Summer flick round-up Part IV

Terminator Salvation

Verdict: The film that aspired to be more winds up as a popcorn action movie.

First things first - take my word that T3 is a real waste of celluloid after the classic T1 and T2. Why does it matter now? Well, since Terminator Salvation is T4 and an attempt at a new trilogy, the viability of the franchise hangs on the quality of this film. The good news is that it knocks T3 to the ground without even trying. The impossible-to-ignore downside is that this franchise is way past its due date, which means not even Christian Bale can rescue it.

Yes, director McG tries to make it appear that it possesses that elusive filmmaking quality - depth - and winds up digging a shallow grave. If a popcorn flick is the focus then it's silly to pretend that there's more to this story. The narrative is barely creative and just moves from one action scene to the next. To give credit where it's due, Stan Winston's production design and the special effects are above par. However, the grimy desolate vision of the post-apocalyptic future is nothing new and one is never drawn into the story.

Sam Worthington as half-terminator Marcus does all right except for a muddled accent that rears its ugly head once in a while. Moon Bloodgood serves as the sex appeal and Common the muscle - both add zero to the film. Bale rasps his way into making another iconic character his own but this might be his least memorable portayal yet.

All things considered, the action might be worth the price of popcorn but it's not enough of a reason to keep going with this franchise. This movie has convinced me that I've had enough - no more Terminators please.....pretty please with Arnie on top!