Throwback Movie Review: 2009′s Terminator Salvation and The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Terminator Salvation

Grade: B-

Director: McG (We Are Marshall)

Writer: John Brancato and Michael Ferris (based on characters by James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd)

Starring: Christian Bale as John Connor, Sam Worthington as Marcus Wright, Anton Yelchin as Kyle Reese and Bryce Dallas Howard as Kate Connor

I am only acquainted with Terminator 2: Judgement Day as far as the Terminator series goes. I’ve seen maybe three-fourths of it and thought it was a good wild ride. I became even more acquainted with the series after seeing the show at Universal Studios Orlando. I read about Terminator Salvation before the year started and put it on my list of “Movies to See in 2009.” It went by me in theaters. But when I visited a Redbox to try to pick up the Harry Potter movie, and  Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was not available, I got Terminator Salvation instead. Was it a worthy substitute? I’ll have to see Harry Potter to judge that. Was it entertaining? Yes, it was.

In 2003, Doctor Serena Kogan (Helena Bonham Carter, Sweeney Todd) of Cyberdyne Systems convinces death row inmate Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington, the up-coming Avatar) to sign his body over for medical research following his execution by lethal injection. One year later, the Skynet system is activated, perceives humans as a threat to its own existence, and eradicates much of humanity in the event known as Judgment Day. In 2018, John Connor (Christian Bale, The Dark Knight) leads an attack by the Resistance on a Skynet base. John discovers human prisoners and plans for the development of a new type of Terminator incorporating living tissue, but is the only apparent survivor of the attack after the base is destroyed in a nuclear explosion. However, Marcus emerges from the wreckage of the base and proceeds on foot to Los Angeles. (1st paragraph of summary from Wikipedia)

Provided he is as good in Avatar as he is in this film, Sam Worthington has a very bright future ahead of him in Hollywood. This is his first major film role for American audiences for the Australian actor. He brings out a certain quality that makes his silent moments his best. He doesn’t need to speak to hold the audience’s attention. He ends up being the most-lovable character in the entire movie because of his character arc that could definitely be considered cheesy, but it doesn’t come across as such. Also, the character of Kyle Reese, who was crucial in the first Terminator film, is portrayed well by Anton Yelchin, who showed up in two film series reboots this year (he also played Chekov in J.J. Abram’s Star Trek).

The other actors were average at best. After truly stunning performances in The Prestige and Batman Begins, Christian Bale seems to have dropped off a bit. Granted, it is odd to see him as the leader of thousands as opposed to his “man-against-the world” character in the Batman series. But he makes the character believable. Rapper Common and Bryce Dallas Howard (The Village) take solid turns as Connor’s right-hand man Barnes and wife Kate. Moon Bloodgood, who guest-starred in several episodes this fall on Burn Notice, one of my favorite shows, was also good.

In the end, I will remember this film for three things. First, it seemed like a very average action film, like Live Free or Die Hard of a couple of years ago. Second, Sam Worthington is a guy to look out for, especially in Avatar coming out the 18th. Third, it actually had some heart. And that is what makes this better than other similarish movies this year like GI Joe. I will see this movie again.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Grade: C

Director: Chris Weitz (American Pie)

Writer: Melissa Rosenberg

Starring: Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan, Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black, Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen and Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen

Oh boy. How do I start?

So, I saw Twilight last year. I gave it a B-. I wrote, “The screenplay was good, taking some quotes directly from Stephanie Meyer’s best-selling book and using humor at points, which was surprising. Director Catherine Hardwick (Thirteen) was not so spectacular. The photography was pitiful, using quick cuts and close-ups to make it look more like an episode of LOST than a movie about vampires. Bella’s narration was spotty after the smooth talking at the beginning and was even irritating at times. Overall, I liked the film, but there were some annoyances to it.”

I wish I could be that optimistic this time around.

Human Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) are still in love. Gosh, we’re reminded SO MANY TIMES. Anyways, they’re all happy-dancy and such until Edward decides to move away and break-up with her to protect her. Wow. What devotion! Bella goes insane, yelling in the night like she’s being “shot through the heart, and you’re to blame, you give love, A BAD NAME!!!” But she soon finds solace in hanging out with the much younger Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). She becomes an adrenaline-junkie, flinging herself off of cliffs and crashing motorcycles. Edward fears that she has killed herself, so he decides to go before the Volturi, the super-secret vampire Supreme Court, and get them to kill him. Enthralling, isn’t it?

So…what am I supposed to praise? First off, after being extremely annoyed by the cinematography in the first film, it seemed more appropriate this time around. Cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe makes the film more real than the first output. Secondly, four acting performances, albeit all four small, stood out from the rest. Martin Sheen (Frost/Nixon) was frighteningly amazing as the head of the Volturi. They should have given him more screen-time. Robert Pattinson is definitely the best actor out of the three leads (Stewart is very plastic, although she was better this time around, and Lautner’s voice is just really annoying) and makes good use of his smallish amount of time in front of the camera. Dakota Fanning is scary in her 3 minutes in the film as a vampire who can torture people with pain by thinking it. Yikes. And last is Anna Kendrick, who plays a human friend of Bella’s. She has a scene with Bella that showcases her acting talent as a teenager. Yes, that’s nice, but I can’t wait for her as a grown-up with George Clooney in Up in the Air.

What was bad? Directing. Writing. Acting. AARRGGHH!! It’s a disgrace. It’s an outrage. This is madness. This is…TWILIGHT!!! *kicks the DVD case in the stomach*

 

Looking back on these reviews, I seem to be right on with everything I said. I wrote these in early December of 2009, before I saw the mess that was Avatar. And the third Twilight wasn’t much better.

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