When “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” was released, I felt that the Terminator franchise was officially dead. It was a decent film, but it did not live up to its predecessors in any way. Everything was a giant step down from what had come before. Even the recent “Sarah Connors Chronicles” on TV did little to make the machines actually rise. But now, director McG (who really needs a full name to be taken seriously) is taking another shot at reviving the Terminator legacy. The first wise move McG made was in the casting of Christian Bale in the role of John Connors. Though I kinda missed my namesake, Michael Edwards (from “Terminator 2”), as the adult Connors. I still love the way he wielded that binoculars! Anyhow, getting Bale in on the project lent it a lot of credibility as he has made quite the name for himself these past few years.

“Teminator: Salvation” sets our hero in a post-apocalyptic world where Skynet has already done the deed and pretty much taken over the planet. What humans are left see every day as a struggle for survival. But of course, there is one man… the savior of mankind… John Connor. He and his ragtag group of Connorites are working hard to bring Skynet down and end the reign of the machines.

The story of “Terminator” Salvation” is fairly simple when it comes to the humans. It’s destroy or be killed. These are not people fueled by humor, but by anger. There is not a lot of laughter or really any kind of emotion beyond this anger from this group. That’s the weakest point of the film, especially for the actors. There is little opportunity for an audience to really get to know or care about them. In fact, the only reason to cheer them on to win is the fact that they are human.

The odd dichotomy of this film is that the strongest emotions come from Marcus (Sam Worthington) who, in I believe is a spoiler already well known, is a Terminator. But he does not at first know he is a Terminator. He even teams up early in the film with two survivors, one of whom is Kyle Reese, and only learns later of his identity. There is true emotional turmoil for this character that ultimately should not have emotions, and Worthington gives it everything he’s got. It’s a masterful performance and easily the strongest in the movie.

As for whether or not “Terminator: Salvation” lives up to its predecessors, I’d still have to say no. It’s a darn site better than “Terminator 3”, but I don’t think it is possible to follow up James Cameron with anything other than a James Cameron film. Look at “Aliens.” He took the helm on this 2nd film and nothing else has even come close. This new Terminator film has its share of action and explosions, and it IS a good movie, but it just doesn’t have the same style and grace that made the earlier movies so good.

Technically it is a marvel, however. The design of the Skynet robots and Terminator Endoskeletons is fantastic, down to every last detail, which I have to say is very noticeable on the recent Bluray release from Warner. All of the machines are awesome to look at, even the ones that are wholly CGI. I do have one little nitpick though… if the motorcycles are designed to be run by Skynet to kill humans… why were they designed for a human to ride and control? Hmmmm?

Anyhow, the Bluray release of “Terminator: Salvation” is the way to go if you plan to add it to your library. There are three discs, the first offering the Director’s ‘R’ rated cut, the second offering the theatrical cut and special features, and the third… the digital copy (of the theatrical release). Watching the Director’s Cut on Bluray is revelatory in that I can think of very few movies that clearly show the beauty of what can be had with this medium. Regardless of the simplistic plotline, I could not turn away from the level of detail you could see on every machine down to the tiniest servos. It is amazing to look at.

The second disc looks as good, but here is where you get the slightly shorter “PG-13” version and some cool special features. The main one being talked about on this set is the ‘Immersive Maximum Mode’ where you get all sorts of picture-in-picture ‘making of’ material coming at you while you watch the movie. All of this material is fascinating and offers very deep insight into the making of the film. Two separate featurettes also show up on this disc. “The Moto-Terminators” are featured in one while more extensive behind the scenes information are offered in the other.

So, is “Terminator: Salvation” worth your time? Without a doubt I’d have to say, yes… but just don’t expect the greatness that the first two films were. It is, as I mentioned, much better than the third installment… and as a standalone feature it makes for a pretty good movie about the coming apocalypse… machine style!

Directed by: McG
Starring: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Moon Bloodgood, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jane Alexander, Helena Bonham Carter
Extras: The Moto Terminator; Re-Forging the Future; Immersive Maximum Movie Mode; Digital Copy
Specifications: 1080p High Definition (2.40:1), Dolby TrueHD (Theatrical & Director’s Cut)
Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: 12/1/2009
MPAA Rating: R
http://www.TerminatorSalvation.com

We'll give Terminator: Salvation (Bluray) a B.