First off, in case someone somewhere managed to miss it, I love “Terminator”. I am a hopeless romantic and I love explosions. Wed the two, and I end up pretty wacky. There was a time freshman year in college, while I was still in the rejection-avoiding channeling-all-lust-towards-fictional-characters phase, when I designed several less Arnie-centric posters for the movie, bought original lobby cards of Kyle Reese, and pasted his face over Arnie’s on the side of my VHS cover. Mmmmmm. “Terminator 2” was good, but besides the Arnie-centrism, annoying kid, cutting the Kyle dream sequence out of the release version (breathe, Felicity, breathe), I was quite annoyed that they were able to weasel out of Judgment Day. If you read the script for T1, it’s clear that Cameron and Hurd were coming down on the “Time travel does not change timelines, it’s already part of them” side of the fence. Still, many explosions, ass-kicking mamas.
This won’t be a very complete review, because I hate hate hate spoilers with a burning passion. First off, the plot was good. It was action-packed but you always knew what was going on, and it made sense with the overall story. Some people seem to think that the TX terminator was a quantum leap backwards in technology from T-1000, and therefore unbelievable, but I disagree. For one thing, T-1000 was a prototype, and the machines are fighting a war—it’s believable that they might lose the facilities to produce high-end prototypes. Also, I don’t think she was that much of a leap backwards. She had the shape-changing ability of T1000, and on-board weapons, and ways of dealing with other machines and terminators (not giving away anything the trailer didn’t) that make sense in a future where (as both T2 and T3 attest) the humans are capturing and reprogramming terminators.
The plot also followed the traditions - the funny scene where Arnie gets clothes, use vehicles up and throw them away, et cetera - while still remaining fresh. I was desperately disappointed when John Connor said, “If you wanna live, c’mon,” or whatever, though. Despite it’s being tarnished by Arniedom in T2, “Come with me if you want to live” has a good tradition and doesn’t need to be thrown out. A military complex which appeared in the film was a good way of retaining the same machine-oriented world - metal, industrial - without slavishly following the “fight in a factory” paradigm established in the first two films.
Acting: this movie would have been merely ‘good’ or ‘okay’ with mediocre actors. Instead, they got Claire freakin’ Danes for the female lead, and some chappie I’d never seen before as John Connor. He reminded me of Dr. Bashir, was cute (okay, I might just be projecting Reese-cute down the generations), and acted quite well. Claire Dane’s character, Katherine Brewster, did a good job of being both a normal woman in over her head and stronger than the eek-eek 80’s Sarah of T1.
Special effects were good, DUH. Direction was good, too. I have no idea why Cameron didn’t want to make this movie, but I didn’t miss him.
Bottom line; rousing action; exciting plot that continued the series in a worthy direction; great acting; there was no way of putting Reese in it so I forgive them; and they set themselves up for a wicked sequel. I am full of happiness. Go, ye sci-fi and action fans! Spend your money! Go already!
Comments
explosions = woo!
The first big action sequence alone was worth the price of admission. To be honest, it was really the best part of the movie and I thought things went downhill from there, but still…I was satisfied.
Re: explosions = woo!
Explosion junkie. I thought things got more interesting from there, so neener neener.
And it leaves room for sequels
Really, I think that someone decided that there was more to be done with this story than had been, and this movie was a good way of transitioning from T2 (which ends with, “that’s it, we’re done, we’ve saved the world”) to another two or three good movies. I can easily see this becoming something of a second trilogy (where the first trilogy only had two parts…).
Moderate spoilers to follow in reply post.
Re: explosions = woo!
And, thank god, the plot isn’t based on a pretentious-ass-freshman-philosophy-course-
pseudo-intellectual conceit like all these other summer blockbusters. Not that I like the summer blockbuster as an entity in general. But all that bullshit tries to take it somewhere it’s not.
[spoilers] My predictions
Ok, so here’s what I think we’ll see in the next two or three movies:
T4
John grows some leadership skills. His mother made a grave mistake in going all survivalist; John is not equipped to lead the remaindered bits of humanity. He struggles to build a cohesive whole out of what he has to work with. At the end of this one, humanity will capture time travel tech from the machines (that’s where they got it, right?). They send back Kyle Reese.
T5
John and his guerillas are gearing up for a major confrontation with the machines; some sort of serious strike. John is cocky and sure of himself. He has his ass handed to him at great cost to the cause.
T6
Older and wiser but with fewer resources, John and his now-smaller group of battle-hardened commandos strike at the heart of the machine and are victorious. John dies at the end of the movie. John’s wife sets off the chain of events that leads to T3.
The fourth and fifth could be compressed into one film, but why make two movies when you could make three?
Arnold will still figure in all three (I wish he wouldn’t. I’m tired of him). T4 will have the T100 as the foot soldiers of the machine army, with Arnold-skinned versions for infiltration. T5 will partially involve the capture of a T100 to be sent back in time (for T2).
In T6, well, it will be come obvious if you watch T3.
[spoilers] Re: [spoilers] My predictions
Thank you for accomodating my spoiler-fear.
Hrm. There needs to be at least a minor victory in each movie, regardless of any defeats in the middle. Also, I don’t think they can use Arnie much in the future. Whatever they said about sentimental attachment, if at least two people in the Resistance can ID a terminator on sight, it’s an ineffective skinsuit.
And you’re not going to make any remarks about my Reese obsession?
Re: explosions = woo!
I assume you refer in part to Matrix Reloaded.
While I agree that The Matrix has never been terribly subtle or deep in its philosophical musings, I find that they add to the piece (especially in the first half of the first movie).
Revolutions, however, hints that The Matrix is really just a modernization of a very old story. Caesar at Ars Technica has an interesting idea on the relationship between The Matrix Trilogy and Gnosticism. Now, I’m not an expert on the topic, but I can see his point after reading the linked article and its cited scriptures.
Besides, I really liked the first one and I want to like the others
I don’t think the recent Marvel movies delve deeper into philosophy than normal for a comic book. Remind me if I’m forgetting something.
Finding Nemo was an amusing animated feature. No philosophy pretension there.
The Italian Job just rocked. See it. It’s a well done heist flick. I haven’t seen the original yet, but want to.
I don’t think I’ve seen any other blockbusters. I want to see 28 Days Later. I’m hoping for good solid camp.
Re: explosions = woo!
Hrm, which are you referring to besides Matrix 2—The Hulk?
I desperately want to see “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Corset jokes! Can’t call that pretentious! Corset jokes, swashbuckling, and undead—I’m almost foaming at the mouth.
From the little I’ve seen, I think you could play Johnny Depp’s part— How are you at ‘piratey’?
Re: explosions = woo!
Yes, the Hulk, although perhaps I should change ‘philosophy’ to ‘psychology’ for that one. And I kick ass at ‘piratey’. It’s one of my spesh-E-al-uh-tees.
Re: explosions = woo!
Well, I will report back on “Pirates of the C.” when I get to see it. Jack Sparrow just looked awfully chaotic and Unseelie. And Johnny Depp looks reasonably like you.
It’s been a long time since I went to a good sword-fighting flick in the cinema. You really can’t beat ‘em. And, hey, pirates = cannons = explosions!
Re: explosions = woo!
I feel that I must forgive the Hulk for that. Comic books have a long tradition of pseudo-science, Marvel in particular. If you’re going to enjoy the medium and it’s derivatives, I think you have to accept that.
The Hulk was enjoyable, but what I really wanted at the end was a PS2 game based on the War of the Monsters engine.
Re: explosions = woo!
I thought what he was objecting to was not the conservation of mass or nuclear pseudo-science, but the heavy psychological bent of the movie—the whole meek-and-mild vs. Hulk thing. That said, I think that’s the basis of the whole Hulk ethos, so if you don’t like it, you won’t like the comic books either.