It’s only February, but blockbuster fever has set in. I was just at New York Comic Con, part out of interest, and part out of work. You’ll get to see photos in a later post, but but towards the end of my 4-hour wade through the thousands of people, I found myself staring at a 42-inch plasma screen. It was showing the trailer for this May’s Terminator Salvation.
Although it looks somewhat ambiguous and abstract to those not familiar with the series, this 4th (and possibly final) part of the time-traveling, hugely popular franchise looks promising. If nothing else, it also carries a heightened sense of expectation because of the Terminator 3 disappointment. Rise of the Machines, as the third movie is commonly known, was a let down, sticking to the tried-but-ailing Arnold Schwarzenegger, and a more advanced and sultry assasin from the future. It lacked the emotional depth and soul from my all-time favorite Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and Arnie failed to live up to his ‘best Terminator display’ from the 1991 film.
But there’s hope in the upcoming Terminator film. Superstar actor Christian Bale takes up the role of John Connor, legendary but ulmately-doomed leader of the human resistance. He rides on the success of The Dark Knight, highly acclaimed and top-grossing film of 2008. Plot aside, Bale will be looked upon by all Terminator fans to resurrect the series’ reputation. I don’t know much about the plot, under than it takes place in 2018, and a new terminator has time traveled right into the middle of the war. Much will revolve around this new robot and who knows, maybe a new timeline will be created?
Personally, Terminator 3 made too much popcorn out of a film series that was meant to be a sober look into the meaning of humanity. Looking at this trailer gives me (a little) hope that some of the old themes can be rediscovered.
REFLEC/TED 