Terminator Salvation (2009)

John Connor is supposed to be the hero of Terminator Salvation, and he’s the least interesting guy in it. Christian Bale plays him at one volume, a growl with no quiet moments, and the movie keeps cutting away to a stranger with a mystery past. That’s Sam Worthington’s Marcus, and he ends up carrying the story by accident. The whole thing is shot in washed-out gray, like the world ended and took the color settings with it. McG goes huge on the machines. A giant harvester robot scooping up survivors is a great nightmare, and motorcycle bots chasing a tow truck down a highway is legit fun. Anton Yelchin is sharp as a teen Kyle Reese who already has the haunted stare. But there’s no time travel, no chase through a normal world, and nothing for the series’ big ideas to do. Critics gave it a 33% on Rotten Tomatoes. A 4.1 because it has all the hardware and none of the heart. $4,641 says the next self-checkout machine that beeps at you gets a long, suspicious look.

What works: The machines look great, especially the giant harvester, and Anton Yelchin gives Kyle Reese real grit.

What doesn’t: John Connor is a one-note shout, the gray look gets monotonous, and the story forgets what made the series exciting.

Who it’s for: Fans who want to see the future war on screen and can live without the chase that made the first two great.