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List Price: $35.99 | | Label: Warner Home Video
Salesrank: 26
Released: December 1, 2009 |
| Our Price: $18.40 |
| Used Price: $18.00 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: Blu-ray |
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Editorial Review:
In the aftermath of Judgment Day and the machine takeover, resistance leader John Connor (Christian Bale) must counter Skynet’s plan to terminate mankind. Rallying his underground street fighters for a last, desperate battle, he realizes that to save the future he must rescue his own father Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin). But the most shocking discovery comes with the arrival of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a mysterious loner from the past who challenges Connor with an impossible choice and leads them both on a brutal journey into the heart of the enemy.
Description of Terminator Salvation (Director's Cut) [Blu-ray]:
Terminator Salvation restores some of the balance of huge freakin' explosions and emotionally compelling plot to the Terminator series. Set entirely after the nuclear assault that left the computer system Skynet in control of the world, Terminator Salvation follows John Connor (Christian Bale) as he grapples with both murderous robots and his superiors in the resistance, who aren't sure they believe the prophecies that Connor is destined to save humanity. Into the midst of this struggle tumbles Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington, who would later star in James Cameron's Avatar); the last thing he remembers was being executed in prison decades before. Baffled, he falls into company with Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin, Star Trek) and a mute little girl, who soon get captured--but Wright then meets and bonds with Blair Williams (Moon Bloodgood, Eight Below), a resistance fighter who remains loyal to the confused Wright even though Connor suspects he's not what he seems--or what he believes himself to be. Terminator Salvation isn't the astonishing synthesis of action and feeling that either The Terminator or T2 were; the plot threads are poorly woven and fray completely in the last third of the movie. Despite this, Terminator Salvation has at least two skillfully orchestrated action sequences that will get your heart racing, and Worthington’s beguiling mixture of toughness and vulnerability gives his relationship with Bloodgood a genuine pulse. It's imperfect, but compared with the hollow carcasses that most action movies (including Terminator 3) turn out to be, it's worth seeing. --Bret Fetzer
On the Blu-ray disc
The director's cut is a mere three minutes longer than the theatrical cut. Many of these additions are just a few seconds of extra violence (e.g., a knife thrust into a body then pulled out), but there are a few more-substantial sequences: A longer conversation in Resistance Command Headquarters; a brief topless scene by Moon Bloodgood when her Blair Williams character and Sam Worthington's Marcus return to her base (reminiscent of Kelly McGillis and Harrison Ford in Witness); an extended conversation between those two characters afterward (Blair: "You can focus on what you've lost or you can fight for what's left"); and a longer radio address by John Connor in which he mentions his mother. Even though it's not all that different, it should be the preferred way to watch the movie.
The big extra feature, Maximum Movie Mode, is only on disc 2's original theatrical cut. In front of two large TV screens, director McG introduces the movie then makes periodic appearances to discuss key concepts. Interspersed along the way are various pop-ups with the Terminator mythology timeline, picture-in-picture with cast and crew interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, and stills galleries. You can also, when prompted, exit out of the movie to watch any of 11 Focus Points, which are two- to three-minute featurettes. Conveniently, you can also access these from the main menu. Two other features are watchable separate from Maximum Movie Mode: "Reforging the Future" (19 minutes), discussing the new film's take on the Terminator legacy, and "The Moto-Terminator" (8:33), focusing on the motorcycle-like robots. --David Horiuchi
Terminator Salvation (Director's Cut) [Blu-ray] Reviews:
Not as good as the other 3 
2009-12-28 - I fell asleep after about of hour of watching this movie....it was ok i guess looked great on blu-ray but as far as the movie goes....nowhere near as good as the other 3 terminator movies
Fairly Solid Movie Almost Ruined By a Poor Ending
2009-12-27 - Spoilers!
I was having a pretty good time with this movie. The special effects were solid, the storyline fairly cohesive and Sam Worthington's performance was strong. I fully expected Marcus to not survive the movie, but when they arrived back at the rebel camp I had was pleasantly surprised he survived the fight at Skynet. Then the massive, huge let down with him volunteering his heart to save John Connor. The really irritating part is John nodding to him like "Good show old chap, I'll make good use of it". Marcus had every bit as much right to "life" as it were and was the most compelling character in the film (much more so than Connor/Bale). He would have made an excellent torch bearer to carry on the fight and could have breathed new life into the series. As it is we get a stupid ending with Bale set for another sequel.
For those saying it would ruin any congruity between Salvation and previous films, Connor already stated his mother's recordings make no mention of such a "terminator" - it could be explained as the time line unexpectedly shifting (just as it would have if Kyle had been killed).
John Connor should have died, Marcus should have lived. The last minute re-write (from what I heard) spoiled this film for me.
Half-reboot, half-sequel, all-terrible 
2009-12-27 - The Bottom Line:
Between the lack of attention paid to the previous films in the series, dumb storyline riddled with plotholes (why don't the machines just kill Kyle Reese when they have him in a cell?) and vacant performance by Sam Worthington, there's a ton of problems with this latest (and hopefully last) Terminator film; whether you're a fan of the original series or a neophyte, there's really no need to watch this sorry excuse for a film.
2/4
Better the second time around; pretty on Blu 
2009-12-27 - I was hoping for more from this but it was busy paying homage to the prior Terminator catch phrases and not focused enough on plowing its own ground. On Blu it was amazing to watch at home. There is a scene at the gas station where a ginormous Terminator thing flattens everything in its path. At the theater that scene was one of the best of all of the summer blockbusters. At home it's not as impressive but the sound and picture quality on this disc is stunning. I watched on a Panasonic plasma, 50", 1080p via HDMI from a Playstation3.
Why did they bother to buy this franchise?
2009-12-27 - <> <> <> <> <>
Short_N_Sweet: a mindless string of action sequences w/exceedingly little dialogue/plot development. A two hour film filled w/too ridiculous to believe stunts. The kicker is Connor getting a 2" wide steel bar rammed through his spinal column, & supposedly his heart. It's OK, though... He still walks w/assistance to a far away helicopter, undergoes emergency cardio-thoracic surgery in the dusty wide open desert. Then receives a heart transplant... Yeah, suuuuuuuuuuuuuuure. Bale was great in Batman. His performance here is uninspired & flat. This film is way too short on character/plot substance, & far too laden w/mindless action. I'm glad I only wasted $3.00 on a rental.
