TERMINATOR SALVATION movie discussion

[jedibear]

One thing eorth considering is how the big studios chop off their own legs at the box office by front-loading all of their "event" movies of a similar genre into the first month of summer, movies don't have a chance to have "legs" anymore (staying in theaters long enough to find and grow an audience)...with 1 to 2 new releases every week for the next few months, only the simple "crowd-pleasers" will survive and really prosper (like the Stiller kiddie filck or the latest Pixar greeting card which BTW you couldn't strap me in the chair to watch...but to each their own, eh?).

TS has had a bit of a rough go with mainstream critics and many fans giving it bad word-of-mouth....but any "regular Joe" movie goer (like folks at my work or local pub) who've seen it think it's great....(I thought so too...guess I'm more "regular Joe" than a movie critic )...

I'm hoping the global box-office and DVD/BR revenue for TS are enough to convince the studio to continue with the next one...I'm sure that the discs will sell briskly...even most of the naysayers in here will probably pick it up...only so they can begin their complaining anew...

 

[MaulFan]

I'm hoping the global box-office and DVD/BR revenue for TS are enough to convince the studio to continue with the next one...

As long as the movie makes a good ammount more than it cost, I'm sure they will make more, the question is how much financial and production support they'll give it, will they hire ^^^^ty directors and writers, cut budget so you can't get quality actors.

I feel like the AVP movies could have been something really special, but they're half-assedness is entirely because FOX didn't hire strong, established actors, gave them poor budgets, they were doomed from the start, to a point where it made you wonder why they even launched them at all, and now FOX is almost essentially saying, we screwed up, but these properties are worth money, so they're putting money into reboot films for each franchise with established production crews and likely healthy budgets. I have a strong feeling Warner Bros will do the same with Terminator.

 

[tylerdurden]

to me, fox is the WORST of the big studios.

they're all money grubbing machines, but with someone like tom rothman at the helm, fox has been making bad decision after bad decision.

and now, the alien "remake/reboot/prequel/franchise-raping".

 

[Khev]

If the series continues it'll probably have lower and lower budgets and worse and worse talent involved. I'd love to see a trilogy with current production values but I don't see it happening. I hope they just end the franchise while its still respectable. Oh well, at least we got a pretty cool "future war" movie, even if it wasn't all that it could have been.

 

[MaulFan]

Exactly, I don't think the series is over, but I think it's likely future should be grounds for ending it. If production value could be equal or better than T:S, I'd be all for it, but I see it taking a nose dive. Honestly, I don't get the logic behind a studio deciding to put out a film, but then putting very little into making it really good. If you want to put out a movie and hope to make money on it, wouldn't the logic be to make a really good movie, yet somehow, FOX as a great example, they don't. They say Alien and Predator films make good money, let's make AVP films to make money off the success of both properties, but we're not going to give them any budget. I just don't understand, and I'm certain that if T:S doesn't do so hot in it's foreign and domestic gross, that's going to be the fate of Terminator, as long as it does good enough, they'll keep making them, but if it doesn't do so well, they're not going to give it proper support either.

I say either commit to giving movies the best possible effort, or don't make them.

 

[Starkiller]

I don't get how the studio greenlit another one before this one even came out...now they have McG and Bale ready to go and follow up a movie that didn't do so hot but that they banked on raking in the cash because of the name and Bale.

 

[tylerdurden]

I don't get how the studio greenlit another one before this one even came out...now they have McG and Bale ready to go and follow up a movie that didn't do so hot but that they banked on raking in the cash because of the name and Bale.

the three-picture deal: standard operating procedure for hollywood these days. it was a done deal way before the movie was released. but as maulfan pointed out, the budgets will just be lower, and the corresponding output will suffer. sigh.

 

[cerealkeller]

It could force them to put out a better script. It sure didn't with the AVP sequel, but you never know. Plus, now they won't have to rework a script to make a bigger role for Bale. Maybe if they realize that people want a good story/script over huge FX and blowing crap up. Make it a more personal story for John Connor and Kyle Reese. The series has potential, they just need to hire better writers.

 

[Agen]

Another T-800 Model 101

 

[MaulFan]

The series has potential, they just need to hire better writers.

Same could be said of AVP before the first one was released.

The T:S initiated trilogy could easily be on par with T1-T3, but it requires a committment from the studio to do it. Ultimately, now, the studios are behind the committment to these movies. When Terminator started, it was Cameron's committment to his idea that made T1 and T2 what they were. Now it's just a property a studio owns and studios tend not to show the committment to making good pictures with these types of films, they just want to cash in on past success and do just enough to put something out without doing enough to put out something very strong.

T:S is not terrible, but WB's at a turning point, put the resources into the next one to take it further, or make it just for the sake of making it and put no support into it and have a great series tank because of greed.

 

[a-dev]

When Terminator started, it was Cameron's committment to his idea that made T1 and T2 what they were. Now it's just a property a studio owns and studios tend not to show the committment to making good pictures with these types of films, they just want to cash in on past success and do just enough to put something out without doing enough to put out something very strong.

I believe you've pinpointed precisely why these films just aren't good anymore.

 

[Starkiller]

the three-picture deal: standard operating procedure for hollywood these days. it was a done deal way before the movie was released. but as maulfan pointed out, the budgets will just be lower, and the corresponding output will suffer. sigh.

Yes and it's all stupid.

 

[tylerdurden]

when i read mcG's idea for T5, my heart kinda sank.

in the interview, he described how he would like to see the machines from the future invading our present timeline. meaning the flying hunter-killers, the ground assault tanks, plus armies of terminators, all going back in time. it would be all-out war on the humans of today---skynet's desperate measure to once and for all win the future war which they'd already lost.

to me, that kinda f----in negates the whole essence of the terminator saga, and just turns it into a bloody videogame.

i was rewatching the bourne trilogy recently and imagined: how nice it would be if someone like tony gilroy wrote the story for the new terminator movies. it would have depth and a compelling human story, while still keeping the action and suspense. basically someone who, y'know, knows how to write.

 

[Kuzeh]

So I finally saw this... (long story...)
And over the weekend I saw T1 thru T3...

Here are my thoughts... first the bad:

On the first three movies, there's at least a sense of urgency... a sense of danger... that something really bad could happen... but not in Salvation...
we don't get to "know" this John Connor... they just assume we already care for him...
We're supposed to "care" for Marcus... but why?...
Same thing with Kyle Reese...
I don't know... I never felt the real "threat" as with the other movies...
even T3 is better at that. I guess because this time around they aren't being pursued by a specific Terminator, maybe?

I don't know, I felt the story line was confusing and chaotic...
like they weren't sure if they wanted to portray Marcus as a redeemed hero or as a
former criminal seeking revenge... There's no chemistry between him and Reese, or Connor...
Bale's acting sucked... and pretty much all the characters are "just there"...

Also, I'm not sure if it's already been discussed (it's a long ass thread),
but, did McG edited something out when Marcus and Blair are in that lot when it's raining?
Seems like something is missing there, all of the sudden rain is gone and there's 3 dudes with her? Did I miss something?

I usually love Danny Elfman's work, but this soundtrack sucks big time... sounds pretty lazy...

There's more things I didn't like, but these are my biggest gripes...

The good:

The special effects are great!!
The robot designs and animatronics are amazing!!!
The whole set and environment looked great as well...
Lots of great nods to the originals, without being too cheesey...

Overall, it was just OK, pretty average, which is unfortunate...
So far this year I've been mostly unimpressed...
Except for Watchmen and Drag me to Hell...

 

[BuGz]

Just got back from the opening night ere in Scotland. The cinema was packed. Everyone in good form.

I liked this movie. I liked the characters,settings and story. My only slight gripe was I wanted to see more of the T-600's. They we're pretty cool. Marcus Wright character was the best part of the movie. Connor had some decent moments during the film.

So glad to finally see the movie and judge it for myself.

8.5/10 from me!

Bri

 

[Patton]

Well just come back from watching the film and loved it the ending was awsome great film all through abit slow in places and the only downside is i thought there would be more t-600 involvment but overall i give it 8 out of 10

 

[EdwardNashton1]

Just got back from the opening night ere in Scotland. The cinema was packed. Everyone in good form.

I liked this movie. I liked the characters,settings and story. My only slight gripe was I wanted to see more of the T-600's. They we're pretty cool. Marcus Wright character was the best part of the movie. Connor had some decent moments during the film.

So glad to finally see the movie and judge it for myself.

8.5/10 from me!

Bri

Yes my only complaint was the lack of the T-600's, they were awesome
Cheers on seeing the movie bro

 

[Nitro]

Just got back from seeing this film. I really liked it alot. Don't understand the hate/negativity for this film at all...

 

[tylerdurden]

I don't know... I never felt the real "threat" as with the other movies...
even T3 is better at that. I guess because this time around they aren't being pursued by a specific Terminator, maybe?

yeah i felt the same way. there was no central villain in salvation, just a largely faceless enemy in skynet's misc machines. therefore the movie lacked a sense of focused threat.

it was only at the end when the "arnold" t800 showed up that everything snapped into focus---marcus and connor were fighting for their lives against one single enemy. that to me was the best part of the whole movie.

 

[MaulFan]

it was only at the end when the "arnold" t800 showed up that everything snapped into focus---marcus and connor were fighting for their lives against one single enemy. that to me was the best part of the whole movie.

Maybe that's why I, and many others, enjoyed the end so much with a meh attitude toward the rest, that scene and Marcus and Kyle being chased in the truck were the real edge of your seat kind of action scenes where you were actually rooting and caring for the characters.