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Everything Action Commentary: Terminator: Salvation (2009)
39 Plays7 months ago
For the latest Everything Action Commentary, Zach and Chris head to the battlefields of the future with Terminator: Salvation, which celebrated its 15th anniversary this month.
Starring Christian Bale as John Connor and Sam Worthington as Marcus Wright, the movie took place in the far-off future of 2018 and followed Skynet's latest attempt to destroy the human resistance battling them for the fate of humanity. Anton Yelchin played a young Kyle Reese and Bryce Dallas Howard, Moon Bloodgood, Helena Bonham Carter, Common, and Michael Ironside co-star. While watching the movie, the guys talk about Sam Worthington's fluctuating accent, Skynet's complete lack of control of their new "infiltrator" unit, the variety of deadly machines on display, Christian Bale's intense performance, fake Arnold, and more.
Stream Terminator: Salvation on Max or rent or buy it from other digital services, like Amazon.
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Transcript
Introduction and Context
00:00:29
Speaker
Hello and welcome to another Every Action Commentaries or commentary for May 2024. I'm your host Zach. I'm your co-host Chris. Yeah this month we are celebrating the 15th anniversary of Terminator Salvation which came out May 21st 2009.
00:00:47
Speaker
I mean, it's the 40th anniversary of the original Terminator, but we're watching Terminator Salvation.
Narrative and Character Analysis
00:00:59
Speaker
Which I think compared to where the Terminator series has gone, post-Salvation is definitely one of the better entries in the franchise compared to Genesis and stuff like that. Salvation wasn't
00:01:16
Speaker
what people thought it was going to be. But in terms of like a functional story that you can't find flaws with like time loop logics, this is pretty straightforward of what like it's trying to achieve. And then, um, yeah, dark, dark fate was okay, but still not great. It's definitely better than Genesis.
00:01:44
Speaker
Yeah, well, see, Genesis, I kind of like just for them playing around with the time loops and alternate reality, alternate futures. And then Dark Faith does that again, but it tries like, unlike Genesis, where, you know, when he needs to establish the villain and you're fine, Dark Fate had established the new character, the new heroes and the new villain. So it was like too much at once.
00:02:12
Speaker
But this straightforward. Yep. It's every thing you you've kind of recognized. They want to use a new character, like one real new character. Yeah. Everything like this didn't necessarily had to be a John Connor movie. This could have been another resistant fighter guy. And I think that would have worked, too. But that like that movie is just for more dedicated Terminator fans. And it is a let's see this saga of the John Connor family like the Connors.
00:02:45
Speaker
Yeah. And it's, it's, it's sort of where like people want to see where it was like a movie set entirely in like the future and like the future war, but then it also, but then it doesn't have like James Cameron's cool, like purple lasers and stuff going on. Like it's, it's more like a more traditional, like, uh, weaponry. They always had like the crazy, you know, like pickup trucks with laser guns in the back and like the a hundred killer drones that we saw in like terminator two, but.
00:03:09
Speaker
A lot of cool new Terminator designs and some cool stuff we'll get it to. So we're watching it on Macs. So if you're watching on Macs, there's like the HBO presentation logo that comes up. Pause it right after that. It should be like seven, eight seconds in.
Continuity and Franchise Evolution
00:03:28
Speaker
Or if you're watching on DVD, your Blueroy, or however, whatever other way you're watching it, just pause it right before DB Quarter Brothers logo comes up.
00:03:36
Speaker
And if you want to pause and get that all situated, then press play and then we'll get started here. All right. So five, four, three, two, one, play.
00:04:18
Speaker
Yeah. So I think, um, the halcyon company like went out, like went bankrupt and that like killed like any sort of like new, um, cause this was supposed to be like a new trilogy of like future war movies. And then the company, the company got back up and then like, so like the rates got sold to Anna Perna and then that they're like, we're going to make sure we should Genesis rocket continue this movie franchise. Oh yeah. He made this. Yeah. Like probably probably his best movie.
00:04:50
Speaker
We'll see. We'll see how time tells. Maybe he's got one more. This is right after the movie he made before this was We Are Marshall. That is weird that he made We Are Marshall, then he did this. Oh, he did the babysitter too. The babysitter movies are pretty good. Yeah, but that's like a comedy. This is not a comedy. Yeah.
00:05:22
Speaker
So if you know anything about HTML code, these, these are just like random symbols they're putting in. And then just like some of those are comments. So they are, they're not in it.
00:06:07
Speaker
So this is the future that Terminator 3 didn't happen, right? Well, Terminator 3, like, or was it, because Terminator 3 was 2003. So is this like concurrent with like, because like they delayed, they delayed Judgement Day for Terminator 3. No, they didn't. It still happened.
00:06:32
Speaker
Well, it didn't happen when the Sera thought it was going to happen, but it happened later because of Tremere 2. That was the whole conceited Tremere 3. But yeah, this was supposed to be happening right when Tremere 3 is happening.
00:06:47
Speaker
So during this, it's like on the news report. Yeah. What's going on in like New Mexico that that there's like this like supermodel. It's like right around kickling everybody. Yeah. And just in L.A., this like woman in leather and a convertible.
00:07:22
Speaker
So here's a guy that was going to death row for being in a botch bank robbery. This is a little harsh. Well, I mean, if there's death involved. Yeah. You get it. And, you know, you get like the maximum from that.
00:07:57
Speaker
You know what's weird? This isn't Cyberdyne, but I don't think Cyberdyne, like because of Terminator 2 they destroyed Cyberdyne, because like in Terminator 3 it was cyber, it was like cyber research systems.
Cinematic Techniques and Aesthetics
00:08:06
Speaker
It wasn't Cyberdyne. See what I mean? This is the weird, where does this fall in? Unless Cyberdyne like still survived as another. It became like a genetics company, not like a technology company. Robotics company, yeah.
00:08:26
Speaker
I do like that every Hollywood version of the lethal injection keeps changing how the straps always work in this, this version. It's a crucifix like machine. Why did, why did like this room seems like it's the eighties, like the, it's supposed to be 2003. Everyone looks like they're in the eighties.
00:08:54
Speaker
I mean, I'm sure it's like Texas, it's like the prison system. They're not updating their systems at all. I think he wakes up on Pandora.
00:09:24
Speaker
Anyway, we're going to recap Terminator 3. Or maybe this is the same time as to say our Connor Chronicles. Oh, I never saw that. I've seen bits and pieces. It seems good, like in outline form.
00:09:50
Speaker
And they just left on a cliffhanger since they didn't know what to do. And they weren't sure about that. So they said this nine years in the future of when the movie came out. Because this is 2018. I kind of forgot that. It was a 2018 incident.
00:10:40
Speaker
I do love the mixed use of just whatever they had on hand leftover in humanity's arsenal. Like they're still using, uh, like tiger airplanes, like, like war hogs and like, yeah, yeah. War hogs, I guess. Did you ever play the video game that this, that was a prequel to this? I don't know. I didn't, I didn't play the salvation video game.
00:11:09
Speaker
Yeah, I played it. I rented it from Blockbuster. And it's weird because he does like a crazy thing that you think like, okay, that makes him the leader of the resistance. But it's like, nah, he becomes just like a lieutenant still. Speaking of like, speaking of terminology games, like, terminology resistance is actually really good if it's not played that.
00:11:39
Speaker
Like the same team that made the Robocop game, which is also incredible. Well, that was one of the few games where you get to play is the future war error, which again, like I want to see more of this world.
00:12:07
Speaker
Yeah, this is the year after Dark Knight for Christian Bale.
Christian Bale's Influence
00:12:11
Speaker
So he was like, he was like peak, it was like peak, peak Christian Bale popularity. I kind of forgot that that was right after that. Also famous for the Christian Bale freak out. Yep. I wonder what scene was he doing that? And then he just had that freak out. I think, I think it was one of the ones in like the human base, like when like the resistance base maybe or something.
00:12:45
Speaker
Because he was so locked into being John Connor. Why do they have zombies?
00:13:17
Speaker
He's in the source code. I'm hacking the internets, all of them.
00:14:02
Speaker
Again, so weird that basically in the video game, he he's getting barked at. Because they don't think he's like he's not like fully like the leader. No, he's like he's like an officer or something. But I'm like a lot of people are just like and then there's like the whole thing where like people some of the people don't believe that he knows the future or that you know, there's the whole like time travel thing.
00:14:37
Speaker
I also like that that's Terra Cruz's one cameo in this thing. What robot do they send here that basically like strategically left the dead body there? Like a stabby robot?
00:15:06
Speaker
I mean, it's called due to the Modern Warfare 2. Modern Warfare 2. Well, Modern Warfare 1 also had a scene like this. Yeah. Oh, yeah. What was the one where you actually, like, you were like the guy in, like, you got killed by the Duke? Yep. So they definitely, McG was just like, I want that scene. Yeah. But I wanted low stakes.
00:15:36
Speaker
How about a nuke, but like, he doesn't kill anybody. Or just a kill, physical jackpotter.
00:16:09
Speaker
Is that the same one he shot in the head?
Plot and Character Dynamics
00:16:13
Speaker
Or just like a bunch of slick ones like lying around? I like how the Terminator roars.
00:17:26
Speaker
Oh man he disappeared.
00:18:04
Speaker
And Sam, why aren't you going full shosh and redemption? You get the crawl through like 10 miles of shit or whatever.
00:18:51
Speaker
Sam Overton would have been a fun Batman. He's got a good Bruce Wayne look. Was this the same year as Avatar? I think it was. Yeah, he had this in Avatar, like in 2009. It was a pack year in 2009.
00:19:17
Speaker
I thought Dark Knight was 2008. Yeah, Dark Knight was 2008, and then this was 2009. Oh, I gotcha. So yeah, it was like the year after for Christian Balblin. Yeah, it was the same year as Avatar, same year we did. And then Clash of Titans, the year after.
00:19:44
Speaker
writing on that, uh, the avatar, like 3d revival. Cause it was like, it was like, I think it kind of tightens in like, uh, Alison wonderland both got huge bumps from being like 3d. Cause everyone's like, I need more 3d from avatar. I'm surprised they didn't try to do this at 3d. And then there was nothing to do in 3d. They did it here. Yeah.
00:20:20
Speaker
You know the green screen technology here deny age well, it's it's a very obvious. They're just in a like a green screen room
00:21:18
Speaker
How did he get in the sub without them surfacing? Did he crawl through like a missile bay? Yeah.
Franchise Themes and Time Travel
00:21:29
Speaker
Also, I wish they had made McLaren's side like Sam Fisher.
00:21:52
Speaker
I think they actually like that list idea for like a list is like in, I don't know if it's in the other movies, but I think Terminator resistance, the game has like the list again. Really? They were like reference it. Yeah. Well, the list was also in Terminator three. Cause that was where the other robot was killing other resistant people. If they couldn't get to Connor, they would lower like other people. So high officials on the resistance team, it was a smart move on their end.
00:22:23
Speaker
So it's not just like, not just Connor, but then the thing was, okay, so there's no Connor, the humanity is still going to find like a leader. Yeah. I guess this is the, yeah, this whole thing with dark fate too is like, cause they killed John in like the alternate like timeline. And then like that the girl was like, it was going to be the new leader.
00:22:52
Speaker
But then Dark Faith now is also its own universe that will not be connected to nothing. We're back Sam Warrington. Yeah, it's like all three of these movies, like this one and the next two are like, it's going to be a start of a new trilogy. And it's like, they fail horribly. And it's like, well, we're not doing that anymore. This is a trilogy of movies where it's just a trilogy of one offs. Yep.
00:23:19
Speaker
So it's more a anthology, like a non-connecting anthology of these movies. I do like that they got her back to come back to just record that. Yeah, this is like a new tape. They didn't just use the audio from the original Terminator. Well, you know, she probably recorded a crapload on her journal.
00:23:49
Speaker
Yeah, since she did this for like, I'm gonna say like 13 years. I do like that he basically has to do a reverse back to the future of trying to get Kyle and then send him back to the past so he can be born. Yeah.
00:24:56
Speaker
You just figured that out. Oh, man. You should really check out that new Fallout TV show. Yeah.
00:25:13
Speaker
Ellie looks about the same. Same amount of smog. Same amount of smog, yeah. Who makes, like, a gacy clown company?
Terminator Design and Logic
00:25:29
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Is that just like a nod to Mickey or something? I don't understand that. I like the prototype T-18. Like, whatever. This is like a T-500.
00:25:43
Speaker
Yeah. Or T600. Like, uh, I guess from the distance you think it's a human. Though he has to wear shoes. Like, why give the Terminator shoes? Yeah.
00:26:19
Speaker
He said the thing. Yeah, I think this is also a huge year for Anton Yelchin too, because he was in Star Trek and this year.
00:26:43
Speaker
The problem with this Terminator though, it looks very puppeteer human instead of a robot. It's obviously a man in a skull mask.
00:28:01
Speaker
Oh, he said the thing too.
00:28:13
Speaker
you
00:29:47
Speaker
I do like these moments where you see the technology, the everyday things they do, the weird robots that they made. Why would the Skynet want to make a robotic snake? Yeah.
00:30:25
Speaker
When did the Transformers movie come out? So this also feels like a very like a Transformer. Oh, Transformers came out in 2006. Yeah. So they definitely took influence from that. Because that snake thing is definitely very like, you know. Scorpion. Yeah, or just the jagged metal.
00:31:33
Speaker
Wow, he's a genius. Rope.
00:32:56
Speaker
It's just like like totally like just lose his accent. Yeah, he regained his accent that moment Sometimes he has an accent sometimes he doesn't he's supposed to like a Texas bag robber, right? But yeah, he's wet. He's wet full Australian in that like last couple lines. I Just this radio work might
00:33:52
Speaker
So I put on subtitles for the max version. Sam Warrington's character is Connor. So when he talks, it says Connor.
Action and Merchandising
00:34:07
Speaker
Or is it just screwing up and saying like, cause it's like John Connor's talking right now. No. Cause he's Marcus. I know. That's what I'm like confused. I was like, wow.
00:34:37
Speaker
I got to be his mom. I got to bang his mom. I got to show my junk pile tactics.
00:36:14
Speaker
This is his car.
00:37:04
Speaker
I never understood how she has a sixth sense. She's a techno psychic. It wasn't a fan of Alice in Chains. Pearl Jam is better.
00:38:22
Speaker
That's one powerful tire iron.
00:38:53
Speaker
Is this supposed to be the same gas station that Sarah Connor goes to at the end of Terminator? I thought that was Mexico. Was that Mexico? Or was that like... Yeah. Or was she on her way to Mexico and leaving Los Angeles? Maybe. I don't know. Is it subtle or not? I don't know. I honestly can't remember the details. I don't know if this is 7-11.
00:39:42
Speaker
And if it is, that's a deep cup from McGee.
00:40:22
Speaker
It's a slurpies.
00:41:25
Speaker
I'm her sixth sense is literally like yeah Yeah, why did these see this running around everywhere?
00:41:49
Speaker
Yeah, this giant robot snuck up on them
00:42:20
Speaker
And it also makes, like, really loud noises every few seconds. So... How did this thing just quietly walk up here? I was in stealth mode! It's like a Sentinel, it's like... Yeah, it's basically collecting mutants.
00:44:21
Speaker
Well, that pretty much wiped out all that group. Do we even see that old lady again? I don't think so.
00:44:50
Speaker
i can't remember if there was a toy line based on this i mean there had to have been this is all yeah like i think i forget who said it like it was like uh toyetic it's like
00:45:22
Speaker
Oh my God, there was a line of toys. Not just models, like there was a lot of toys, more than you think.
00:45:55
Speaker
See, unlike other Terminator movies, this is still enthralling. It's not the same old killer robot. It's just a whole bunch of killer robots. All the different designs are cool in this one. You can see all these crazy different Terminator models.
00:46:14
Speaker
It's not just an unsophable liquid pot. This is the fun, like the Skynet is still trying to be like a fair fight in Terminator. I also realized they're using another truck, but it's like, this is like a future like Mad Max truck.
00:46:47
Speaker
And they did that in Terminator 3. And some people liked it, some people hated it.
Editing and Societal Dynamics
00:46:54
Speaker
But I think this one does it okay.
00:47:17
Speaker
Stupid luck.
00:47:50
Speaker
He's going full berserker. He saw that move from Rain of Fire. That wasn't even Christian Bale, that was Matthew Gaudet. If you can hack into a Terminator skin with an axe,
00:48:23
Speaker
They need some better, like, armor. But that was just, like, tin. Yeah, yeah. It's like, there's, like, rusted tin for, like, the armor.
00:49:22
Speaker
Here we go.
00:50:05
Speaker
Wait, I didn't realize it just fades to black like a TV show there. We'll be right back to Terminator Salvation. Word from our sponsors. Kind of a rough cut. I could have transitioned that better.
00:50:36
Speaker
Meanwhile, back in Mad Max for Rosa.
00:51:20
Speaker
What was her plan? Yeah. It's sad, I guess. I guess it wasn't that far, but... It looked further off, right? It looked way more of a draw. Yeah.
00:52:25
Speaker
Thank you.
00:52:54
Speaker
They're gonna eat us! You guys all saw the Matrix, right? They can turn us into batteries. Yeah, Kairi should be the Resistance Leader.
00:54:25
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah.
00:54:52
Speaker
I do like that in the post-apocalyptic future, there's still his like weird rednecks.
00:55:23
Speaker
Must terminate.
00:56:19
Speaker
So this becomes like a date movie? Like a meet-cute? I really like how to beat those guys up. I guess she had time to shampoo her hair. She does not look like she was in a rain fight maybe a half hour ago. And like ejected from a fire plane.
00:56:49
Speaker
Yep.
Rating Impact and Plot Twists
00:57:19
Speaker
I see you. I've only, only, uh, inserted hair into other hair before. I don't know how that works. So yes. So where's your hair tentacles?
00:58:31
Speaker
I'd like that the binoculars are battery-powered. Yeah, they're like infrared binoculars or something. But they're LED-screened. Plus that music common. Common should have had a song for the Terminator Salvation soundtrack.
00:59:45
Speaker
And it's affirmative. The signal works. Good. Attachments in four at 0400.
01:00:16
Speaker
Hello, and welcome to Fire Festival. Everyone enjoy your complimentary camping? Are you ready for three days of partying on the island? Mm-hmm. Man, I wish it's kind of made like bureaucrat terminators. It's like, what is your name?
01:00:53
Speaker
It is weird that this movie is PG-13. I feel like if this was an R, this would have been a way more intense movie. Well, there was like an unrated cut, right, or something? Was there? I think so. I think that was like the stylist's time. Oh, yeah, there's an R-rated director's cut.
01:01:45
Speaker
you
01:02:52
Speaker
We've got a crash out of here.
01:03:25
Speaker
Wasn't that the big twist in the trailer, too? Like, they kind of revealed this? I feel like, did they? Yeah. I mean, that would be like a tradition of, like, Terminator, because the Terminator 2 trailer revealed that Arnold's the good guy that time. But then that movie tries to play it off as, like, a reveal. Those graphics did not age well.
01:03:56
Speaker
I mean, this is practical. Not all of it. Yeah, I mean, yeah, it's like, someone's practical. His skin is practical. But yeah, at least if you see this on, it looks very like, just CG graphic in.
01:04:57
Speaker
man yes it's important to just like everyone's every he's like lets it slip and he's goes full australian
01:06:31
Speaker
It's like, wait, wait, how do you know? It's like, it's happened to me once before I fell in love with a machine. Like, who are those people on the top? Yeah.
01:07:28
Speaker
You should worry.
01:08:33
Speaker
Probably less over-the-top way I do that. Yep. That's like a crumboo laborer. I gotta do this the coolest way possible.
01:09:27
Speaker
I'm surprised this movie isn't called like Terminator like. Enemy unknown or. Enemy within. Yeah, like. The salvation part, I understand what they're trying to do, but it's so miniscule. She gets salvation, he gets salvation, John Connor gets salvation.
01:09:56
Speaker
Cal, Reece gets elevation.
01:11:44
Speaker
You know, for Blair to just portray the resistance is very weird. It's like she felt she fell in love with a guy to risk her life. Mm hmm. And then like they're they're instead just like blow her up with a missile. This should be like a code word where it's like, oh, she she found she got Romeo'd the third time.
01:12:14
Speaker
Someone fell in love with the Terminator machine.
01:12:55
Speaker
It's like, yeah, it's like Samba was like, beat up like three dudes and it's just like, she's like, I will, I will like give my life for you now. Like. Die betraying all my friends in their own base. I will betray like the man who we think is like the savior of humanity.
01:13:35
Speaker
It's weird that they share the same coat size. He's wearing her jacket. Yeah. How is that possible?
01:14:23
Speaker
I like that, like, now they're revealing his terminators, like, blasting him with bullets. Like, he's just constantly getting hit now.
01:15:24
Speaker
Oh, yeah, we forgot about this, like hydro snakes. Yeah, maybe. Maybe if you know that these exist, don't be near so much bodies of water.
01:16:14
Speaker
Why is there a pit of hydro snakes so close to their base? This is a pond or is this a river? Are they just like every water supply now? Like, there's just like, like robots, like terminator snakes in there now. Well, robots don't need water. So it makes sense to like, anytime it sees just a pool of water dump a hydro snake in it. Get out of the water, maybe.
01:16:47
Speaker
Sam Warventon is really getting back in the Australian wrangling.
01:17:16
Speaker
That probably could be better. It's like facial makeup, yeah. Somehow it looks worse than TQ.
01:18:16
Speaker
Rachel!
Music and Factory Depictions
01:18:25
Speaker
Good for you!
01:18:52
Speaker
I think I'll show you guys. That was easy. I know forgiveness. Didn't you shoot like one of the team snipers? Shoot them or do it like yeah.
01:19:21
Speaker
Because Marcus used his hand as a distraction and then she was going to find out where the sniper was.
01:20:37
Speaker
You are no longer a part of this.
01:20:38
Speaker
He's like this is like his like like hired at radio. Well like he's like doing super fast this time It's like oh, I don't give a shit over the time do this like You know resistance blah blah blah, whatever
01:21:32
Speaker
He's like a cult guy now, right? Like, cause he's got pockets of people who follow him. They're not the whole group, not the whole world, I guess. Yeah. Cause some people, some people will like believe that he's yeah, he's like, like the tight travel and like, he's the same humanity that other people are just like, like, here's a fucking soldier. You know, he's been right like five out of five times about the future. Mm-hmm.
01:22:03
Speaker
Ah! Ah! Oh! He will, but not the way you think he's gonna be. It also is a fan of Guns N' Roses. Tore off that radio, damn kids!
01:22:39
Speaker
Oh, I don't think I ever realized that that's like the Terminator 2, like that's the Rosasog. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I didn't know that either, but first of all, it was in theaters. That's something I had to look up later.
01:23:07
Speaker
So why would the terminators put like handlebars on their motorcycle terminator? I don't know. They want other terminators to ride it sometimes? Yeah. It's supposed to be that it's sentient, but then it's also rideable. Mm-hmm. And then also use gas? Yeah, why would you put like an accel, like if it can accelerate itself, why would you put like an accelerator on it?
01:23:36
Speaker
Because I feel like computers use interfaces with each other, so you don't need to have an actual button interface. Sam Warrington is sad. He's like, oh, shit, I am a machine. Now we're in Blade Runner. Yeah. Why do they need lights? Why does this tower need? Robots don't need light sometimes. Like, they don't need a C.
01:24:06
Speaker
They purposely designed that factory to be like this like kind of powerful figure, but who are they impressing? Cause they're not forcing the humans to like do labor for them. Right. Like they said it was like locked up in cages.
01:24:39
Speaker
I feel like this is gonna be like another day of him hiking in there. He's not close.
01:25:31
Speaker
Oh my god, this is an insane interface. They couldn't have a Windows. They had to do everything in like molecule forms.
01:26:07
Speaker
It's like the Jurassic Park operating system. Yeah, the weird Linux. Yeah.
01:26:56
Speaker
I do like the practical sets of this future thing. This factory. There's a grit to it that just looks good. And they're keeping out more. And they're keeping John's hacking skills from Terminator 2. I kind of forgot he was a hacker. The easy money. Which he doesn't use here. Imagine if Christian Bale was just like, easy money.
01:27:40
Speaker
you
01:28:15
Speaker
Wait, that hacking was just like a mini game where you just move a box.
01:30:14
Speaker
Is it, is it really like a, like a, like a programming thing? Like, I just feel like a dumb locked, right? Yeah. And then he still has free will because it's still, it's just a weird plan of theirs. They should have just made like a real program or something like that. Like, like he, like Marcus should have been second. He sees like Kyle Reese or like John Connor. He should just like, it's like switched like a terminator mode. Just be like, kill them. Like, yeah. Yeah. Instead of just hanging out, falling love Blair Williams. Yeah.
01:31:14
Speaker
So the trick the signal is actually like a homing signal
01:31:46
Speaker
But like Marcus didn't have anything to do with the signal though. So that was like a whole separate like site at plan. Which was better. Yeah. It was just like simple and then not trying to grab a 20 year old dead body.
01:32:36
Speaker
So I think this was like a good surprise when this happened. Yeah. See, if they really have an Infiltrator unit, this guy, why not just send this instead of Kyle and Marcus?
01:33:05
Speaker
Yeah, the whole the whole Marcus plan where it's like he has there's no like over like he has no override like yet Yeah, it's like he's fully on board with like the humans. But then like it's just like We see you to be a charming Australian man and like like make friends with everybody You did and now good job. Yeah, and now we kill them all. Yeah
01:33:36
Speaker
like they have like no like overrides or anything like they can just like he can just do this and they can't stop him. He knows where to grab the chip.
01:34:01
Speaker
I saw this in an Apple commercial. Yeah, but it's like, yeah, like no kill switch, no like programming, like running it like that, like is like controlling him. Like he has full, his full, like human, like emotions and it's how emotions freewill. Yeah. The power of a terminator. Yeah. Great, great, great plants.
01:34:59
Speaker
What was Skynet doing with the bodies, like scanning their brains? Were they turning them, also turning them into like Sam Warrington's? But they could have done that with anyone, right? Like any body they captured. But why did they keep Sam Warrington? Yeah, a guy from like 15 years ago.
01:35:24
Speaker
Who's gonna be, like, very, like, unaware of how to survive, but apparently Sam- They got lucky that Sam Warrington can survive, like, this area. Yeah. Oh. I don't understand why. Now we know, like, the Arnold cameo's over. Yep.
01:36:37
Speaker
So many more sequels we can do.
Climax and Ending
01:36:39
Speaker
Yeah.
01:37:07
Speaker
Thank you.
01:38:01
Speaker
They're trying to make a T2 homage where it's like, it's another factory. I like it. It's got enough theming. There's certain aspects where, if you've been watching the series, you could see this.
01:38:19
Speaker
like kind of have the same themes but yeah like it's just like they had all the pieces they just didn't put in the right order but this is a coherent movie just the one thing that falls apart is Skynet's plan for having Marcus who they could not just control
01:38:44
Speaker
like if they could they couldn't wait like a another week because it seems like it that's how long it took for them to build these t800s you couldn't you couldn't put like a uh like odd off switch in his brain
01:39:22
Speaker
Same Warminton had to keep trying on resistant members clothing till he found one that fit him. I need a woman's medium.
01:40:08
Speaker
I'm going to show you how we do things in Australia. Australia, Texas.
01:41:00
Speaker
terminated.
01:41:32
Speaker
Why is common wearing sunglasses? Is that he look cool?
01:42:30
Speaker
Haha, trick you.
01:43:14
Speaker
You wanna know I got these scars?
01:43:32
Speaker
It is cool that those are the same scars that the other John Connor gets. Yeah.
01:44:08
Speaker
That's medical training. Just streaming. Come on. Every now and then we'll work. Fatality.
01:44:44
Speaker
Let's say we're in his turn. Come on! Come on! That's like a bolt through the heart. I don't know how he's not dead. Yeah. It's at least like his lung.
01:46:01
Speaker
Call the personal team.
01:46:09
Speaker
I feel like you just set off a nuclear bomb, you shouldn't be hovering over it. Yeah. At least wait until you're not in the blast area. Some open air surgery.
01:47:19
Speaker
And you heard about the alternate ending to this, right? I don't think so. It's crazy. One version of the movie had Marcus become John Connor. Like essentially John Connor dies and then Marcus takes up the mantle of John Connor.
01:47:49
Speaker
Because people don't know what Johnny Connor looks like, but it's more about his courage. Everyone follows. So Marcus could essentially adapt that persona. But yeah, they kind of like wrote that, write yourself into a corner.
01:48:17
Speaker
Oh, you're like all the wrong blood type. You just can't clear your heart. Yeah. Your blood type is oil. I mean, do you even need a heart for him?
01:48:46
Speaker
I mean, yeah. Could they bring up some sort of like power supply? I mean, he's a robot. Like an Iron Man power box. Yeah. Don't throw in those power cells, like those terminator power cells, throw that in there.
01:49:18
Speaker
I mean, I get his salvation. He does the right thing in the end anyway.
01:49:58
Speaker
Just like he says, promise me I won't be in some other shitty terminator thing. Use my heart well.
Franchise Future and Conclusion
01:50:04
Speaker
It should have been like the Crank 2 situation, where now John Connor's just like supercharged. I got trimming to heart now. See you in the sequels.
01:50:36
Speaker
Oh, this was like a memorial to Stan Winston. All right. Any closing thoughts? Anything you want to review about?
01:51:02
Speaker
Oh it's like I definitely like this is like if you're looking at the like the overall like Terminator series like I mean it's not as good as like one or two but like it's one of the better ones I think. Yeah it's lower than it's definitely on the top it's like number three. Would you put this above three?
01:51:27
Speaker
Because I think I might put this about three, possibly. I'm not sure. I haven't seen three in like forever, too. I like the idea of three. I don't like how I was executed. And it's goofier than the rest. So I just wish if three was more serious, I think I would have been my favorite. Like it would have been like a true trilogy of one, two and three. But yeah, I'm gonna say this is higher than three.
01:51:52
Speaker
Well, at least one, two and three in this, it tells a story, like a complete story. I just wish it was better connected. Like nowadays, if you had to make a Terminator franchise or I mean, hopefully if they ever do a giant, giant reboot, they would know that people like connected movies tonally and.
01:52:18
Speaker
Yeah, actor-wise, you could swap out actors. I'm not a- I have no problem having different actors. I just want the story to make sense. Well, hopefully the anime show is good. Which I think is an anthology show. Or it's about the Terminator chasing down someone else about the Resistance. The comics do a really good job. The comics are, I think, the only secret good series
01:52:48
Speaker
that I think fans would enjoy more. And as a kid, I browse through a few issues, and they're fun. And then even now, when Dark Horse released a few tournament or things, when they have the license temporarily, their tournament stories were fun. They were just like a what if, all these other things where a tournament came back to stop some other resistant people.
01:53:14
Speaker
And, you know, the core story is there. It doesn't have to be the Connors. There doesn't always have to be a John Connor Sarah Connor thing. Yeah. Because I think the anime show is going to be like a different a different soldier who said like a time to pick like a different like a scientist or something. So I'm fine with that. I'm fine with the idea of Terminator's, but it doesn't have to be in that, you know, main characters that have been following. Kind of like Star Wars branching out and doing its own things within the world.
01:53:46
Speaker
So Terminator's definitely could do that, a Terminator series. Wait, this was also Lucasfilm's help make this? Wow. I guess, yeah. Yeah, I think Terminator Survivors is coming out this year too, like the like open world. I don't know if it's like a sequel to Terminator Resistance, but it's Nacon, it's the same company.
01:54:16
Speaker
Who's the first person shooting? I think it's a first person survival, like open world game. Oh, great. I have to imagine how much crafting you have to be doing. Yeah, I think it's co-op. You have to build a base. You go with fellow resistance people and fight terminators. You have to also get other supplies to build your base. Good. It's basically Fallout.
01:54:46
Speaker
Final 76 with Terminator. You know, I like the casting of this. I just feel like some of the plot driven points are kind of weak, especially when Blair is just like, I love this man and I will try to I will die for him. Yeah, that that's weird. And it's like terrible plan that like
01:55:13
Speaker
What even was their goal? They thought this charming Australian man would lure Kyle Reese and John Connor back to Skydive HQ. They honeypotted them, basically.
01:55:25
Speaker
But here's another insane thing. They tell him upsetting news and Skynet just has no awareness that what they're telling this guy is not, he's on board. Like you can obviously just read his body language and be like, oh, we should stop talking. Like if they never told him the truth, I think he would have been fine, right? If Skynet never had that moment with a talking head to explain what the whole plot was.
01:55:56
Speaker
And then like us, we're just like mad at that. It's like, that's your plan. Yeah. I mean, definitely should definitely should have had like, you know, it's like he gets over, like his humanity is overwritten by like the, like the Skynet programming and then he's like trying to kill them all. But then his humanity like overrides that. And he's like, I'm, I'm, I'm human. Like my human side one, because I'm more human than the machine or whatever. Yeah. Yeah. But you know who did that too? Terminator three.
01:56:25
Speaker
Like the Terminator's original programming kicks in and then the Terminator, you know, the, the, the humanity side that, that Terminator learned overrides the override and then he's able to come back from it. I think maybe they said, okay, let's not do that again.
01:56:42
Speaker
But you see, that's like another common theme of these movies is like, oh, the Terminator learned. But this one didn't have a, he had a human brain and emotions that like, oh, you should deprogram that. You probably shouldn't let him keep his real brain or something. Yeah. With those safeguards, no like nefarious programming, nothing. It's like, yeah, he can just like be himself.
01:57:10
Speaker
Also they kept his body in refrigeration for years and with like a normal human heart and brain. And he was the best choice like for like all of the, like the 15 years, like it's just like, there's no, there's no one else. So that could be like an infiltration unit. There's like, yeah, this, this, this Texas bank robber, he's the, he's the best, uh, infiltrator.
01:57:40
Speaker
And it's not like they were kidnapping people all the time and they could have just grabbed another resistance member and done this to them, too. Yeah. Yeah, there definitely is like bits and pieces they could have done better, but I think overall, it's not bad. I know it didn't do amazing in the movie series, like in the blockbusters, but
01:58:10
Speaker
Well, I mean, usually I still think about the movie. Yeah, it did. It was like like Dark Phase, like one of the biggest bombs of all time. So I think it's this. Yeah. The housing company, that's the biggest issue. They went bankrupt. They were like the main like construction company on it. So then, you know, the rights went to the different like Anna Purda and said. Do they finally have it or they get about two? I think is it was it like James Cameron got the rights back? So now he's like he holds the rights to the Terminator again.
01:58:39
Speaker
And so he just sits on it. Cause that was the whole, that was the whole thing with like dark fate. I think was like, that was like the first one where it's like, Oh, James Cameron is like, uh, has the right style again. But then he also spent like one hour of production time on it. And then it was just like someone else did it. It was, I think it was, I think you just like, it was like based on it, like you gave them like a, like a bare bones, like a story idea, like, Hey, what if you did this? And they're like, okay, thanks James Cameron.
01:59:07
Speaker
Go, go make Avatar. You're working on like your five Avatar movies. Well, yeah, it's a fun watch. I feel like it's it's still it's not the worst Terminator movie.
01:59:26
Speaker
No, there's lots of cool like we were like lots of cool like terminator stuff like although like all different models of terminators are cool. The action is cool. Yeah, Christian Bale just like like being like super, super, like, serious and, like, intense.
01:59:47
Speaker
Like he is, he was like, yeah, the Christian Bale is just like 1000% committed. Like I am, I am John Connor. Yep. I mean, he did a good stunt work. He put a lot of effort to look like a resistance fighter. So he doesn't get enough credit for that, I think. Cause I feel like the Christian Bale rant overrides that. Yeah. But that's the only, the only happened because he's, because he's so intense and so like method, he's just like, I am
02:00:18
Speaker
Someone is like, these lights are screwing with my resistance speech. I must deliver the speech resistance. Yeah, we'll see. We'll see if this movie still holds up the test of time in another 15 years. Yeah, 15 years later, it's still pretty fun.
02:00:43
Speaker
But, uh, yes, that was, that was tremendous innovation. Um, and we will be back next month with another commentary. You can head over to the site and check out our regular podcasts and all of our other, uh, news, art features, reviews, all that stuff over at EverythingAction.com. And, uh, yeah, so for Chris, I am Zach and we will see you next time. For more from Everything Action, head to www.everythingaction.com. You can also find us on Facebook.
02:01:10
Speaker
at facebook.com slash everything.action and follow us on x at evaction we're also on instagram and threads at everything.action find more episodes of the podcast on apple podcast spotify or your podcast epic choice and be sure to rate and subscribe