Movie · 2009 · Action, Science Fiction, Thriller · 1h 55m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 0.9/10 (569.2K ratings)
The end begins.
Overview
All grown up in post-apocalyptic 2018, John Connor must lead the resistance of humans against the increasingly dominating militaristic robots. But when Marcus Wright appears, his existence confuses the mission as Connor tries to determine whether Wright has come from the future or the past -- and whether he's friend or foe.
Ratings
Curator score: 0.9/10
IMDb: 6.5/10
Letterboxd: 2.61/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 33%
Metacritic: 49
TMDB: 6.1/10
Director
McG
Production
The Halcyon Company, Moritz Borman Productions, Wonderland Sound and Vision, Mandate International, T Asset Acquisition Company, Columbia Pictures
Cast
Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood, Helena Bonham Carter, Anton Yelchin, Common, Zach McGowan, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jane Alexander, Michael Ironside, Ivan G'Vera, Dorian Nkono, Chris Browning, Beth Bailey, Victor J. Ho, Buster Reeves, Jadagrace, Kevin Wiggins, Greg Serano, Bruce McIntosh
Curator Review
Verdict
A solid but uneven franchise entry: it has strong industrial-scale action, a convincing scorched-earth setting, and a few memorable set pieces, but the character work is thin and the film often feels like it is imitating the Terminator mythology rather than expanding it. Best approached as a grim post-apocalyptic action movie rather than a definitive chapter in the series.
Best for
Viewers who want muscular, effects-driven sci-fi action
Fans of bleak post-apocalyptic war stories
People who are less attached to the original films' character continuity
Audiences who appreciate practical/CG hybrid spectacle and large-scale battle scenes
Skip if
You want the emotional precision and invention of the first two Terminator films
You are looking for sharp dialogue or deeply drawn characters
You dislike gray, militarized blockbuster aesthetics
You want a truly fresh reinvention of the franchise
Overview
Terminator Salvation is the rare franchise sequel that is more interesting as a mood piece than as a story. It trades time-travel suspense for a full-on future-war setting, and that shift gives it a harsher, more industrial texture than many late-series blockbusters. The machine designs, ruined landscapes, and combat choreography often do the heavy lifting, and on that level the movie can be genuinely effective.
Worth noting
The problem is that the script never fully finds a compelling reason to exist beyond escalation. John Connor is positioned as a destiny-bound leader, but the film keeps him at arm’s length, and the Marcus Wright thread feels like it belongs to a better, more character-driven movie. The result is a film with a decent premise and several strong images, but not enough personality to make those ideas land with force.
Bottom line
Still, it is not the disaster its reputation suggests. McG stages action with more clarity than many expected, and the movie has a grim, almost mechanical confidence when it leans into battlefield chaos. If you can accept it as a competent, sometimes exciting detour rather than a great Terminator film, there is enough here to justify the watch.
Top Letterboxd reviews
James (Schaffrillas) (2.5★) · 1308 likes
Christian Bale randomly does his Batman voice on occasion and CGI Arnold shows up with no dick and balls. I definitely liked it less than the previous film, but the story was kind of interesting on paper and the third act was kinda cool. Definitely sauceless overall but I have yet to see a truly irredeemably awful Terminator film. Oh well, there's always next time.
adambolt (2.5★) · 805 likes
OOOH GOOD FOR YOUUU
Matt Singer (2.5★) · 528 likes
A chilling glimpse into the post-apocalyptic future of 2018, a year so bleak Christian Bale can no longer raise his voice above a gruff whisper.
Y’know, this isn’t terribly directed. Visually, it has its moments. The long takes really bring you inside the chaos of a firefight with a bunch of cranky cyborgs. Sure, it’s impossible to square these versions of the characters with the ones in previous movies, but that’s pretty much par for the course in Terminatorland.
I… more
Ethan Ethan (1★) · 301 likes
This war is so boring it's no wonder why they keep sending terminators to the past so the good movies can exist
Josh Lewis (2★) · 299 likes
Clearly thinks it's doing Terminator-Mad Max but no one involved has any sort of imagination. Its version of these characters and the new ones its invented are as flat and boring as the nondescript, CG steel gray aesthetic it seems to mistake for vision and design. Still, not the worst action scenes I've ever seen and some of the practical FX are impressive.