Terminator Salvation

Opened in June 2009 in Malaysia nationwide.

I had watched all past three Terminator series. My favourite was Terminator 2 where the T-1000 was simply fantastic and mind blowing. Terminator 3 Rise of the Machines was a disappointment because it's storyline was similar to Terminator 2 Judgement Day without much surprises although I enjoyed Arnold's one liners. I went in to Terminator Salvation without high expectation.

Woweee... did I enjoyed the experienced. I put it up there together with Terminator 2.

Terminator Salvation brought us to the year 2028 where John Connor is an adult in the Resistance a movement with the sole aim to fight the machines. Connor, however, is not the leader of the Resistance though he occasionally does broadcast his message of hope. There are 2 leading males in Terminator Salvation. One is John Connor on whose shoulder lies the burden of human salvation and the hopes of his mother, Sarah Connor. Another is Marcus Wright who first appeared at the beginning of the movie as a prisoner on the death row in the year 2003. From the ensuing conversations, we know that Marcus believes he was the cause of the death of his brother and some cops. Within minutes of the opening, we see Marcus donating his body for research and given lethal injections. Next, we see him in 2028 escaping from a Skynet facility with his last memory as being on the death row.

Whilst we had been exposed only to the T-800, T-850, T-1000 and T-X in the past three series, expect to see much more variety in Terminator Salvation.

Caution:

Spoiler ahead. Do not continue reading if you do not wish to know the full story.

Whilst attempting to retrieve data from a Skynet facility, Connor encounters information that led him to believe Skynet was developing a new and better machine. He gate crashed the Resistance headquarter to inform the leaders of this news. While there, the leaders informed him that they had information about a list of people whom Skynet wished to kill. In the list were leaders of the Resistance. Connor is number two on the list. Number one is a person by the name of Kyle Reese (If you had watched The Terminator, you'd know that Kyle Reese is Connor's father).

In this movie, Kyle Reese is a young adult. His companion is a mute girl who goes by the name Star. Together, they are the only Resistance in LA. That is until Reese saved Marcus who had hailed a Terminator not knowing what it was. It was from Reese that Marcus learned the year is now 2028. Judgement Day had come and gone. Machines now roam the planet, terminating or capturing human. Marcus showed great skill with weapons and survival tactics which Reese watched with growing admiration.

To cut if short, Reese and Star was captured by the Harvester. Marcus then team up with another Resistance fighter, Blair Williams, to find Reese and Star. Blair offered to bring Marcus to the Resistance facility to meet Connor whom she believes will know where to find Reese and Star. Along their journey, Marcus saved Blair from a trio of despicable human. We also see a touching scene where Marcus asked Blair is she believes people deserves a second chance. While on way to the facility, Marcus ended up hurt when a bomb meant for machines stucked to his leg. While trying to save Marcus, the Resistance made a surprising discovery. Marcus too was shocked and horrified when he discovered he is now part human part machine. Marcus has heart and brain of human but the rest is machine. Through Connor's interrogation, we could see that Marcus believes he is human without any ulterior motives except to save Reese and Star. However, the Resistance believes that Marcus had been sent to infiltrate the Resistance and was hence sentenced to be dismantled. Marcus successfully escaped the facility with assistance from Blair. While hunting Marcus, Connor's helicopter crashed into a river and he was attacked by hydrominators. Marcus saved Connor by tearing apart a hydrominator. Connor then made a pact with Marcus. Connor lets Marcus go so that Marcus locate and enter Skynet facility to find the person responsible for his current condition. In return, Marcus will help Connor into the Skynet facility to save Reese.

Marcus had no problem entering the Skynet facility. We could see the visible disappointment on Marcus face when the machine guarding the entrance allowed him entry without even a challenge. After locating Reese from the Skynet control room, Marcus sent the data to Connor and shutdown security at one of the entrance to allow Connor in. Marcus then continued to search data that would explain his current condition. He then learnt that after many failed attempts to kill Connor, Marcus was created specifically (the only prototype) to infiltrate the Resistance and lure both Reese and Connor to Skynet so that both may be terminated. Marcus learnt that his skull contained a chip that allows Skynet to access all that he sees and hears. Marcus was so horrified and angry that he wrenched out the chip.

Meanwhile Connor had entered the Skynet facility and was looking for Reese. While trying to help Reese escape, they both encountered Skynet's latest terminator - the T-800. Connor told Reese to run while he fights the T-800. While fighting, Marcus turned up to help. The T-800 scanned Marcus and determined his weak point is his heart so the T-800 gave Marcus a mighty blow in the vicinity of his heart. I thought that was the end for Marcus but Connor revived him with electrical shock. While treating Marcus, the T-800 stabbed Connor with a steel bar through the chest. Marcus, revived, broke the steel bar from Connor's chest and stuck the bar into the base of T-800's skull and decapitated the T-800. Back at the Resistance camp, it was learnt that Connor's heart could no longer sustain him and he did not have much time. Marcus then volunteered his heart. Marcus explained to Blair that this was his second chance.

If you had watched The Terminator and Terminator 2, you'd know that Arnie was the T-800. So it was a pleasant surprise that it was Arnie all over again in Terminator Salvation : ) I didn't even know Arnie was in this movie. It was either a very good special effect or he had a lot of botox because his face was wrinkle free.

In Terminator Salvation, we're introduced to a lot more of the machines. T-600, Harvester, Mototerminators, Hydominators, etc. This movie was not all action. There was heart too in the form of Marcus who showed us the desire for a second chance. Doesn't all of us? In fact, I think a big portion of the movie was focused on Marcus rather than Connor.

I've got to say one of the best scene has got to be when the Mototerminators came out from the Harvester and hunt Marcus, Reese and Star. It was so cool.

Casts:

Marcus Wright - Sam Worthington, an Aussie

John Connor - Christian Bale

Kate Connor - Bryce Dallas Howard, daughter of Ron Howard (Archie in Happy Days)

Director: McG