‘Terminator Salvation’ an edge-of-seat watch (IANS Review - Rating ***)

Film: “Terminator Salvation”; Cast: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood, Helena Bonham Carter, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anton Yelchin; Director: MCG; Rating: ***

The fourth instalment of “Terminator” series has hit the screens but without Arnold Schwarzenegger - though he makes a blink-or-miss appearance towards the end of the movie.

Set in the future, the film is about man fighting with machines to save the world from the grip of an enemy called Skynet, which is trying to wipe out every trace of humankind from earth.

What happens when man wages a war against machines? There is the clink of metal against metal, gun shots and explosions. Director MCG has packed enough thrilling stunts to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. There are a few scenes that actually make you jump up as the filmmaker doesn’t give you enough time to think or absorb the turn of events.

The film is devoid of colour, but the director has created space for emotions with the help of Bryce Dallas Howard, who plays the hero John Connor’s (Christian Bale) pregnant wife, and Moon Bloodgood, who falls in love with a machine. However, he has ensured that the emotional scenes are not too many.

While Schwarzenegger played the saviour in the first three series, Christain Bale takes the responsibility to save humankind as the leader of human resistance in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles in the fourth instalment.

The film opens with circa 2003 — where we see Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington) donating his body to Serena Kogan (Helena Bonham Carter). The film then takes a leap and lands in 2018 where Los Angeles has turned into a junkyard, with no sign of human civilisation but only debris, dead bodies and a chilling stillness.

Connor is all the while trying hard to resist his superiors from bombing Skynet station because he wants to save all those who are imprisoned inside.

Meanwhile, Marcus emerges from nowhere and reaches Los Angeles and it takes him a while to understand the situation.

Marcus is the only one who can help Connor in his mission to destroy Skynet base but the latter is not ready to trust him because Marcus is half human and half machine.

When James Cameron’s original was released in 1984, it became one of the greatest action films of the decade. “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”, which came in 1991, managed to keep the interest alive. “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” came in 2003 and the fourth instalment takes the story forward.

With a spate of action thrillers coming to theatres, “Terminator Salvation” might not have anything extraordinary to showcase, but its a good watch for action-lovers.

Christian Bale does a decent job, while Sam Worthington remains expressionless in most of the scenes … just like a machine. Bloodgood, Carter and Howard pass muster.

Watch the film if you are a die hard “Terminator” fan.