Terminator Salvation (PG-13)

NOT RECOMMENDED

In a word: Messy

Plot:  This movie is set in between Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Skynet has come up with, yet another, ingenious plan to erase the existence of John Connor.  This time, they create a Terminator who doesn't realize that he is a cyborg (they use a death row inmate, Marcus Wright, who willed his body to Helena Bonham Carter).  They use Wright in an attempt to find and kill Kyle Reese (Connor's father) before Connor can send Reese back in time to save his mother and father himself.  Confused?  Don't worry, it won't matter.  The plot of this film is secondary to the special effects and explosions.  

Thoughts:  I have to say, I'm a fan of the first Terminator film, not so much a fan of anything that came after it.  T2 had some nice special effects, but was hampered by a whiny teenage John Connor.  Rise of the Machines seemed like a movie of the week to me - very unmemorable.  This one was simply stupid.  Gone is the griity, dark, depressing landscape that Cameron showed us in the first terminator movie.  This one is looks like Transformers in a desert setting.  The mechs are numerous and huge (and yet, STILL can't seem to hit a target!).  Connor doesnt' seem to be respected much by the resistance leadership, so I'm not sure why it's important to erase him at this point.  Marcus seems like a throwaway character, which is sad, because he's the only interesting character on the screen.  All of the violence (with the exception of explosions, they are numerous) is toned down to get the PG-13 rating - which I think hurt this film.

SPOILERS:  Lots of questions, no answers.  I'm not sure why Skynet needed to create a Terminator that thinks he's human, as it served no real purpose.  I don't know why Skynet didn't kill Reese when they had him.  I don't know why Kate Connor has an endless supply of make-up and hair care products (I guess she raided a few hair salons after the apocolypse).  I don't know why you would take a very pregnant woman on a dangerous raid.  I don't know how John Connor survived having a huge piece of frakking metal go through his chest.  I don't know how they performed open heart surgury in the middle of the desert, or why Skynet left them alone to do it.  I don't know why this film was made.

If you like this, try watching: Any of the other Terminator movies, Ghost in the Shell, Transformers.