What way to kick the summer off than with a summer blockbuster movie on Memorial day. "Terminator" and a popcorn-coke combo, I sat with excitement as the lights went down, watching each bang bang trailer, waiting for take-off. Opening credits...McG as director? I was shocked and disappointed. Even back in my music video days, I wasn't a big fan of his work. There was nothing behind his style and sensibility (surfer frat boy), just a look, and not one I liked, repeated through all his work ad nauseum. A one trick pony. Then he lands "Charlie's Angels" which felt so cartoony and off-brand. But I am happy to say, he did a phenomenal job with "Terminator."
It was meticulous in its detail without losing the story, which often gets sacrificed in fx-heavy flix. I had confidence in this one because of Christian Bale. I loved the introduction of new actors whose work I didn't know... where did they find Sam Worthington??!! I heard his Aussie accent peep in 2 scenes, and yes, he's one of those. It's like a secret base camp for Hollywood actors down-under. They just show up with all these tested skills and on-screen confidence. And despite her eye-candy status, very happy to see a (half) Korean woman, Moon Bloodgood, in an action flic with a relatively meaty role. Whoa, between John Cho in "Star Trek," and her, I think we've filled our quota for Asian-American actors in big films for the century!
I loved the simplicity of the story and symbolism, and how they filled it with all the tools of the trade (sfx was awesome) to aggrandize its scope. The action scenes were operas of machine, metal, dust and fire, physical manifestations of the conflict that raged within the main characters, or tests of those characters to reveal their true natures. I loved the intertwined dual character stories of John Connor (JC) on a mission to save humanity (he is a voice on the radio speaking to humans isolated and living in fear, to keep faith) and Marcus Wright (possibly ref. Marcus Aurelius?) who is given a big fat sci-fi second chance to make good of his immoral past life, the hell which was his first life. He died and is reborn.
Man versus machine. Man is complex, has a drive to love, has a drive for good, has purpose. The heart is the human side. Machine is our inhuman side, the side that acts without conscience... it is absolute death itself, thriving on annihilation, and appropriately, is built as an unyielding skeleton. These machines, the dark side, have a life of their own. We have no control over them. They seem overwhelming in their power. They are the cause of the apocalypse. We are no match for them. The sides seem so unevenly matched (thanks to sfx). But because of the divinity of compassion, empathy, love, everything we associate with having heart, humanity will always win against the machines/dark side.
"If we lose what makes us human, then what's the point of preserving it?" JC barks at the military commander, who wants to act on his ripe and fortuitous chance to destroy Machine headquarters, despite all the human civilians kept imprisoned there. It criticizes war when it is total annihilation, when soldiers/nations, lose sight of its purpose or greater mission... that chaos and thrust for destruction to "win" at any cost, ultimately is self-destructive. (Click for link to an in-depth and amazing article by Noam Chomsky here). The enemy has already defeated you. Think back to the immorality of Nixon & co. flatlining mass areas with no regard for civilians in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War (in any case, in an already immoral war); Bush & co.'s campaign in Iraq and Afghanistan (also an immoral war); soldiers acting out: Japanese colonialism in South Korea and Southeast Asia, Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib...
On a lighter side, the Ducati's (see below) in this film and their movements were amazing! Made me wanna run out and get one.
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