Terminator Salvation

Terminator Salvation – In the year 2018, Skynet machines have become sentient and are trying to wipe out all human life. A group of survivors, led by John Connor, attempt to fight. When John’s team attack a Skynet facility, they inadvertently release a man, Marcus, who was supposedly executed in 2003. Unaware of him, John moves on but Marcus struggles to adjust to the new world that he lives in. Meeting Kyle Reese and his friend, Star, the three set out to find the famous John Connor but when they reach him, Marcus discovers what Skynet has done to him which has the possibility of changing the war forever.

Terminator Salvation (2009) – Director: McG

Rating: 12

Running Length: 115 mins

Starring: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin

Genre: Action, Science Fiction

REVIEW: ‘TERMINATOR SALVATION’

As the fourth instalment of the ‘Terminator’ franchise, ‘Salvation’ is the first to actually be set in the future, while the war against the machines is raging. There is no time travel (an essential element of the previous three films) and it is the first time that we are properly introduced to John Connor as a man fulfilling the prophecies that he has been taught all his life. With such a rich history, ‘Salvation’ had a lot to live up to; thankfully, it manages to follow the rules of what has happened before whilst simultaneously being a stand-alone movie in its own right.

Sadly, the film suffers from its two leads lacking the charisma that is required resulting in a movie which takes itself a little too seriously. The absence of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who not only helps to bring out the humanity of other characters but also adds some dark humour, is noticeable and with no one to take his place, the story drags and feels a little unfinished. However, this isn’t to say the ‘Terminator Salvation’ is not a good movie, it follows the timeline of the series well and it is very entertaining, especially for those who are already fans of the ‘Terminator’ films.

Overall, ‘Terminator Salvation’ isn’t as strong as the first two movies but it is arguably better than the third. While it may not be exciting enough for some kids, the intelligent concepts and continuation of the Terminator series is likely to be a hit with a teen audience as well as anyone who enjoys a good, if slightly stuffy, action movie.

CONTENT: IS ‘TERMINATOR SALVATION’ SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?

The opening of the movie is set in a prison where one character is on death row and is due to be executed very soon. He speaks to a woman who is very ill, has an ashen skin tone and has no hair on her head. The inmate kisses her on the lips then rudely says ‘so that’s what death feels like’ and the woman looks very hurt by his remark. The next scene is the execution, the inmate is strapped down and a needle is shown entering his arm however the death is not shown.

There are many robot attacks on humans. They are incredibly strong. The humans struggle to survive the encounters and there are many deaths. One action scene has many humans go into a fight but there is only one survivor by the end and during this scene, one character fights a robot that relentlessly and aggressively attacks him. The attack is sudden and lasts for a couple of minutes so it could be quite frightening for younger children. This is very indicative of the violence throughout the movie and therefore, if a child struggles with this level of strong aggression then they will probably find the rest of the film too scary. This scene also has a short but intense few seconds that could also be frightening for kids where a man, who is covered in mud, staggers onto the battlefield. His features are obscured by the dripping mud and he wails in anguish and rage.

One character is captured by John Connor and is shackled by the arms so that the rest of his body leans forwards. The camera mostly shows the character’s shoulders and head; however, in a pivotal moment, his torso is revealed which has been opened up. There is some blood around the wound but it isn’t too gory. Without wanting to give too much away, the inside of his chest is exposed but nothing overly graphic is seen.

One character learns that a device has been implanted into his head by Skynet and there is a close-up shot of him digging his fingers into the back of his head and removing the device. This is very graphic and, as it is unexpected, it could be distressing for a lot of kids.

CAN I SEE A CLIP?

VERDICT: IS ‘TERMINATOR SALVATION’ FOR KIDS?

While being a little too serious, ‘Terminator Salvation’ is faithful to the timeline, pays homage to the previous movies by putting its own twists on famous moments without being self-serving and is a good movie with plenty of great action sequences. Due to the action not being particularly child-friendly, we wouldn’t recommend this movie for kids aged under 10 and would advise caution for children who may struggle with the aggression and speed of the Terminators.

• Violence: 4/5 (one character is stabbed through the chest, another is injected with needles. The Terminators, being machines, attack ruthlessly and don’t stop unless they are ‘killed’. They have no mercy or compassion and will kill anyone they come across, including helpless children. One character is unexpectedly run down by a car but they are not hurt and immediately get up and continue running)
• Emotional Distress: 1/5 (one character makes a noble sacrifice which upsets several characters, this is more touching than distressing and is not too strong in tone)
• Fear Factor: 4/5
• Sexual Content: 2/5 (One of the Terminators has a human-like appearance and when it is released in order to attack, it is completely naked, however there are strategically placed shadows and objects to ensure that nothing explicit is seen. A female character is surrounded by men who threaten to attack her. It is made clear that they intend to gang-rape her and she is beaten to the ground before a male character steps in to rescue her. While the DVD version that we saw did not include this, we have seen a version online where this female character removes her top and her breasts can be seen in profile. There are some shadows to cover her, however it is quite explicit)          
• Bad Language: 2/5 (some mild to moderate cursing and blasphemy)
• Dialogue: 0/5
• Other notes: Deals with themes of redemption, fighting against a stronger foe, fulfilling your destiny, the potentially dangerous advance of technology and fighting for freedom, even if it means your death.

Words by Laura Record

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