Entertainment Today and Beyond

TERMINATOR SALVATION TRAILER and MY thoughts on the franchise

As a fan of the Terminator franchise I’m looking forward to seeing what a Terminator film will be like without Arnold Schwarzenegger. Since the franchise has three films under its belt and a high quality TV series currently airing on Fox, there a lot of expectations for this new film. Considering the series original creator, James Cameron, is no longer involved you never know what you will get as they don’t come any better than him. It’s amazing what kind of film Cameron delivered in 1984 working on a budget of just $6,400,000. The concept and effects were brilliantly executed and it made a star out of former bodybuilder, Schwarzenegger. The ideas involving time travel and technology were Sci-fi at their very best. Cameron returned in 1994 to helm Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Working with a whopping budget of $102,000,000 (at the time the most expensive film ever made), the director broke new ground with effects moviegoers had never experienced and the movie was a huge world wide hit, grossing $519,000,000. Besides the effects, Cameron never forgot what this genre is all about; the ability to tell a thought provoking story that keeps the audience thinking. He hit a home run on both counts. Both critics and fans alike gave the film very high marks. At this point the director felt the story had been told and decided against any involvement in future installments.  

Mario Kasser hired director, Jonathan Mostow (U-571), for the third entry, titled Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines which was released in 2004. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was then 56 but still in great shape, returned as a Terminator from the future sent back in time to once again protect John Conner (played in the film be Nick Stahl). The highly expensive, independently produced, film cost a reported $200,000,000, and received a split response from critics and fans alike. I found the film very enjoyable and a solid entry in the Terminator cannon. It certainly left me wanting more of its ongoing and fascinating story. With a worldwide box-office take of $433,000,000, producers were hungry for another entry. Terminator Salvation, which began filming in May of this year is directed by McG (Charlies Angels, We are Marshall) and hits theaters May 22, 2009. Christian Bale, who hit big with Chris Nolan’s Batman franchise, plays the now grown up John Conner in a film that feels decidedly different from the first three entries. The story, set in 2018, focuses on the war between humanity and the machines employed by Skynet, abandoning the time travel formula of the first 3 films. Here’s a LOOK at the new TRAILER

December 11, 2008 Posted by Entertainment Today & Beyond | Reviews | Terminator Salvation Trailer | Leave a Comment