Strange Legacy

Terminator: Salvation – A Fun Movie With One Big Flaw

Last night I had the chance to go see Terminator: Salvation. This movie has received mixed reviews from critics, but overall I quite enjoyed it. It was filled with stunning action sequences and a lot of nostalgic throwbacks to the original Terminator movie. It was exciting to see the way this movie paid homage to its roots, culminating in a memorable appearance near the end (which I won’t spoil in this review).

For those who have had their head under a rock, the Terminator movies occur in a world where a malevolent computer intelligence – Skynet – has triggered a massive nuclear apocalypse and wiped out most of the human race. To clean up the remaining human survivors Skynet begins building killer humanoid robots called “terminators”. These robots murder any humans they find without pity or remorse.

Although things look bleak in this future, one man rises up to lead a human resistance against the machines. His name is John Conner. Under his leadership, humanity fights back and begins to win the war. In all the pervious Terminator movies, Skynet decides to send terminators back in time to kill John Conner before he can become a great general. In the first movie, a terminator actually goes back in time to kill John’s mother (Sarah) before he is even born. Although terminators come from the future, the setting for these movies is usually the present day (or close to it) where John and/or Sarah must flee for their lives while being chased by a killer cyborg.

Terminator: Salvation ditches the traditional formula and actually takes place in the near future after the war between humans and machines has already begun. John is starting to step into his role as a great resistance leader, and terminators are roaming the land in search of humans to kill. The visuals in this movie are truly breathtaking, and beautifully render a convincing post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Some critics have pointed to the obvious time-travel and causality plot holes that abound in this movie, as well as the Terminator universe in general. These contradictions exist in so many other good movies (e.g. Back to the Future) that I’ve developed a certain tolerance for them. As such, I can watch a movie like Terminator Salvation without focusing on these pitfalls. My normally inquisitive mind has learned to shut them out.

There is, unfortunately, a much more serious infraction that director McG commits with his epic tale; unlike time travel paradoxes this is one I simply cannot forgive. While it doesn’t ruin the movie for me, it severely diminishes its potency. If any further Terminator sequels are on the horizon, future director’s would do well to heed what I’m about to say.

I believe the success of the Terminator franchise lies in the distinctiveness of its villains – namely, the terminators themselves. Über-powerful villains are nothing new to the silver screen, but terminators are truly unique. The terminator’s compulsion for murder doesn’t stem from some deep, twisted psychological need. It has no emotional buttons to push, no human weaknesses to exploit. It zeroes in on its target without fear, hesitation, pity or remorse. Nothing can dissuade it from fulfilling its purpose.

Terminators are best compared to the terrifying specter of Death. The mythological figure of Death is a demonic skeleton, covered in a dark cloak, which can steal the life of a human being with a mere touch of its finger. The giant scythe that Death carries around is a symbol of its singular purpose in harvesting souls for the afterlife.

It’s not hard to see a resemblance in the hulking robotic skeleton of a terminator. Like Death, a terminator is capable of immediately ending life. That is its sole purpose. It doesn’t need to exert any effort to choke you; it can crush your throat in an instant. It can snap your neck like a twig. If a terminator can lay its mechanical hands on you, death is certain.

This is what made the first Terminator movie so terrifying. In the original movie, Sarah Conner is hunted by a robotic terminator sent back in time from the future. This cyborg is determined to kill her before she can give birth to the man (John Conner) who will eventually lead humanity in its struggle against the machines. A human soldier (Kyle Reese) also travels back in time to protect Sarah, and with his help Sarah struggles to stay one step ahead of her robotic would-be assassin.

No one who has seen this movie can forget the final action sequence. After multiple attempts to destroy the killer robot, the terminator’s broken frame lies on a factory floor. Sarah is badly injured from the explosion responsible for blowing the terminator in half. Suddenly, the terminator revives (without legs) and begins crawling toward Sarah. Sarah can barely crawl herself and tries to escape. The sight of the terminator’s outstretched hand almost grasping Sarah’s ankle is among the most frightening moments in the movie.

So what does this have to do with Terminator: Salvation? I’ll tell you, but only if you’re willing to read a few minor spoilers. There are a couple of scenes in the movie where John Conner is confronted by a terminator. During these encounters there are moments where the robot actually catches him – has him in its mechanical grasp – only to throw him against a nearby wall. John is able to recover from the impact and has an opportunity to try and escape from the cyborg.

Why, if these deadly machines are so desperate to kill John Conner, would they not act on the first opportunity to end his life? Why hesitate to deliver a fatal blow, and choose instead to throw him around and give him a chance to get away? Does this make any sense what-so-ever? The lethal image of the Terminator is forever tarnished by this absolutely illogical behavior.

Some might try to argue that this behavior makes terminators even scarier, because it shows they have a sadistic streak. They want to play with their victims before finishing them off. Like many of Hollywood’s best villains, they want you to suffer.

I couldn’t disagree with this argument more. The image portrayed in the original movie of an emotionless killing machine is precisely what made the terminator so terrifying. For most movie villains their sadistic tendencies ultimately lead to their downfall. By playing around with his victims a sadistic villain gives them the unintended opportunity to turn-the-tables. Not so with a terminator. Its purpose is singular; its focus absolute. No games, no torture, no cat-and-mouse – it simply wants to kill you.

In the original movie the character of Kyle Reece said it best when describing the terminator’s absolute focus on ending life: “That’s what he does, that’s all he does!” More than the memorable one-liners like “I’ll be back” and “Come with me if you want to live” it is this desperate exclamation of Kyle’s that defines the Terminator movies for me. It still sends shivers down my spine whenever I hear it.

Mr. McG, if you create a sequel for your summer blockbuster I would challenge you to respect the rules of the universe you are inheriting. The main character(s) in a Terminator flick have one enormously important rule to follow: if you are going to survive the movie, you cannot – under any circumstances – allow a terminator to catch you. If this happens, there had better be a very good explanation for your survival.

While there are other imperfections I could criticize this is the only one which really undermined the entertainment value of this movie for me. While Terminator: Salvation may not live up to the pedigree of the original, it is still a lot of fun with pulse-pounding moments certain to spike your adrenaline. And in the end, isn’t that what you expect from a summer blockbuster? I personally give this movie 3 out of 5 stars.

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