Skynet's Identity Crisis in 4th Terminator Film
Christian Bale Draws Audiences, While the New Guy Keeps 'em Watching
Jul 8, 2009
Fans of the Terminator franchise have waited a long time to see John Connor take up the mantel of leader of the resistance. In Terminator: Salvation, John is finally on the verge of fulfilling his destiny. The problem: his future dad Kyle Reese is running around being chased by killerbots.
Until now, there have only been glimpses of the world after Judgement Day. Terminator: Salvation throws us into that world, with Hunter-Killers patrolling the skies and terminators patrolling the blasted, stark landscape. Humans are clustered around the globe desperately fighting back and trying to survive.
The audience will be surprised to find that the real protagonist of the story is a stranger, Marcus Wright, played by the extremely charismatic Australian newcomer, Sam Worthington. Wright is rescued by a young Kyle Reese, played by Anton Yelchin (Star Trek).
The last thing Marcus remembers is being executed on death row in 2003, and now he's awakened to an unimaginable, alien world in 2018. There isn't a moment for him to think, as killerbots attack from moment to moment, and one of them succeeds in capturing Kyle among hundreds of others. Marcus must return the favor and save him. He meets one of the resistance fighters, Blair Williams, played by Moon Bloodgood (Eight Below, Pathfinder), who leads him to the base where John is located. But the journey is fraught with hazards. Marcus is unaware, and so is everyone else, that he holds the key to infiltrating Skynet.
John Connor is the Weak Link
The focus on Marcus leaves very little for Christian Bale's John Connor to do. In fact, he is the weak link because he reminds us more of Batman than of John Connor. He sends radio broadcasts to survivors and resistance fighters around the world that should have been been inspiring-think of Churchill's "We shall fight them on the beaches"-but falls flat. Looking ahead to what will undoubtedly be a trilogy, Bale's role in the storyline will surely increase. For now, he's just a peripheral character.
In the story, John has already become an important figure in the resistance, although he still has generals to answer to, including a formidable General Ashdown, played by Michael Ironside (Total Recall). Ashdown's plan to launch an offensive strike against Skynet's San Francisco base in four days interferes with John's personal mission to save Kyle (so that the boy can grow up, go back in time and bonk his mom). Ashdown refuses John's pleas to delay the attack so he can rescue Kyle and the other prisoners. Luckily for John, many of the resistance fighters are loyal to him.
Terminator Salvation Loses Focus
When Skynet sends its killerbots after Kyle, it almost seems to have forgotten why they're after Kyle and their ultimate target, John. It seems to have lost the will to really get them and make them dead; the will that made Arnold Schwarzenegger's terminator so scary when he went after Sarah Connor in the original. In Salvation, Skynet manages to capture Kyle, but instead of killing him (which would presumably achieve their goal of wiping out John), they imprison him and toy with him, like a cat diddling with a mouse.
But then when it comes to time travel paradoxes, it never pays to think too deeply. There's plenty of the old Terminator magic that keeps this franchise alive, plenty of thrills. Director McG's (Charlie's Angels, We Are Marshall) action-packed directing style guarantees thrilling chase scenes worthy of Terminator 2.
The most thankless role belongs to Bryce Dallas Howard (The Village, Spider-Man 3), who replaces Claire Danes as Kate Brewster. Howard just stands around pregnant, looking worried. The screenwriters should have been merciful and scripted a line saying Kate Brewster was blown up by a killerbot. In spite of the superstar casting of Christian Bale, Salvation leaves you wishing that they had brought back Nick Stahl and Claire Danes.
