Terminator Salvation and the mediocrity of 2009 blockbusters (except from Watchmen :p)

Taking a break from endless editing on unfriendly macs, I might as well write a blog about another film I was waiting for this year.

Terminator is not bad, but it's not great either. It's a really good film and an enjoyable experience. Visually, the post-judgement day world is one of the best represented post-apocalyptic worlds we've seen in the big screen. Shane Hurlbut has done a magnificent work, and the air-raid in the beginning is an amazing single-shot take, introducing us to John Connor, the film's first supporting character.

Christian Bale is good, but he is still playing batman in a lot of scenes. When he lets go of that (and the brutal batman voice) his real talent is fully unveiled (such as in the last speech to the resistance, or when he has a discussion with his wife about how things have changed).

Sam Worthington is the real surprise in this film. Marcus Wright is the lead character in this film and he is great. Unfortunately, the trailers have given away too much, so I won't say anything more, in case I spoil whatever little surprise is left.

The film's real problems lie with the script. While the film's action sequences are amazing, when it turns to softer, emotional moments, the lines just don't deliver. Michael Ferris and John Brancato, writers of Terminator 3 as well, are not the best writers out there, and although I'm sure the rewrites by Jonah Nolan helped it, it needs some more work.

I'd like to stay on that for a little while, 'cause here is my biggest dissapointment with the film. Ferris and Brancato don't know how to write dialogue. In my opinion, the main thing that destroyed Terminator 3, was their unbalanced use of humour v. realism. Arnie with star-glasses is NOT a terminator film, it's a spoof. However, I'm willing to recognise that they can write interesting storylines and good endings. Staying with T3, the elements were really good. JC living off the grid, the always changing timelines, the questionable nature of fate and the best of all, the unavoidable Judgement Day. If the rest of the film was better written and executed, that same ending would have sent us home with a big "Wow". But no...

Moving on, the two of them had a script. They worked on it, they worked on it, they worked on it and they let others work on it. Bale signed after he saw the re-writes and it was all going well. Until about a year ago, when that script was leaked all over the internet. And because of that, they re-wrote it, using a totally different ending. And THAT was for me the biggest mistake in the production of this movie.

Below, I'm going to explain what that ending was. PLEASE DON'T READ ON IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE YET, SPOILERS FOLLOW.










*****************SPOILERS********************

So, when JC is pierced through with that huge metal bar, he dies. Yup, just like that. Marcus kills the T-800 and somehow, the only people that know that Connor is dead, are his wife and his inner circle (Blair, Barnes etc). A handful of people. But John Connor is more than a man these days. He is the face and voice of the resistance. The icon that provides hope for all. No one can tell if the resistance will win after such a loss of morale.

And what is the final decision? The inner circle decide to put John's skin (or make an artificial one looking like him, I don't remember) over Marcus' body. The End.

That would have been just amazing, the irony of the leader against the machines, is a terminator. We see Marcus developing a bond with young Kyle, protecting him, so it would be him that sent him to 1984. Marcus' decision to fight for the humans, making the decision for humanity's survival. I think it's great in so many levels, and it ties in perfectly with the first two installments.









*************END OF SPOILERS*************

Well, that's my opinion. A big amount of fans was pissed off with that original ending, but after seeing the film, I believe everyone will agree that it works a lot better than the mediocre, unchallenging ending the movie has right now.

And moving away from Terminator, what the fuck is going on with the 2009 blockbusters. We had such a good kickstart with Watchmen this year, I believed for a moment that it would be a nice one. Then... Wolverine (not bad, definitely not good), Star Trek (really good, not impressive), Terminator Salvation (good one, not great, could have been great with another ending :p), Angels & Demons (utter crap).

2008 had The Dark Knight and 2007 had (yes) Transformers. They were a blockbuster sensation, they were THE summer film. And for all you haters, Transformers might not be even close to the quality of The Dark Knight, but it's "wow" factor was goddamn high!

We still haven't got one this year (Watchmen was amazing, but it was a thinking man's film, The Dark Knight was both), and I don't think we will. I don't trust Transformers 2, it seems a darker replay of the first, and I think the first worked cause it didn't take itself too seriously. Public Enemies has good cast and crap cinematography, and from the trailers, I'm not that excited. I didn't bother to see night at the museum... but wait... Harry Potter goes dark! How original is that? Do I really have to mention Pink Panther 2?

Ah crap, I'm tired, and I'm going to see Terminator again. Comments below...