Terminator Salvation

There is an unstoppable march for humanity. Every action is a precursor to a future that is not guaranteed, for someday in the future humanity will cease to exist. The possibilities towards that end are infinite; natural disasters, asteroid strikes, being engulfed by the sun, revelations from god or as The Terminator movie franchise imagines it, through humanity’s doing by way of the machine.

In this fourth establishment, Terminator Salvation, the central machine Skynet has exterminated most of humanity and is in the process of hunting down and terminating the remaining survivors. Included amongst the survivors is John Connor (Christian Bale), the destruction of whose existence being the subject of the three previous films. Though each previous installment seemingly stopped the onslaught, in reality, there is no stopping the march towards oblivion. Connor’s saga merely chronicles an attempt to delay the inevitable.

The task of slowing the machines this time takes place in the not-to-distant future though the germination of the drama begins in the not-to distant past. A scientific study originally conducted for the benefit of health eventually becomes twisted to aid Skynet towards the destruction of its human adversaries. The machines are evolving and learning new ways to hunt and infiltrate the human resistance camps. This latest discovery threatens the survival of Connor and foreshadows the decision made that became the original story of The Terminator.

This twist is an inspired take on the original plot. Unfortunately, it also gets explained by an all-to-familiar cop out in filmmaking; the victorious moment of catharsis when the villain explains how exactly they found the way to triumph which leads to their eventual downfall. It is the signal of mediocrity; a signal that director McG has not learned the intricacies of what it takes to be a great storyteller.

What Terminator Salvation does show, is that McG knows how to handle a film filled with big-budget special effects. Each installment of the franchise has been a breakthrough in imagination; bringing a post-apocalyptic world to life. This includes a thrilling moment of resurrection that highlights why special effects can add a great deal to a film when the ravages of time leave that possibility otherwise impossible.

The mark of time on a ravaged human population, however, is exposed in this film. The march towards extinction cannot be stopped; the bodies strewn across the film’s world are a reminder for each extinguished soul. Yet John Connor and the rest of us fight every day against the inevitable. Decisions may not stop what is to come though they do weigh significantly in the outcome. How it all ends is not yet decided so each choice made lends another day towards humanity’s survival…and another potential sequel.