"Terminator Salvation" review: A good action movie that will not disappoint, especially for fans of Cameron's originals!

...And yes, it's better than "T3" by a long shot!

The first thing I did when I left the theater after seeing "Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines" was to start flushing it out of my head! Yes, there were some good action set pieces here and there. But on the whole the movie was somewhat of a re-hash of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day". Yet overly comedic, redundant, and ill-conceived. While I never considered "T3" to be part of the overall story, I yearned for the next film to move things forward into the future war that had been hinted at previously. In fact I felt "T3" should have gone there, and having another Terminator come back in time was just overdone at that point.

Now comes "Terminator Salvation" which promised to throw us head first into the post Judgment Day world of a now grownup John Connor as he becomes the leader of The Resistance. Early previews I saw at Comic-Con last year looked great, and I was impressed with Director McG's passion and reverence for James Cameron's story. He talked the 'purist Cameron fan' talk and that's exactly what I needed. More clips and story tidbits continued to gain my excitement which eventually led to the first full-on trailer. This new chapter looked like it was going to get the story back on track and try to forget the misstep of "Terminator 3". And I'm happy to say for the most part the movie delivers! Action, character, story, visual effects, and gritty atmosphere that drew you in to a kind of non-stop fight for survival.

There are some SPOILERS ahead, so beware!

Christian Bale's John Connor is a bit gruff and hardened. But what else would you expect from someone whose time has come to step up to the plate and be everything he knew he had to be since age 10. Some reviewers have found his portrayal to be a little cold and without enough emotion. While I did feel he needed a little more depth of emotion, overall I disagree with most critics and found him to be driven and fairly intense.

Sam Worthington as Marcus Wright is probably more the central character of the movie than John Connor, and certainly has more on his plate to examine than Bale's future war hero. Although both find a common goal and share equal time half way through the film which is to locate and save Kyle Reese whose been taken prisoner by the machines. Connor, of course, knows the importance of saving Reese and must form an untrusting alliance with Marcus to literally save his very existence.

Here I found the real gem of the movie. Anton Yelchin's performance as Kyle Reese is incredibly spot-on! It's almost like the filmmakers went back in time, picked up Michael Biehn as a teenager, and put him in this movie. I really loved how he channeled those intense nuances of Biehn as Reese, as well as fleshing out this survivalist boy who would ultimately become the father of the future. I found myself wanting Yelchin on screen more but was very satisfied with the time he had, which was quite a bit.

Kate Connor, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, is the one holdover character that began with "Terminator 3". I have nothing against the actress, and she does a good enough job of portraying John Connor's wife. But I was glad she sort of just sat in the background throughout most of the movie. I suppose the writers felt they had to include her because of the continuity "T3" had written. But ultimately she's of no real consequence and I was never bothered by that fact.

I would have preferred the timeline of Judgment Day being on August 29, 1997 to remain the same in "Terminator Salvation", but unfortunately that's another thing that "T3" messed up! So the year of the opening scene is not until 2003. Minor thing, not crazy about it, but moving on.

There were times when the connection between John Connor and why we needed Marcus as a cyborg in this movie were a little unclear. It's certainly a redemption thing for Marcus; he was a murderer who'll now help to save the future of mankind. But the fact that he was the test prototype to what the combat Terminators would become, and having him point the way for Connor as an affective tool in going after Skynet, should have had a bit more recognition and resonance.

The effects are absolutely top notch!! Most notably Marcus' exposed half skin / half metal body. Shots of his head showing portions of a metal skull protruding were astoundingly seemless. Completely on par with the work done for Harvey Dent's Two Face in "The Dark Knight". Plus, a certain cameo later in the film digitally blends the face of one and the body of another. This is something that had to be completely on the mark to work...and work it does, beautifully!! On the practical effects side, Stan Winston's Terminator endoskeletons, as always, are incredible. His team added more working detail without changing the iconic structure of the T-800's, while inventing other new and uniquely designed killing machines that populate this world. And I was glad to see the movie dedicated to him at the end.

Danny Elfman's score is affective and well done. He even incorporates hints of the "Terminator" theme now and again. Although I yearned for the sounds of Brad Fiedel's music throughout.

Iconic lines, and even a song from the Cameron films are presented with wonderful acknowledgment to the fans, and not handed out like some rotten fruit. I found myself smiling broadly and saying 'YES!!!' at these great tidbits. Another appropriate and well placed touch is Linda Hamilton's voice as Sarah Connor, heard on recorded cassettes John listens to for guidance. The Arnold Schwarzenegger cameo everyone's talking about is incredibly satisfying and got a huge cheer from the audience at the midnight show. Again, presented with a real appreciation for what the fans wanted. There's even an injury sustained during the climactic fight that pointed directly to "Terminator 2". Just great, great stuff!!!

One location that I especially appreciated was the gas station where Marcus and Reese come across the Harvester. For those of you who may not know, this is intended to be the same gas station Sarah Connor rolls into and has that Polaroid taken at from "The Terminator". Even though it looks a bit different and the filming location was manufactured to replicate the original, some years later. That curved road leading up in the background as the camera dollies down is a dead giveaway. Kudos to McG for adding another fan nod, this time to an iconic place that could have been just anywhere in "Salvation".

On the down side, there were a few scenes where the dialogue could have been better. A couple of things seemed to be a stretch as far as credibility in motivation, especially involving Moon Bloodgood's character. Also, molten steel should melt a Terminator like it did in "T2". Here, one is completely doused in it and gets up again. That's a major glitch in continuity. In general, because I was enjoying the movie at that point, I was able to gloss over these misfires a bit.

Here's an overview spoiler of the ending. But if you've seen the publicity stills of John Connor amongst the assembly line of Terminators you'll have a good idea where he is and where this leads. I'm not giving away exactly what happens there.

The story does not have a finality to it. Some might argue that if we're going to the location where the climax occurs in the film, then ultimately all of the story lines foretold in the other movies should have been wrapped up. Actually getting into what seemed like THE Skynet complex should have been the true end of the story. I felt that a bit as well, but maybe it'll seem clearer on a second viewing. However, what occurs is only a stepping stone in the war. As far as where the story lands as we fade to black, I knew going into this that the original intention was to produce a trilogy. That made it work. I am absolutely looking forward to the next chapter, especially to see the combat bond grow between John Connor and Kyle Reese.

"The Terminator" and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" still stand as the best, and I don't think that will ever change. But like I said before, this more than makes up for "Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines", even though the same writers of that movie are on board for the new one.

Is "Terminator Salvation" a perfect movie? No. Does it completely connect to James Cameron's original movies? Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Is that important to everyone? Probably not. But being the Cameron fan I am I found enough of a link, plus story, character, and overall blown out cool action and adventure to definitely enjoy this movie!