In a post-apocalyptic planet devastated by nuclear war and the subsequent fallout, John Connor returns, this time as a grown man and the leader of the human resistance against a world controlled by machines. The first of the films in the Terminator series to offer a look into the future rather than the past, Terminator Salvation follows the story of John Connor after the events of Judgment Day have already transpired. It is an action-packed and thrilling movie that explores the idea of what is human versus what is machine, and the role that technology and machinery play in the future of the human race.
The film is set in the year 2018. Previously, Skynet, a military defense computer designed to be the most technologically-advanced weapons system of its time, became self-aware and in the process identified humans as a threat and began targeting them as enemies. Using an army of robotic machines, it launched an all-out nuclear war on the planet, leaving a completely devastated earth and a small number of human survivors. Banding together to help preserve the human race and take back the planet, the survivors of Judgment Day, known as the Resistance, have been at war with the machines ever since.
Thanks to the time travel of some very well known Terminators into the past, John Connor, the most infamous of the survivors, is known as the man who will lead the resistance movement against the machines and the human race to ultimate victory. As the film’s opening credits point out, some say Connor is the key to salvation. Others say he is a false prophet. Despite what has already supposedly occurred in the future, the resistance movement is well aware that the future may not necessarily already be set in stone and they are fighting a smart and powerful enemy who is doing its very best to change the end of the story by keeping certain events, such as John’s birth and life, from ever occurring.
The film actually opens before Judgment Day ever occurs with a man named Marcus Wright, a prisoner on death row. As he awaits execution, Dr. Serena Kogan, a cancer victim, pleads with Marcus to offer up his body for her research as she desperately seeks out a cure for her disease. Although reluctant at first, as Marcus signs his body away, he holds on to the hope that though in his current life he is guilty, sometime in the future he will have a second chance to redeem his life of past mistakes and accomplish something good in the end.
Fast forward to the post-Judgment Day world. Marcus is alive and well and very confused and unaware of any of the events that have occurred in the past relating to Skynet and the rise of the machines. In his search for answers and other human life on the planet he encounters another very important player from the Resistance, Kyle Reese. Kyle’s role is extremely vital to the war on the machines, which has made him a primary target for elimination by Skynet. Kyle is John Connor’s father who meets John’s mother, Sarah Connor, when he is sent back in time. To eliminate Kyle Reese would be to eliminate John Connor, thus tipping the scales very much in Skynet’s favor.
As the machines get closer and closer to Kyle and to John himself, Marcus makes it his mission and goal to protect Kyle from Skynet. Throughout this quest Marcus eventually crosses paths with the rest of the resistance movement, which leads to an interesting and life-changing discovery for Marcus. As Marcus struggles with this new revelation about himself, his challenges with the Resistance, and his remaining desire to help protect Kyle, it becomes clear that Marcus is definitely not what you might suspect. Machines are cold and calculated, programmed to kill without hesitation, reluctance, or emotion. They eliminate targets and threats without any hint of remorse.
Ultimately Marcus discovers his heart. The human heart cannot be programmed. It cannot be expected to do one thing or another because being human in its very nature gives it the ability to choose what to do. Marcus has the ability to choose his destiny and his mission which is also the motto of the resistance movement: No Fate But What We Make.
Similar to Marcus, we as humans we have a choice in how we behave. Despite what our earthly enemy may believe about how our flesh and blood is programmed to act, we always have the choice between what is right and what is wrong. Satan attempts to use our earthly bodies against us and convince us we are programmed for evil because he, like Skynet, is a very smart and powerful enemy who is trying to change the end of the story. Yet, although it may sometimes seem like we are actually programmed for evil, a result of our human body naturally very strongly desiring things that are incredibly attractive but ultimately dangerous and sinful, we have the ability to choose. We can choose to go the other way, which at the time may not feel very natural, but is what leads to salvation.
Although the story of man versus machine in the Skynet world may not have a definite, pre-determined ending, the story of Christ versus Satan does have an ending that we as followers of Christ already know. No matter how hard he tries to use our earthly bodies and minds against us, Satan will never be able to change the facts of his defeat in the end. Our hope for salvation is, thankfully, a sure thing in Christ, whom no earthly enemy, man or machine, could ever defeat or destroy; of this we can be sure.
May 25th, 2009 at 4:28 am
I loved it. I thought it did justice to the series, and I now cannot wait for the following films
May 25th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Hey Jeremy: Great review… I think you liked the movie as much as I did… didn’t you? I, too, thought this new installment did justice to the previous films, and moved the plot in a new direction (first one set in the future), which was needed.
I have to differ with you, though, on the interpretation in your last two paragraphs - bringing Satan and Christ into the discussion: pretty sure 2018 as depicted is a godless, religionless grim future. But I respect your right to interpret it through your own worldview. I can’t wait for the next installment, and I hope the writers and directors figure out a way for us to learn more about the great new character of Marcus Wright.
May 25th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
I definitely agree with you Jack that a future dominated by Skynet and inhuman machines is a grim and religionless future. I do believe though that as long as there are humans left on the planet there will always be a search for and belief in God as I believe we as people are created to seek this relationship out no matter what the circumstances around us are.
It’s important for me personally to remember that no matter what kind of trouble we get into as a human race (i.e. creating a system of machines that ultimately declares war on us such as in this film) God is still in control of the universe I believe He created. No matter what kind of an enemy tries to fight us, God is still on the side of His children and will fight for them and will be victorious.
May 27th, 2009 at 2:25 am
I was genuinely pleased that they didn’t stuff some ridiculous sex scene into this film just for the sake of doing it. It ticks me off when filmmakers do that for effect and the scene contributes nothing to the plot. Whatever happened to good old fashioned genre films? This one followed in the footsteps of its predecessors by being just a simple, entertaining, darn good action flick. Nice.
May 29th, 2009 at 4:01 am
HE DIED… SO WE MAY LIVE.
I saw Terminator Salvation with my friends and we enjoyed the movie a lot. It was very entertaining, full of action and amazing graphics. I know it was in the sci-fi genre, but it was almost a horror film because there were many moments that caused me to jump from my seat. However, the movie also brings us deep questions about life and what it means to be human.
The primary narrative element of the movie comes from its “atmosphere”. The story is set in 2018, a post-apocalyptic world devastated by nuclear war. It brings the audience into their world – one dominated by cold, ruthless machines.
The secondary narrative elements are the “characters” of John Connor and Marcus Wright.
John is the leader of the Resistance movement that fights against the machines in order to preserve the human race. In one of the scenes John’s superior commanded him to blow up Skynet. (Skynet is the control tower of the enemy base with all the machines but also with human captives.) John refuses to sacrifice the humans as collateral damage along with the machines. John believes that valuing life is what made humans different from the machines. John is a character who brings hope to the human race. As long as he is around, people feel that things are going to be alright. Marcus, on the other hand, is a hybrid of human and machine. In the year 2003, he committed crimes that resulted in his death sentence. Later on, he was turned into a machine but he didn’t know it until later on when John revealed the fact to him. Marcus is a man struggling to find his identity. He then “chooses” to be a human and fights against the machines.
The title of this series Terminator “Salvation” and Terminator “Judgment Day” are biblical terms. It uses metaphors and symbols found in end-time narratives of the Bible. The name of John Connor (J.C.) most likely points to Jesus Christ (J.C.). Both these figures bring hope and salvation to the human race. Both of them gave their lives so that others may live.
(HollywoodJesus.com lists many more parallels between Terminator and the Gospel story).
The big question in this movie is this: what makes a person “human”? Is it a beating heart? Is it believing that you are human? Is it loving people around you? The central theme about life is that there is always a choice you can make. You can choose to resist evil, or not. You can choose to protect the people you love, or not. You can choose to be human, or not. You can choose to believe in God and receive salvation, or not. Choose your path wisely.