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Christian Bale and Sam Worthington in "Termionator:
Salvation"
courtesy of Warner Home Entertainment
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“Where’s Arnold?”
When you make another movie in “The Terminator” series it is always best to include Arnold Schwarzenegger in the cast. If you can’t get him then you need someone near his star power. In “Terminator: Salvation” Director McG has chosen to go with Christian Bale. Once again it is back to the future where John Connor is leading the resistance and trying to keep Kyle Reese alive so he can travel back to the past and father him. It is all complex and complicated but it is also all good fun.
Christian Bale of “Batman” fame plays John Connor. Surprisingly he is not the featured player in the film. That honor would go to Sam Worthington who plays Marcus Wright, a man from the past who shows up in the future. He is trying to save Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin) which is also what Connor is trying to do.
There is a battle royal raging between the “Resistance” and the machine creatures of an organization called “Skynet.” These almost invincible “terminators” are what Arnold was in the first “Terminator” film. From start to finish of the film it is one battle after another.
There are women in this film. Connor’s wife Kate is played by Ron Howard’s daughter Bryce Dallas Howard. Moon Bloodgood plays Blair Williams a fellow soldier who develops an attachment to Marcus. Jadagrace is a welcome addition as the mute child named Star.
The film tips its hat to Linda Hamilton who played John Connor’s mother in the earlier films, and to Arnold whose name is synonymous with “Terminator.” Plus the film is just as action packed as a “Terminator” film is supposed to be.
The acting is not the most important part of “Terminator: Salvation”; the action is. McG keeps the action coming fast and furiously. You barely have a chance to catch your breath between battle sequences.
Don’t expect to be able to keep all the past, present and future storylines straight. It all just gets too confusing. But when you are having this much fun you really don’t care. The movie speeds by and its running time of two hours and ten minutes seems much shorter. Plus on DVD if you really get confused you can stop the action and rerun it.
How many franchises can Christian Bale handle? That is the question. There are bound to be more “Batman” movies and there are bound to be more “Terminator” flix too. Let’s just say Mr. Bale certainly has job security for the next few years.
“Terminator: Salvation” isn’t the best film in the series but it is enjoyable. I missed Arnold and I also missed Linda Hamilton but the show does go on without them.
It may come as a surprise to you when you watch the DVD of “A Night At the Museum: The Battle of the Smithsonian” that a sequel to the very successful movie “Night At the Museum” could come out and be fresh, interesting and entertaining – but it is! Ben Stiller returns as Larry Daley, the night watchman turned entrepreneur, and he is the core of the film. Amy Adams and Hank Azaria are new to the cast and they add a lot of pop and pizzazz.
The plot has Larry trying to keep the old gang from the first museum movie together for the second. A lot of the characters have been boxed up for storage at the Smithsonian so Larry devises a plot to rescue them. While at the Smithsonian trying to rescue the old gang he bumps into Amelia Earhart (Adams) and Kahmunrah (Azaria).
Larry and Amelia have a flirtation thing going on which adds to the fun of the film. Plus Kahmunrah has a lisp that makes his character hysterically funny. Throw in some bobble headed Einsteins, a trio of singing cherubs and Al Capone (Jon Bernthal) and you have a crew that will hold your interest from the beginning of the movie till the end.
Plus you still have Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt, Owen Wilson as a cowboy named Jedediah, and Steve Coogan as a Roman centurion named Octavius. These actors all give their share of entertainment too.
The great thing about this movie is that it is good clean fun. You can take the kids, your parents, even the preacher to see this one. You don’t have to worry about anything. It is all aimed at the family but still is interesting and entertaining in a non-bland way.
Ben Stiller is the perfect center for the film. He can make it all look like fun whether it be having a monkey slap his face or flying the Wright Brothers first plane from Kitty Hawk. He seems to be having a good time and that makes the audience have a good time.
If you think you have seen everything a museum with characters coming to life has to offer, well think again. There is life left in this franchise and the sequel is just as good – if not better – than the original. |
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©2009 Jackie K. Cooper |
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