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patentdragonOkay, let's get down to business.
At The Movies: Terminator Salvation. The knives seem to be out for this, for some screwy reason - what, it's too grim and dusty, and the characters are too miserable? It's the end of the fucking world, in a post-nuclear wasteland, you idiots - what were you expecting? Willy Wonka And The frickin' Terminator Factory?
Setting that aside, we address the fact that, as Terminator movies go, this wasn't at all bad. Not as good as the first two, which would be a major challenge for most movies, let's be honest, but better than Rise Of The Machines a.k.a. Terminator 3, so we're looking at something pretty decent. The old stand-by of robot sent back in time to kill someone is set aside to make way for the big man versus machine conflict that's been a background feature of the previous movies - and some would say "and about time too"...
We get the devastation of Judgement Day as a backdrop, and an expanded palette of killer robots - and an intriguing step back in time to kick things off. The story behind that unfolds as characters old and new find their way into the plot, but anyone expecting a full wrap-up of the future elements of the first three films is going to be disappointed - I get the feeling this is "Terminator Episode 1", and come "Episode 3", we will, like Revenge Of The Sith, catch up with events already chronicled.
It may take a while, but that seems to be the plan, and they'll have to push the boat out to come up with surprises to surpass those that crop up in this movie. It'll be interesting to see how all that works out. Patience, people - patience.
What works... Just about everything. Quality effects, generally good performances and story.
What doesn't... The medical business at the end. A mite too convenient, perhaps? Sometimes, the dialogue gets tangled up in the sound effects, which can be annoying...
The Verdict... We know how the story is supposed to end, but let's not rush to get there. "Getting there" is only part of the journey, and it's only just begun. 8/10
Also... Tonight was Primeval season finale night - and... errr, is that all? I like this show, but that was ten episodes (instead of seven, the past two years) that didn't seem to actually go anywhere, except get a major character killed, have another quit and disappear, and introduce three new characters. I mean, they didn't even drop the kind of big shocker that the show was crying out for, and reveal *SPOILER* the dead Nick Cutter *END SPOILER* to actually be *SPOILER* the clone Helen created to get into The ARC *END SPOILER*.
I feel a little bit cheated. I feel fully justified in fantasising at length about Sarah Page getting stuck in the 23rd Century, and being press-ganged into the crew of a Mirror Universe starship...
At The Movies: Terminator Salvation. The knives seem to be out for this, for some screwy reason - what, it's too grim and dusty, and the characters are too miserable? It's the end of the fucking world, in a post-nuclear wasteland, you idiots - what were you expecting? Willy Wonka And The frickin' Terminator Factory?
Setting that aside, we address the fact that, as Terminator movies go, this wasn't at all bad. Not as good as the first two, which would be a major challenge for most movies, let's be honest, but better than Rise Of The Machines a.k.a. Terminator 3, so we're looking at something pretty decent. The old stand-by of robot sent back in time to kill someone is set aside to make way for the big man versus machine conflict that's been a background feature of the previous movies - and some would say "and about time too"...
We get the devastation of Judgement Day as a backdrop, and an expanded palette of killer robots - and an intriguing step back in time to kick things off. The story behind that unfolds as characters old and new find their way into the plot, but anyone expecting a full wrap-up of the future elements of the first three films is going to be disappointed - I get the feeling this is "Terminator Episode 1", and come "Episode 3", we will, like Revenge Of The Sith, catch up with events already chronicled.
It may take a while, but that seems to be the plan, and they'll have to push the boat out to come up with surprises to surpass those that crop up in this movie. It'll be interesting to see how all that works out. Patience, people - patience.
What works... Just about everything. Quality effects, generally good performances and story.
What doesn't... The medical business at the end. A mite too convenient, perhaps? Sometimes, the dialogue gets tangled up in the sound effects, which can be annoying...
The Verdict... We know how the story is supposed to end, but let's not rush to get there. "Getting there" is only part of the journey, and it's only just begun. 8/10
Also... Tonight was Primeval season finale night - and... errr, is that all? I like this show, but that was ten episodes (instead of seven, the past two years) that didn't seem to actually go anywhere, except get a major character killed, have another quit and disappear, and introduce three new characters. I mean, they didn't even drop the kind of big shocker that the show was crying out for, and reveal *SPOILER* the dead Nick Cutter *END SPOILER* to actually be *SPOILER* the clone Helen created to get into The ARC *END SPOILER*.
I feel a little bit cheated. I feel fully justified in fantasising at length about Sarah Page getting stuck in the 23rd Century, and being press-ganged into the crew of a Mirror Universe starship...
