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Starring |
Christian Bale
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Sam Worthington
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Bryce Dallas-Howard
,
Anton Yelchin
,
Moon Bloodgood
,
Helena Bonham-Carter
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Directed By |
McG
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Running Time |
130 mins
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UK Release Date |
June 3, 2009
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Genre |
Action, Sci-fi
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Our Rating |
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User Rating |
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After all the hype and fuss about Christian Bale’s infamous YouTube rant, is the reboot of the Terminator series worth the wait? Well, it’s certainly visually stunning, has enough action to satisfy the most hardcore fan, and boasts more impressive performances than the average sequel. The downsides are a script that could do with a polish and a slightly confusing time structure.
It begins in 2003 with Sam Worthington, a prisoner on death row, agreeing to donate his body to cancer-stricken doctor Helena Bonham Carter. Then we lurch forward to 2018 to meet Bale as John Connor, the head of the human survivors after Judgement Day, battling to save the human race against the ruthless cyborgs of Skynet. On a mission he releases several humans including Worthington, who has no memory of the last 15 years. Worthington hooks up with freedom fighter Kyle Reese (Anton Telchin) who, as any T fan knows, is John Connor’s father – or at least he will be when he travels back in time. Confused yet?
No need, the movie barely pauses for breath, let alone logic, as the humans and robots face off in some terrifying, and terrifically staged, battles. An early sequence featuring Bale crashing in a helicopter defies belief, and a car chase breathes life into that old warhorse. The story does manage to throw in a few surprises too, with a teasing romance between Worthington and fighter pilot Bloodgood and a wonderfully bonkers Bonham Carter, who was a late replacement for the equally other-worldly Tilda Swinton. And there’s a cameo right at the end from an old face during the final shoot out.
Special effects have reached the level now where the terminators look horribly convincing, and there’s a real sense of physical threat here. That said, there’s not much for the actors to do in between battles, except reload and look suitably worried about the end of the world. However Bale throws himself into the role with his usual intensity – just don’t get in his eye-line – and Worthington is an equally gripping screen presence. If you’re wondering where the next episode will go, the visible bump in Kate Connor’s dress might just be a clue.
Overall verdict: Reboot of the franchise’s sheer firepower will keep existing fans happy while failing to win any new ones.
Reviewer: Mike Martin