I fell in love with this Franchise at 12 years old. Pound by pound, TERMINATOR is the best movie of it's kind, in my eyes, there was no action mega star before Schwarzenegger and no visual effect magic prior to the glory of Stan Winston. The score is embedded in my psyche as the match for things larger than life.
This is the expectation I carried when I stepped into the theater today. I wanted a piece I've been craving since I first so a flash back (a future glimpse- actually) of a certain resistance leader, both physically and emotionally scarred, leading a group of ragtag humans to victory against insurmountable odds.
Those who know my cinematic preferences, know that I lean towards villains. However, John Connor is my kind of good guy: the conflicted hero with a tinge of either madness or glory. Let's face it this is one of the best developed characters on a sci-fi franchise ever, played by seven actor across 25 years through five storylines (counting, of course the TV series). I craved to see the story of John Connor delivered by Bale, you know, 'cause he is the man that does no wrong.
I got something slightly different, and after the first shock, I actually liked what I got. Although the purist in me wanted a straight forward story to be wrapped up nicely in 2 hours or less, the movie freak in me understands the window of opportunity towards reopening a successful franchise. McG took a gamble and for what I saw, it might pay off.
It is serious business to mess with the structure of a story everyone knows so well and I am still wondering about why the "big twist" was paraded around on the trailer... I should have known this movie was a set up, but what a grandiose set up it is. Flame all you want against it, the movie falls within cannon, that is the marvel of plots in which alternate time lines are a feasible reality.
This is not John Connor's movie, not yet. Once you come to terms with that it is possible to get a kick out of it. This is Connor trying to figure out a game that he believed he knew by heart. It is also the story of Marcus (Sam Worthington) and how he -errrr, literally- found his heart. In a world that looks black and white Marcus is that uncomfortable shade of gray that throws away all conviction and makes you think twice. Yes, there are lessons for Connor to learn yet, at this point in the story line. My rushed need to see him vanquish all evil in two hours or less will have to wait.
It is also the story of a very young Kyle Reese. Let me stop here for a sec and give a shout out to Anton Yelchin who will quickly become the next "IT" boy and with good reason. He alone manages to infuse the film with a certain nostalgia. Yelchin did his research and manages to capture mannerisms and expressions from his predecessor, Michael Biehn, while keeping control of his performance. That kid is just amazing and I hoped he had more screen time.
No one, purist or not will dare cross McG when it comes to action, the scenes were clean and full of all those wonderful details that a T movie should have. Then, there are the tribute moments, some subtle, some just for the fun of it, the most obvious brought cheers from my peeps at the theater.
The conclusive scene if a little bit iffy, and definitely, the weakest link , but then, after watching two hours of non stop killing machines a little further stretch of the imagination should pose no problem :p
The quote: "He saved my life. I saw a man, not a machine" - Blair Williams (Moon Bloodgood), just to make things clear...
