This machine just won't die.

Teminator:Salvation: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington


Director: McG





MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!








SEE.








Sometimes it is better to leave the future untold. That said, what is most amazing about James Cameron's story about mankind's fight against annihilation at the hands of machines is how many twists, turns and reincarnations it has. This story will simply not die. You can: focus on the machine sent to kill John's mother; focus on blowing up the plant that produces the chip that allows machines self-awareness; focus on whatever the third movie was about and don't even get me started on the TV series. Do what you will, nothing will ever touch the originality of the first movie. Still Terminator:Salvation gives us a glimpse of something we've never had before-a full-grown rugged hero played by Hollywood's (Sorry, England. He's ours now.) Everyman, Christian Bale.








John Connor, for geeky fans of the franchise, is kind of a mythical character. His full-grown celluloid representation is of some importance, and Christian Bale while certainly earnest never displays the humor, rakishness (real rakishness not that Bruce Wayne stiff stuff), swagger and cynicism (it is possibly the end of humankind, after all) that I would expect from a hero who has been in the cinematic atmosphere since 1984. Frankly, Arnold Schwarzenegger was more humorous as the original Terminator. What?! Why, humor, you ask? It connects us. It's something we can get behind. It's what so many of us turn to when faced with impossible situations. After all this is the fourth movie. At some point, you just can't take the end of the world so seriously. (People, can we please stop abandoning dialogue for special effects?) Look. I didn't hate him in this role. I just didn't necessarily care if John Connor lived another day (not especially good for the franchise if I do say so myself.)





On the upside, we have Sam Worthington as Marcus Wright, a death row inmate who wakes to a new world in which few humans remain. Unbeknownst to Marcus, he, too, is a machine, but one who possesses a human heart. Weird but it works. This Tin Man conveys more emotion in one camera shot than Mr. Bale is allowed to manifest in the entire movie. I won't lie to you. I forgot it even was a Christian Bale movie. It's weird to feel compassion for the Terminator over the main hero. Again. At some point, I should actually want John Connor to survive. That point ain't here yet.








EAT.








I don't know. What do machines with human hearts eat?








SHOP. UM. NEVER MIND.





Instead of shopping, I wanted to take this opportunity to present some awards to the fourth film in this enduring and versatile franchise. (Hell, there should be a lifetime achievement award for the story alone.) Here we go:





Best and Truest Line Ever Uttered On Film: "We've got to get out of L.A."





Scariest Mechanical Villain Frozen in Time: Still Schwarzenegger. Yes. He's in this movie. Yes. He's completely naked. Yes. That is very scary.





Best Round and Round Screaming into Handmikes: Michael Ironside and Christian Bale (Lord knows, he's had the practice. Okay, that was a cheap shot.)





Most Used Film Prop in the History of Film: The photo of Linda Hamilton from the original movie. Thank goodness for digital retouch. Is is me or doesn't it get burned in the first Terminator? Thank goodness for time travel.





Okay, I don't really have any awards to offer. I just wanted to prove I can say something positive once in awhile. Sort of.