Hamilton (Sarah Connor), which is pretty neat. It's awesome stuff.

     The performances in this movie are pretty solid I would say. Christian Bale must be the luckiest actor on Earth, he not only gets to play Batman in The Dark Knight (2008), but the following year he gets to play John Connor in 2009. Either role could be considered a role of a lifetime, but Bale, with his amazing talents, gets to play both. Bale's Connor is definitely a war-torn, world weary one, but still maintains a glimmer of his past youth - most notably when he blasts Guns N Roses from a boombox to attract the attention of a Terminator-like motorcycle in one scene - just like the young Connor would have done so in T2. Bale's voice is pretty gravelly throughout the film, which may remind people of his portrayal of Batman, but regardless he is still very, very effective and a superb choice for the role.

     As for Sam Worthington, who plays the other central character of Marcus Wright, he is also carving himself out quite a career. In 2010, he starred in the mega-blockbuster Avatar, and most recently in Clash of the Titans in the same year. All this following Salvation, and Worthington already has a tremendous career. Worthington is quite convincing as the mysterious character of Marcus and plays it with genuine emotion. I also must note that Anton Yelchin (of Star Trek [2009] fame) plays the role of Kyle Reese very well. He seems to channel some of Michael Beihn's original fire from the first Terminator film while also being able to make the character his own - it's well done. So with a trio of fine actors, the performances are quite strong here.

     One thing I just have to point out real quick is that John Connor gets thrown about by Terminators a lot in this film. If the Terminators sole mission is to kill Connor, then why throw him around so much? Why not just kill him with one swift blow? I suppose this notion speaks to two things - 1) The fact that Connor can survive an onslaught of Terminator attacks is a testament to the strength of his character. And 2) The audience must have a suspension of disbelief, so that there can be some nice action set pieces as Connor scrambles to survive. I just thought I'd point that out. Regardless, it's fun to watch because this is a good movie.

     Terminator Salvation is a fine action movie. It is often explosive, and very entertaining from beginning to end. It is easily the third best of the four films in the franchise. It certainly is much better than its predecessor, Terminator 3. At the same time though, it just can't live up to the original Terminator and T2 - then again, not many movies can. Nevertheless, I certainly recommend this film. It has some memorable moments, some interesting characters, and some awesome scenes involving the Terminators. All in all, it is indeed worth watching.

-Kurt L.

____________________________________________