Terminator Salvation (PG-13) !! 1/2
It’s 2018, and John Connor (Christian Bale) leads the resistance against killer machines that make Transformers look friendly. Other than, you know, saving the human race, Connor must save the teenage version of his father (an effective Anton Yelchin) and figure out what’s up with mysterious, brawny Marcus (Sam Worthington in a star-making performance), whose agenda still isn’t fully clear when the movie ends.
The buzz: No more B-movie sci-fi storytelling or comic relief; “Salvation” is an all-out, square-jawed, post-apocalyptic war. That may sit well with fans who found 2003’s “T3” too jokey, while others may find the persistent seriousness in “Salvation” as angering as, say, a director of photography getting in Bale’s way.
The verdict: This is a tough, strong movie, loaded with exciting action sequences and paced so the dust has time to settle before the next explosion. Thing is, some muscular beings have brains, and “Salvation” isn’t one of them. For all its noise, not much really happens in the story. Supporting actors Bryce Dallas Howard, Moon Bloodgood and Common don’t have much to do, and few characters come into focus, particularly Connor, because Bale plays him like a slightly less grumbly Bruce Wayne.
