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Terminator Salvation
EMAILPRINTWarner Bros. Pictures

Mixed or average reviews
Based on 35 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 325 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info
Genre(s): Action | Adventure | Sci-fi | Suspense/Thriller
Written by:
Gale Anne Hurd (characters)
James Cameron (characters)
David C. Wilson (story), Michael Ferris (& story)
John D. Brancato (& story)
Directed by: McG
Release Date:
Theatrical: May 21, 2009
DVD: December 1, 2009
Running Time: 115 minutes, Color
Origin: USA | Germany | UK
Summary
RATING: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and language
Starring Christian Bale, Anton Yelchin, Sam Worthington, Bryce Dallas Howard, Common, Jadagrace, Moon Bloodgood, and Helena Bonham Carter
Judgment Day has come and gone. The artificial intelligence network Skynet controls the army of Terminators that roam the post-apocalyptic landscape, killing or collecting humans where they hide in the desolate cities and deserts. Only one man saw Judgment Day coming. One man, whose destiny has always been intertwined with the fate of human existence: John Connor. Now the world is on the brink of the future that Connor has been warned about all his life. But something totally new has shaken his belief that humanity stands a chance of winning this war: the appearance of Marcus Wright, a stranger from the past whose last memory is of being on death row before awakening in this strange, new world. (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Also On Metacritic
FILM: Charlie's Angels Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle Terminator Terminator 2: Judgment Day Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines We Are Marshall
GAMES: Terminator Salvation (Xbox 360)
TV: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
New York Daily News Joe Neumaier
A fast-moving, rock 'em-sock 'em movie that continues the man-vs.-machines series begun 25 years ago.
Read Full Review >Empire Devin Faraci
McG has sparked a moribund franchise back to life, giving fans the post-apocalyptic action they’ve been craving since they first saw a metal foot crush a human skull two decades ago.
Read Full Review >Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer
A couple of scenes directly reference the Iraq war and the Holocaust (where the humans are herded into cattle cars), and this is taking things much too seriously. This is a big blow-'em-up franchise movie. It should not under any circumstances be confused with a Statement.
Read Full Review >Premiere Patrick Parker
Despite some laughably silly plot elements, McG has created an overall entertaining movie experience. It's a great kick-off to the summer explosion season.
Read Full Review >ReelViews James Berardinelli
With its idea of an insurgency striking against an implacable evil empire, there's more than a little "Star Wars" in Terminator: Savlation, although not even at its "Empire Strikes Back" bleakest was Lucas' series this dark.
Read Full Review >Variety John Anderson
Darker, grimmer and more stylistically single-minded than its two relatively giddy predecessors, Terminator Salvation boasts the kind of singular vision that distinguished the James Cameron original, the full-throttle kinetics of "Speed" and an old-fashioned regard for human (and humanoid) heroics.
Read Full Review >Washington Post John Anderson
The result is a movie that takes itself far more seriously than the "Hasta la vista, baby" tone of previous installments.
Read Full Review >The New York Times A.O. Scott
It parades neither the egghead aspirations of "Star Trek" nor the thick-skulled pretensions of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," but instead feels both comfortable with its limitations and justly proud of its accomplishments.
Read Full Review >NPR Bob Mondello
It all contributes to making the story breathless and nerve-jangling.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Keith Phipps
The way-too-familiar climax feels less like a comment on destiny than like watching a finely crafted but soulless product roll off an assembly line.
Read Full Review >Portland Oregonian Marc Mohan
Grim, post-apocalyptic, special-effects extravaganza.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman
It's basically a zombie movie with machines instead of the walking dead.
Read Full Review >New York Post Kyle Smith
Yet what makes this movie is the digital effects. It's got all the heart of a demolition derby.
Read Full Review >Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea
A dark-and-stormy sci-fi shoot-'em-up directed by McG, T4 has enough hardware and havoc to satisfy the crowd of action junkies and gamers who sped to "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" on opening weekend. (Terminator Salvation is a couple of liquid metal drops' more satisfying, but only a couple.)
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone Peter Travers
Bale even cedes the juiciest part to Aussie newcomer Sam Worthington, who is star material as a machine with a conscience. T4 is a mixed bag, but it's not f***ing amateur.
Read Full Review >Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern
It's a deafening, sometimes boring, occasionally startling and ultimately impressive war movie with a concern for what it is that makes us human.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Betsy Sharkey
If you're a "Terminator" fan, though, "Salvation" is mostly worth it. The machines are mindless, yes, but there are enough pyrotechnics and heavy artillery to feel like Armageddon squared. And when the story starts to crumble around Bale, Worthington is there to pick up the pieces.
Read Full Review >Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez
The most timid in the series. There's no invention in it, no sense of discovery. Only the impressively orchestrated action sequences feel fresh.
Read Full Review >Village Voice Nick Pinkerton
Among the many things junked in McG's chop-shop is the notion of pleasure.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Jason Buchanan
With the exception of one breathtaking sequence in a helicopter, the action in Terminator Salvation is astonishingly dull.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe Ty Burr
The latest installment in the venerable sci-fi action franchise turns out to be a straight-up war film, grim and muscular and thundering and joyless. It's the color of cement, and it weighs as much, too.
Read Full Review >The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey
Though competent in its B-movie way, Terminator Salvation lacks the humour, heart-tugging moments and visual pleasure that made the first two movies of the series modern pop masterpieces.
Read Full Review >Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
Most of the running time is occupied by action sequences, chase sequences, motorcycle sequences, plow-truck sequences, helicopter sequences, fighter-plane sequences, towering android sequences and fistfights. It gives you all the pleasure of a video game without the bother of having to play it.
Read Full Review >Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow
This fourth "Terminator" film is the ultimate heavy-metal parody. Better make that travesty, because there are next to no moments of comedy.
Read Full Review >The Hollywood Reporter Michael Rechtshaffen
In Arnold's absence, an important ingredient of the "Terminator" iconography -- namely, the fun factor -- is in short supply.
Read Full Review >Film Threat Scott Mendelson
It is occasionally a first-rate action spectacle, but it is only the spectacle that merits recommendation.
Read Full Review >Charlotte Observer Staff (Not credited)
Granted, it's great action. Terrific special effects. Pulse-pounding pacing. But it's a case of diminishing returns. Salvation so keeps its characters at arm's length that after a while it really doesn't matter what happens to them.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader J.R. Jones
The movie's only unmitigated pleasure is a too-brief fight scene between Connor and a naked combatant made up to look precisely like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Read Full Review >USA Today Claudia Puig
The predictable story feels as if it were written by a computer program labeled "sequel."
Read Full Review >Slate Dana Stevens
A good summer movie isn't just an uninterrupted crescendo of cacophony. You need stuff IN BETWEEN the fireballs and the cyborgs.
Read Full Review >New York Magazine David Edelstein
With McG's migraine-inducing jerky-cam and monochromatic palette (livened only by splotches of rust), Terminator Salvation puts the numb in numskull.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov
Terrifically dull, full of ear-searing sound design and much yakkity-yakking about the fate of humanity but entirely lacking any sort of soul or sense of good old summer matinee fun.
Read Full Review >Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek
Terminator Salvation has no brains and no soul; it's just a mass of stiff, creaking metal joints. Clearly, the machines have won.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle
When Christian Bale allowed himself to play Bruce Wayne in "Batman Begins," he was slumming - and to good effect. But with Terminator Salvation, this ostensibly serious actor takes up residence in the action ghetto, and it's not a good fit.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 6.0 (out of 10) based on 325 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Jani S gave it a5:
The special effects are amazing, acting is amazing but the plot and the story is very poor. Clichés after clichés killed this movie for me.
Paul W gave it a10:
As a huge of the first terminator film, I thought that T2 was too family friendly and moved away from the real plot. T3 although average set the scene for T4 which was innovative, clever, told a brilliant story, and paired Bale and Sam Worthington together who were brilliant.
Alvin C gave it an8:
This film was way under-rated. The 54/100 score stopped me from buying it but I got it as a christmas present and thought it was really good. Hate all these 'art-house' film critics out there who say everything other than some foreign language film is a waste of time. This film was no Terminator 2 but was definately watchable.
Steve G gave it a7:
Not nearly as bad as I was expecting, given the reviews. If you're clever enough to spot the obvious role-reversal going on in this film, and many critics apparently aren't, then you can forgive Bale for his robotic performance. Sure, it's not a classic like the first two installments, and there are some cringe-inducing moments here and there, but it's not a "bad" movie by any means. The fact that this scored only a few points more than 2012 is absurd. Anyway... The Director's Cut, rated R, is a solid rental for action fans and a safe purchase for hardcore Terminator fans.
Jeff K gave it a2:
I didn't like it. Distracting, unrealistic cinematography, ridiculous machines, predictable action, overly serious acting, and unrealistic characters. And memo to Christian Bale: can the gruff voice. It didn't work as Batman and it doesn't work here.
S C gave it a6:
Really shows the difference between a good director(cameron,jackson)and a shit one(bay,mcg).The Terminators dont really terminate much at all.Where is the fear and scrambling action from the first movie?And the heart transplant???Luckily there seemed to be a nearby heart surgeon who can do a transplant in the desert with a butter knife and crossed fingers.LOLOLOL.I could crap on for hours but this movie gets a 6 for being shiny.
Brad O gave it an8:
While developing the back story further and not having obvious day / night inconsistencies would have been nice it's substantially better than Terminator: Rise of The Machines but no where near James Cameron's quality of Terminator or T2: Juddgement day. While it's not perfect I enjoyed the action packed romp of Terminator Salvation and would love to see more!
