Summary

• Terminator: Salvation promised to bridge past and future, but failed due to disted storytelling and lack of character development.
• Despite disappointment, hope remains as future installments like Netflix's Terminator: Zero and Terminator 7 are on the horizon.
• Learning from past mistakes, future Terminator movies have a chance to focus on characters and human elements to revive the franchise.

Growing up in the 90s, I was glued to cable TV, and Terminator was one of those titles that was always around. I seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger donning his leather jacket and shades and saying the iconic phrase, “I’ll be back!” and thinking that he was the coolest guy I’ve ever seen. For years, I have been fascinated with Kyle Reese’s apocalyptic future, where John Connor was the hero of the rebellion against an army of machines. But when this mythologized future finally came to fruition in Terminator Salvation, it was a major letdown that lowered my expectations for future installments.

Salvation had all the makings of a perfect Terminator movie. It had a strong cast, a highly anticipated premise, and a chance to explore new stories within this world that was already loved by many. The marketing angled it to be the definitive look into John Connor’s dark future. Unfortunately, Terminator: Salvation was a major disappointment, missing the mark on multiple fronts and leaving me yearning for what could have been.

Terminator: Salvation Is The Terminator Movie I’ve Always Wanted To See

Salvation's Potential Bridge Between The Past And The Future

My true love for the franchise began when my grandma allowed me to watch Terminator 2: Judgment Day on HBO, and I have been hooked ever since. I used to pretend I was young John Connor riding on the back of a motorcycle with my personal T-800. When Terminator Salvation was announced, I was ecstatic at the promise of seeing John Connor, portrayed by Christian Bale, in his prime as the leader of the resistance. This movie was supposed to bridge the gap between the glimpses of the apocalyptic future and the full-scale battles hinted at throughout the series.

The trailers showcased a bleak, war-torn world set post-Judgment Day, a stark contrast from the previous films, which are all set in relatively present times. Sarah Connor and crew's main mission was to prevent this future from becoming a reality. This is the future that all previous films were building up to: the climactic and prophesied war between man and machine, with John Connor leading the fight.

What Went Wrong With Terminator: Salvation

On Salvation's Lacking Of Depth And Structure

Despite the amazing premise and strong cast, Salvation fell short with the execution. One of the main gripes I have with this movie is the vastly disted storytelling. The film struggled to find a cohesive narrative, bouncing between different plot points without allowing enough time to develop them. Even with the promising cast, the film made it difficult to connect with the characters or become fully invested in their struggles. John Connor as the central figure of Salvation's resistance, was reduced to a secondary character, overshadowed by Marcus, a new character introduced in the franchise.

Without having a definitive villain like the previous films, Skynet was just some faceless entity deploying droves of faceless machines for the heroes to survive against.

Character development was another significant issue. Christian Bale's intense portrayal of John Connor lacked the depth and nuance needed to make the character truly compelling. John was too overpowering at times, and I never felt like he was in any real danger. Meanwhile, the other characters just seemed like mere plot devices. Another flaw was the lack of a strong villain in Skynet. Without having a definitive villain like the previous films, Skynet was just some faceless entity deploying droves of faceless machines for the heroes to survive against.

I Hope Terminator Visits John Connor’s Future Again

How Future Installments Can Put The Franchise Back On Track

Despite the disappointment of Terminator Salvation, I still hold out hope that the franchise will one day revisit John Connor's future in a way that does justice to its legacy. Ever since the failure of Salvation, the franchise has been on a downward spiral with reboots and overly convoluted timelines. However, with the release of Terminator 7, the future looks very promising.

It’s been a while since I have been excited about a new Terminator installment, and these future titles have the potential to explore more within this world and even possibly correct some of the series’ previous mistakes. If these titles could give the story time to develop the characters, capturing the emotional and physical toll of war, they would be miles ahead of some of the previous attempts. By focusing on the more human elements of this story, Terminator 7 and Zero could capture the essence of what made the original Terminator films so impactful.

As the Terminator franchise continues to evolve, there is still a chance to revisit this captivating storyline in a way that honors its legacy and completes the story dreamed up by my inner child. By learning from the missteps of Terminator Salvation and embracing a more focused and character-driven approach, future installments could finally bring the epic saga of John Connor and the human resistance to life in a manner that is worthy of the fabled war between man and machine.