Terminator: Salvation - Review

I'm not going to lie, I don't think this movie is as bad as everyone says it is. Don't get me wrong, it's not a good movie, but this movie had potential as it has elements that I do enjoy.

I think a Terminator movie set after Judgement and prior to the rise of John Connor is a good idea. Make it a prequel to the original Terminator. Let's see how John Connor was able to rise up and become the messiah of the human resistance and how he meets Kyle Reese. This movie had elements of that story in it with a young Kyle Reese, but it lacked focus and tried to make room for the Sam Worthington as a human turned Terminator story which is an interesting idea, but feels underdeveloped.

Lots of good ideas in this movie that never get fully realized. Characters come out of nowhere with a messy structure, a twist which could have been cool if the movie was more focused, and Christian Bale as John Connor feels like more of a executive marketing decision as opposed to good character casting.

I like Sam Worthington, I like Anton Yelchin, the action scenes have a ton of promise, but due to the lack of focus and heart, the action scenes lack the heaviness and emotional investment needed for a great memorable movie.

There are some good things in this movie and I'll have a soft spot for Terminator Salvation as it was my first Terminator film in a theatre, but it is just another lack luster sequel in a franchise where the classic saying is prevalent. "The first one (or two in this case) are the best."