by Everett Jensen

Created on: July 10, 2009

Terminator: Salvation
directed by McG
written by John D. Brancato, Michael Ferris
starring Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood, Helena Bonham Carter, Anton Yelchin, Jadagrace, Bryce Dallas Howard, Common, Michael Ironside, Ivan G'Vera

In this, the fourth installment of the Terminator Franchise, a fine effort to match human interest with the cacophony of machines completely out of whack is effectively rendered. The characters in this film have a resonance and their actions matter which is rare in this sort of film and welcomed here.

John Connor (Bale) has been fighting the dragon since before he was born. At this level he is engrossed in a battle against machines and is, as part of the order of things, leading the resistance. He has dozens of men beneath him and is married to Kate (Howard) a childhood friend whom he encountered in the third film knowing she was destined to be the one. Connor in this film is highly conflicted and unsure of the efficacy of his mission. He is stressed and occasionally confused and does not play the part of the confident leader with any consistency.

Marcus is a cyborg with human parts who has been put together when his body was donated to science following his execution for a triple homicide a few years back. He imagines himself to be human although when he is revealed to John Connor as part machine he is instantly perceived as a threat. The film takes place in 2018, fifteen years after Judgement Day has wiped out half the world's population. The rest are being hunted down by the machines and Connor and his crew are working to put an end to their operations. It's a daunting task because Skynet, the entity responsible for turning the machines against humans, is globally connected through networks with no central hub that might be destroyed in order to shut it down. They are everywhere and nowhere simultaneously.

The film has a grayish look throughout and it appears and feels decidedly dirty which is appropriate concerning the subject matter; the sand and dirt tend to cover one's skin as the film develops. It's a glorious filth, however, as it tends to elevate the nature of the mission to a more deliberate position because the viewer feels connected directly to the story. This is also accomplished through the various characterizations which are written decidedly well and contain much information that is necessary to take hold of the plot.

There is tremendous energy in this film although the massive action undertakings

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