Comments on: Terminator Salvation Review http://dorkshelf.com/2009/05/21/dork-shelf-review-terminator-salvation/ Comics, Film, Video Games, TV, Music, Toronto Tue, 22 May 2012 12:01:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: kyle http://dorkshelf.com/2009/05/21/dork-shelf-review-terminator-salvation/comment-page-1/#comment-151 kyle Tue, 09 Jun 2009 09:45:35 +0000 http://dorkshelf.com/?p=1323#comment-151 great movie , i like the special efects . solid performance from bale, he is a great actor. great movie , i like the special efects . solid performance from bale, he is a great actor.

]]> By: egg http://dorkshelf.com/2009/05/21/dork-shelf-review-terminator-salvation/comment-page-1/#comment-148 egg Sat, 06 Jun 2009 18:05:01 +0000 http://dorkshelf.com/?p=1323#comment-148 I actually really enjoyed it, I grew up with 1 and 2 as a kid and 1 scared the shit out of me, and I was really impressed to see that the robots in this still scared me. I think the storyline was pretty good, the film managed to make me feel tense at all the right moments and worried, like when Reese was stuck in that cell, and when you find out why Connor is there, I didn't expect that until right before and I don't think I would have been bothered if it was a shoddy storyline. Even though everyone watching knows Connor has to go on (as this is 2018 and it's not til 2029 that he sends Reese back) it still managed to make people worry about how he'd survive and things like that. There were weak moments I guess, and I see where you're coming from, but I still rank it with 1 and 2, I thought it was really well done, the whole post-apocalyptic world they'd created had a great feel to it, and I think there was enough about the characters for the audience to get a grasp of who was who and how they felt. I just wished that kid would speak, that annoyed me. I actually really enjoyed it, I grew up with 1 and 2 as a kid and 1 scared the shit out of me, and I was really impressed to see that the robots in this still scared me.
I think the storyline was pretty good, the film managed to make me feel tense at all the right moments and worried, like when Reese was stuck in that cell, and when you find out why Connor is there, I didn’t expect that until right before and I don’t think I would have been bothered if it was a shoddy storyline. Even though everyone watching knows Connor has to go on (as this is 2018 and it’s not til 2029 that he sends Reese back) it still managed to make people worry about how he’d survive and things like that.
There were weak moments I guess, and I see where you’re coming from, but I still rank it with 1 and 2, I thought it was really well done, the whole post-apocalyptic world they’d created had a great feel to it, and I think there was enough about the characters for the audience to get a grasp of who was who and how they felt. I just wished that kid would speak, that annoyed me.

]]> By: need coffee http://dorkshelf.com/2009/05/21/dork-shelf-review-terminator-salvation/comment-page-1/#comment-116 need coffee Thu, 28 May 2009 17:06:56 +0000 http://dorkshelf.com/?p=1323#comment-116 i love how they got creative with some of the robots, no so sure about the human performances though i love how they got creative with some of the robots, no so sure about the human performances though

]]> By: Will http://dorkshelf.com/2009/05/21/dork-shelf-review-terminator-salvation/comment-page-1/#comment-112 Will Wed, 27 May 2009 03:18:54 +0000 http://dorkshelf.com/?p=1323#comment-112 I love that they attribute it to "weak audience word of mouth", and not the fact that they made a sub-par film. Raj, yeah you can see the skeleton of a longer-possibly better movie-many of the scenes feel like they've been edited down. Doesn't work. I love that they attribute it to “weak audience word of mouth”, and not the fact that they made a sub-par film.

Raj, yeah you can see the skeleton of a longer-possibly better movie-many of the scenes feel like they’ve been edited down. Doesn’t work.

]]> By: Tuttaytalker http://dorkshelf.com/2009/05/21/dork-shelf-review-terminator-salvation/comment-page-1/#comment-111 Tuttaytalker Wed, 27 May 2009 02:36:13 +0000 http://dorkshelf.com/?p=1323#comment-111 Wow... just watched it... It was annoying me... The scenes were cut sharp and didn't really flow well... I disagree... Bale was actually alright... Not screaming all the time... Everyone gave a solid performance.... Just given a shitty script... Went from Jonathan Nolan penning it to having the final draft submitted by the moron who did Catwoman.... Still was really upset and considered Terminator 3 to be superior to this piece of shiat Wow… just watched it…

It was annoying me… The scenes were cut sharp and didn’t really flow well…

I disagree… Bale was actually alright… Not screaming all the time… Everyone gave a solid performance…. Just given a shitty script… Went from Jonathan Nolan penning it to having the final draft submitted by the moron who did Catwoman….

Still was really upset and considered Terminator 3 to be superior to this piece of shiat

]]> By: Lucas http://dorkshelf.com/2009/05/21/dork-shelf-review-terminator-salvation/comment-page-1/#comment-109 Lucas Wed, 27 May 2009 00:48:40 +0000 http://dorkshelf.com/?p=1323#comment-109 Looks like <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2009/05/terminator-salvation-salvages-54-million-from-disappointing-weekend.html" rel="nofollow"><cite>Salvation</cite> hasn't done too well at the box office</a>. The <cite>LA Times</cite> claims this is due to "weak audience word of mouth," just like this review. Now McG won't be able to afford that ivory backscratcher, Will. Don't you feel guilty? Looks like Salvation hasn’t done too well at the box office. The LA Times claims this is due to “weak audience word of mouth,” just like this review.

Now McG won’t be able to afford that ivory backscratcher, Will. Don’t you feel guilty?

]]> By: CJ http://dorkshelf.com/2009/05/21/dork-shelf-review-terminator-salvation/comment-page-1/#comment-105 CJ Sun, 24 May 2009 00:02:36 +0000 http://dorkshelf.com/?p=1323#comment-105 Great review, Will. I had the chance to see this today, but opted for Star Trek. I was hoping they wouldn't dwell on the cyborg-ness of Marcus for long, since they blew their wad in the commercials...you'd think they wouldn't waste much time on it as a result. Great review, Will. I had the chance to see this today, but opted for Star Trek.

I was hoping they wouldn’t dwell on the cyborg-ness of Marcus for long, since they blew their wad in the commercials…you’d think they wouldn’t waste much time on it as a result.

]]> By: Shamhan http://dorkshelf.com/2009/05/21/dork-shelf-review-terminator-salvation/comment-page-1/#comment-103 Shamhan Sat, 23 May 2009 23:29:07 +0000 http://dorkshelf.com/?p=1323#comment-103 I had no idea this was your site and you wrote lol. Fascinating. Excellent review too... although I'd still say it ranks up there with the first two terminators. I had no idea this was your site and you wrote lol. Fascinating. Excellent review too… although I’d still say it ranks up there with the first two terminators.

]]> By: Andres http://dorkshelf.com/2009/05/21/dork-shelf-review-terminator-salvation/comment-page-1/#comment-102 Andres Sat, 23 May 2009 18:22:13 +0000 http://dorkshelf.com/?p=1323#comment-102 Most accurate review of the film I have read so far. Most accurate review of the film I have read so far.

]]> By: Will http://dorkshelf.com/2009/05/21/dork-shelf-review-terminator-salvation/comment-page-1/#comment-100 Will Sat, 23 May 2009 02:53:28 +0000 http://dorkshelf.com/?p=1323#comment-100 ej, I've seen Transformers and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The script WAS terrible, but the movie had a fun, light hearted tone to it... with legitimate bits of humour for good measure. Plus it had the robots I grew up loving as a kid, rendered awesomely for live action. My enjoyment of Transformers had more to do with nostalgia than anything else. As for Salvation, there was nothing to it beyond the action. The first two Terminator movies had a serious, hard sci-fi tone... and so did Salvation... but those films also had a coherent plot, good pacing and character development a plenty... the second one even had funny moments. I don't remember any funny parts from the first Terminator movie. The original Terminator was a scary movie... Arnie was relentless, cold and unfeeling... can you imagine that thing out to get you? The terminator effects looked great in Salvation, but not once was I actually afraid of the terminators. Like you say, scripts these days are being neglected for the big summer blockbusters. God forbid they actually make a quality film that breaks $100 million dollars at the box office... explosions and effects seem to cut it these days. ej, I’ve seen Transformers and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The script WAS terrible, but the movie had a fun, light hearted tone to it… with legitimate bits of humour for good measure. Plus it had the robots I grew up loving as a kid, rendered awesomely for live action. My enjoyment of Transformers had more to do with nostalgia than anything else.

As for Salvation, there was nothing to it beyond the action. The first two Terminator movies had a serious, hard sci-fi tone… and so did Salvation… but those films also had a coherent plot, good pacing and character development a plenty… the second one even had funny moments. I don’t remember any funny parts from the first Terminator movie. The original Terminator was a scary movie… Arnie was relentless, cold and unfeeling… can you imagine that thing out to get you? The terminator effects looked great in Salvation, but not once was I actually afraid of the terminators.

Like you say, scripts these days are being neglected for the big summer blockbusters. God forbid they actually make a quality film that breaks $100 million dollars at the box office… explosions and effects seem to cut it these days.

]]> By: ej http://dorkshelf.com/2009/05/21/dork-shelf-review-terminator-salvation/comment-page-1/#comment-99 ej Sat, 23 May 2009 02:21:06 +0000 http://dorkshelf.com/?p=1323#comment-99 will have you seen 'transformers'? because i think that script was absolute shit but the special effects were awesome. that seems to be how you make out 'salvation'. on the other hand, in regards to 'the dark knight' the special effects were awesome but the script was just as good. if a movie is going to be action-packed, it shouldn't mean that you can neglect the script because that's what it seems like they are mostly doing these days, unfortunately will

have you seen ‘transformers’?
because i think that script was absolute shit but the special effects were awesome.
that seems to be how you make out ‘salvation’.

on the other hand, in regards to ‘the dark knight’ the special effects were awesome but the script was just as good.

if a movie is going to be action-packed, it shouldn’t mean that you can neglect the script because that’s what it seems like they are mostly doing these days, unfortunately

]]> By: Will http://dorkshelf.com/2009/05/21/dork-shelf-review-terminator-salvation/comment-page-1/#comment-98 Will Fri, 22 May 2009 13:15:31 +0000 http://dorkshelf.com/?p=1323#comment-98 Like I said, the trailer really sold me on the movie. I was initially very skeptical about McG, but when I saw what he was doing with the film I figured I would give him a chance. All my critiques of the film aside, the movie set the right tone... the setting and the locations felt right. If only there had been more character drama to flesh out the locations... the post-apocalypse never felt desperate enough to me. I was talking to my friend Chris who came and saw the movie with us, there's one amazing effects sequence near the beginning of the film... it's a long take, involving Christian Bale as John Connor fighting a big T-600 Terminator, killing it, jumping into a helicopter, flying the helicopter, and then crashing in said helicopter after a nuclear blast occurs, then crawling out of the copter upsidedown. Chris says it was a gimmicky shot and not very well executed... he's a film student so he probably knows better than I. But I thought it was extremely well executed, and actually was one of the highlights of the film for me... at the same time this moment spoke to the larger issues the film has. McG focused on these cool little effects moments, on these few memorable sequences over anything else. There was no reason to have that one long shot at that particular moment, no other shots like it exist in the entire film... it was a "hey look what I can do" moment for McG. It was impressive, but shallow and not meant to illicit any other response than "Holy shit that was cool." That's what the movie is generally competent action and effects sequences, with very impressive gems scattered between them... devoid of character or emotion. Like I said, the trailer really sold me on the movie. I was initially very skeptical about McG, but when I saw what he was doing with the film I figured I would give him a chance.

All my critiques of the film aside, the movie set the right tone… the setting and the locations felt right. If only there had been more character drama to flesh out the locations… the post-apocalypse never felt desperate enough to me.

I was talking to my friend Chris who came and saw the movie with us, there’s one amazing effects sequence near the beginning of the film… it’s a long take, involving Christian Bale as John Connor fighting a big T-600 Terminator, killing it, jumping into a helicopter, flying the helicopter, and then crashing in said helicopter after a nuclear blast occurs, then crawling out of the copter upsidedown.

Chris says it was a gimmicky shot and not very well executed… he’s a film student so he probably knows better than I. But I thought it was extremely well executed, and actually was one of the highlights of the film for me… at the same time this moment spoke to the larger issues the film has.

McG focused on these cool little effects moments, on these few memorable sequences over anything else. There was no reason to have that one long shot at that particular moment, no other shots like it exist in the entire film… it was a “hey look what I can do” moment for McG. It was impressive, but shallow and not meant to illicit any other response than “Holy shit that was cool.” That’s what the movie is generally competent action and effects sequences, with very impressive gems scattered between them… devoid of character or emotion.

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