1. Terminator Salvation (Warner Bros., 3, 530 Theaters, 130 Minutes, Rated PG-13): When Terminator hit theaters back in 1984, and became a big hit on the then-new home video market, people were wondering if a sequel could ever be made. When Jim Cameron came back in 1991 with the legendary Terminator 2: Judgement Day, people then wondered should a third sequel ever be made.
Hollywood being what it is, did make that third sequel, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, without Cameron. Some fans of the franchise would have considered this sacrilege, but it did well enough that we now have a third sequel.
This one has a slightly better cast, with Christian Bale, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Sam Worthington along. The tale loses the time travel aspect and jumps to the point after the robots have taken over. The focus is on Bale’s John Connor leading the resistance against the machines. Unfortunately, the robots have discovered a new weapon to use against the humans.
It seems this film should be better than the last one, although, when the biggest piece of behind-the-scenes news to come out of the production was Bale’s onset meltdown, that usually bodes ill for the film.
And this summer is shaping up to be the summer of Anton Yelchin. He played Chekov in the smash hit Star Trek and plays the iconic Kyle Reese here. Recasted as two icons in one summer. Good going Anton!
