Terminator: Salvation Junkyard
Thursday, June 4, 2009


The original Terminator film frightened me. It was scary. It gave me goosebumps, all because it was a low-key horror movie.

The sequels do not frighten, because they never pause to take a breath. The films rush through everything. There's nary a moment allowing the characters to contemplate how numbing, and terrifying, it would be to have an unstoppable, calculating and scheming killing machine pursuing them.

These follow-up movies are mildly engaging, generically amusing, and kinda boring overall. It's all about explosions, gun fire, devastating and earth shattering wreckage, and blowing up buildings.

Yawn. I think they should leave a lot of these pyrotechnics for the video games. Yeah, people pay for the bombs. I get it.

All of the producers of the franchise films seem unaware of what made the first film so riveting (although it was not an absolute commercial success).

Here's a clue: Arnold Schwarzenegger's character was an unrelenting, unemotional, and unsentimental robot. He had only one task to perform.

That movie was as chilling and creepy as watching Psycho.

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I couldn't resist throwing the word 'junkyard' in the post heading. The desolate themes throughout the movie, reminded me of Road Warrior (I must rent that, haven't seen that crazy classic in a long time!), and Resident Evil: Extinction. The robots, especially the giant one that harvested humans reminded me of War of the Worlds and Star Wars: The Rotten Prequels.

Plot pivots: was it a Superman or Jesus Christ thingy going on? Oh, right. It was a hint at our possible immortality. So, that made Marcus Wright (I'm sure there's a meaning in that name, but I'm a bit dull right now in sorting it out) akin to a demi-god for this flick.

Marcus could have chosen to be immortal, as a cyborg, but what made him human was his heart.

It's scary how fast the future (prosthetic body parts, rapidly healing, etc., etc.) is coming at us.

Did I mention that Sam Worthington, who plays Marcus Wright is hawt? Like really smoking hot? This picture does his handsome mug no justice. Delicious. Slurp.

Interesting how the best looking actors are coming out of New Zealand and Australia these days. Must be something in the air, food or water.

I must visit soon!

Oh right, about the movie. I had to run out a few times, but the first hour is all about Marcus (Sam), so that's the best thing I can say about the flick. Christian Bale (John Connor) barks throughout the film. He's too damn stoic. The cuties in this film were: Jadagrace and Anton Yelchin (lucky kid, he was in Star Trek too).

Boy, is McG a lazy director or what? Did he not notice these guys slipping back into their regional accents on occasion? I wont mention the enormous amount of inconsistencies in the film sequences. For example: in one scene Connor's shoe has been tossed far and wide, yet in the very next one, it's on again.

Worth seeing again? When it's on DVD, sure, but a repeat at the theater? Nope.

However, the special effects were awesome. The CGI was so realistic that I couldn't tell what was fake, and usually I could tell.

Overall, not bad, but not great either.

Labels: Anton Yelchin, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Christian Bale, Jadagrace, Sam Worthington, Star Wars, Terminator, Terminator: Salvation

posted by GoldenAh
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The Dark Knight
Monday, August 4, 2008


I expected to see more of Health Ledger as The Joker. I wasn't disappointed by his performance. He wasn't the sole focal point I expected. This movie was a heady-duty ensemble piece. I would say that if they didn't have all these characters the film could have been tighter. The Joker was enough.

The surprise is that the film didn't feel long. With some movies I feel like I should have brought a pillow. Then again, I walk in just as the credits roll or the film starts.

May I say how hot Christian Bale is?

It's a shame too, because there is absolutely no chemistry between Christian Bale and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Zip, zilch, nada. Hey dudes, try a Latina, or black woman next time - at least to make it interesting! Kerry Washington would be a fantastic pick.

Christoperh Nolan, the director, and whoever the producers are, need to study up on the James Bond films. Bond has massive sex appeal - along with being deadly - that's why the franchise has lasted so long. Not saying this film wont break records, I like logical continuity and development of a character.

This movie is excellent. It is, however, not a film for anyone under 13 or 14 years old. There's hardly any blood, but the suggested violence had me flinching, and I'm a veteran of nihilistic gory films.

Aaron Eckhart (another hotness) as Harvey Dent was another "hero" in contrast to Batman. He is day light (knight) - in personality and temperament - to Batman's dark night (knight).

Get it? Wickedly and deliciously, the roles reverse.

Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne shows very little character in this film, unlike the first. To me, he's become one dimensional. I blame it on the movie having too many characters: they weren't necessary. Heath Ledger as The Joker did not steal this film: Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent did.

The contrasts: blond, cleft-chined Harvey Dent was the open, willing, non-masked, non-caped crusader for justice. He was focused on fighting the good fight and he wasn't afraid of dying.

The clever scheme: The Joker was able to make the case, to a fickle public, that The Batman, caped crusader, masked, unknown and protected was the real menace to society and coward.

The conundrum: The Joker cleverly corners Batman. How does one fight a madman who thrives on chaos and violence? The irony of this film - that violence is all Batman has to offer, exposes an elemental flaw.

This Batman is too much brute strength, violence, high tech tools, and not enough brain.

Christopher Nolan forgets that part of Batman's winning appeal and arsenal of weapons is his intelligence. He can give us riveting contrasts to Batman, but he neglects Bruce Wayne's brilliance.

I would appreciate if the next director and writer could remember that Batman isn't just a violent buff vigilante, he's a clever one too.

As always, I'm impressed by British and Australian actors who speak American dialect(s) so flawlessly and easily.

Labels: Aaron Eckhart, Batman, Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Joker

posted by GoldenAh
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