Terminator: Salvation

[lesbiassparrow]

On my flight back I finally watched this. I am sorry if you think it was a transcendent work of genius, but most of the time I kept thinking 'Bale flipped out over this? THIS? THIS?' I kept waiting for the scene that was supposed to be the emotional heart of the film to see if I could see any signs of incipient swearing and losing it on his part, but I couldn't work out which one that was, so eventually I gave up.

BUT, MY GOD, THE PLOT HOLES. I'm thinking that's where all the stress came - the actors wondering how on earth anyone was going to ignore the approximately 58 million things that either made no sense or had to conveniently occur for any semblance of plot progression.



The whole Decepticon Marcus Cole thing was just bonkers. So you build yourself a one of a kind cyborg and then just sort of hope it will run into Kyle Reese and John Connor? And then when it comes home you - as unfeeling machine - kindly take the time to explain your nefarious plan (in your lair which apparently is protected by one terminator and Ahnold) after you've repaired him? Why would you repair him? HE'S DONE HIS JOB. THERE IS NO LOGICAL REASON TO FIX HIM UP AND EXPLAIN EVERYTHING. And no one thought about putting a little metal plate in the back of the Terminator's heads to stop them being knifed? Or Marcus ripping out his chip? Or whatever it was? And then in the end Marcus just gives his heart to Connor and everyone is fine with that? What if it has a tracking device in it? Luckily for them SkyNet was pretty stupid for a super computer.

And why was Connor's wife even in the film? They could have had a stick stand around and make encouraging noises and it would have had the same emotional impact.

Comments

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Huh? Oh yeah, the new one without Sarah. Doesn't exist.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

Well, they have her picture in it. But that's about it. Luckily I don't think it made enough money for us to have to suffer through more of them.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

My hope is that it makes SCC DVDs sell ridiculously well and FOX officials go cry in a corner.

[chelseagirl47.livejournal.com]

I'm with you!

[lyssie.livejournal.com]

I am even more glad that I've never suffered this movie.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

You expect films of this sort to often require frequent leaps of logic, but not ones that require a leap across a mental Grand Canyon about every 10 minutes. It is all made worse by the fact that Bale is all 'THIS IS SERIUS BIZNESS PEOPLE. FEEL MY DOURNESS.'

[morwen_peredhil]

I must confess that I was too fascinated by the lovely Sam Worthington to pay attention to much else.

They should have just let him use his own Australian accent, though, since he kept slipping out of the American one.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

He was Marcus, right? He was the only good thing in the film.

[morwen_peredhil]

YES.

He also played the Australian equivalent of a redneck in Rogue, a cheesy movie in which tourists are eaten by a gigantic crocodile. This might be relevant to your interests.

[lage-nom-ai.livejournal.com]

Heee!
That's why I loved this movie--the context makes Bale's meltdown even more AWESOMELY RIDICULOUS.

Also, as I said at the time--if the robots couldn't find the resistance after they spent all their time flamoyantly wasting their ammo to chase Marcus, then the robots are too stupid to live.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

That's why I loved this movie--the context makes Bale's meltdown even more AWESOMELY RIDICULOUS.

I really wish more people would point this out. How could anyone reading this script think 'THE AGONY OF JOHN CONNOR! I MUST INVEST IN THIS FOR IT IS MEANINGFUL.' I can't wait for him to have a meltdown over voicing a Pixar or Disney character.

[queenthesixth.livejournal.com]

He did the voice of Howl in the dubbed version of Howl's Moving Castle, which was released theatrically by Pixar in 2005. No word on him having a breakdown over it though.

I liked Terminator: Salvation but mostly because it referenced Terminator films I love. If you don't think too much about it, it's a fun futuristic war film. But it's by no means a stellar part of the Terminator canon. James Cameron needs to get back to that franchise pronto to prevent it from going down the crapper.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

it's a fun futuristic war film.

I think part of my issues were that it felt like it didn't know it was basically Wolverine with killer robots. If the actors had let up a little with being Proper Thespians, it might have had more of a chance with being just good, rubbishy entertainment. But as it was, I got the horrible impression that they thought they were making The Road.

[lage-nom-ai.livejournal.com]

I can't wait for him to have a meltdown over voicing a Pixar or Disney character.

LOOK. THIS SCENE IN WHICH THE CHIPMUNK AND THE TALKING PAPERWEIGHT FIND THE KEY IS VERY IMPORTANT. AND YOU'RE FUCKING DISTRACTING ME!