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Terminator Salvation

Play trailer Poster for Terminator Salvation PG-13 Released May 21, 2009 1h 56m Sci-Fi Action Play Trailer Watchlist
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33% Tomatometer 278 Reviews 53% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
Although Judgment Day has in fact occurred, the future for which John Connor (Christian Bale) was prepared has been partly altered by the appearance of a stranger named Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington). Connor must determine if Wright has been rescued from the past, or sent from the future. As the machines prepare for a final battle, Connor and Wright delve deep into Skynet's heart, uncovering a secret that could lead to the annihilation of mankind.
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Terminator Salvation

Terminator Salvation

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Critics Consensus

With storytelling as robotic as the film's iconic villains, Terminator Salvation offers plenty of great effects but lacks the heart of the original films.

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Critics Reviews

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Candice Frederick Reel Talk Online It was good, but not great. Rated: B Sep 12, 2017 Full Review Joshua Rothkopf Time Out Missing is Cameron's signature action modification, best exploited in Aliens: the strapping female heroine. McG's testosterone-juiced world feels a little doomed without her. Rated: 2/5 Nov 17, 2011 Full Review Laremy Legel Film.com It brings me very little joy to report that this version of the popular Terminator franchise is silly, obtuse, and pointless. Rated: D+ May 6, 2011 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review This rather cold exercise contains a synthesized quality and feels like it was executed by an artificial intelligence. Rated: 1.5/4 Sep 19, 2023 Full Review Emiliano Basile EscribiendoCine Terminator Salvation lacks human connection as the backdrop of the story, and if it has any, they're far removed from the films starring Arnold. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 6/10 Jul 11, 2023 Full Review Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies I liked “Terminator Salvation” and while it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, I think it has a place in the series. Rated: 4/5 Aug 25, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Mike loved whole experience Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/08/21 Full Review Alfie M Terminator Salvation does NOT feel like a Terminator film and this is likely due to the non existent Arnold Schwarzenegger which is a very common feeling among the audience of Terminator Salvation. On the other hand leave the film as a "science fiction army film" and it's decent. It feels more like an Call Of Duty Advanced Warfare live action movie more than a Terminator film and it feels like you could definitely skip this and that's before I even finish the franchise. Sam Worthington is the absolute highlight and it great, the special effects for this movie is good and the sound is absolutely tremendous. I was also thinking, "this feels like a fan made Terminator film" and I stick by that. RIP Anton Yelchin gone way too soon. But (I feel terrible saying this after my previous sentence) but I did not feel anything from his performance and it's very forgetful. Christian Bale is the coolest John Connor yet but that may just be Bales presence as a human. Overall Salvation isn't bad but it's a bad Terminator film, the cast try to make it work but the poor writing makes it fall flat on its face. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 04/11/25 Full Review Luis I I appreciate that the filmmakers chose a different approach this time around since the franchise was starting to feel tired and predictable. The futuristic, post-apocalyptic, dystopian battle-world setting worked for me, even if it's not entirely original. I really enjoyed the action sequences, and it’s interesting to observe how the VFX have evolved throughout the franchise, even if they’re not particularly remarkable in this installment. The use of long takes and attention to sound definitely enhance the excitement of these scenes. Unfortunately, beyond the action, there’s not much going on. The film lacks substantial story and character development. What’s most frustrating is that it had real potential; it hints at a theme of what it means to be human and what separates us from machines, but doesn’t explore it in any meaningful way. Most characters feel one-dimensional, and some are reduced to mere plot devices. A new character introduced mid-film is suddenly faced with an important decision, but her arc isn’t built up in a satisfying way. The film would’ve benefited from narrowing its focus to a single character's perspective, allowing for a stronger emotional arc; this could’ve worked with almost any of them. Add to that a few contrived plot points, and what you get is a film full of missed opportunities. Still, it's packed with enough action to make it watchable. If you're already a fan of the franchise or exploring it like I am, it's worth a watch, but don’t expect anything groundbreaking. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/09/25 Full Review Matt B This movie gets a bad rep and I don't like that! This movie is better than Genisys, Dark Fate (though that terminator design was way cooler), and T3: Rise of the Machines, but it gets crapped on by people. Sam Worthington plays Termintor Light, a prototype that just wants to understand the world around him and feel something. He takes on all kinds of new terminators: water Terminators (by the way, how have you not elimintated the terminators from the little lak that is right.next.to.your.base?!), motorcycle Terminators, and a gunface, giant terminator that rides in an airship. Cool new designs...then we see vintage Terminator. He runs into a young John Connor's dad, along with a mute kid who can.....sense Terminators? I'm still not sure why he freezes up. Anyway, Christian Bale reprises his role from Reign of Fire, a man in the future fighting an enemy for the survival of the planet. When he isn't yelling at crew off camers, he is really chewing the scenery here. Sam Worthington vintage screaming in this movie. Good watch, entertaining.....I still don't know how someone in every Terminator movie falls for the Terminator impersonating one of their allies. It's dumb, but the movie is good. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/03/25 Full Review Audience Member Best Terminator film since the original two Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/24/25 Full Review Wing Hong C Its not as great as the first 2 but its enjoyable, too bad it’s not really a terminator movie Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/14/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Terminator Salvation

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Movie Info

Synopsis Although Judgment Day has in fact occurred, the future for which John Connor (Christian Bale) was prepared has been partly altered by the appearance of a stranger named Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington). Connor must determine if Wright has been rescued from the past, or sent from the future. As the machines prepare for a final battle, Connor and Wright delve deep into Skynet's heart, uncovering a secret that could lead to the annihilation of mankind.
Director
McG
Producer
Moritz Borman, Derek Anderson, Victor Kubicek, Jeffrey Silver
Screenwriter
John D. Brancato, Michael Ferris
Distributor
Warner Bros.
Production Co
Moritz Borman
Rating
PG-13 (Intense Sci-Fi Violence|Intense Sci-Fi Action|Language)
Genre
Sci-Fi, Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 21, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 22, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA)
$125.3M
Runtime
1h 56m
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