Terminator Salvation is directed by Joseph McGinty Nichol, better known as McG, a music-video-turn-movie-director responsible for the bopping Charlie’s Angels and more mature We Are Marshall. McG has got definite style and knows how to rock the party with some killer action sequences. He’s aided by cult sensation and new Batman, Christian Bale, whose performances are characterised by pop culture undertones and a deep reverence for Hollywood’s finest moments. The Terminator franchise was left on an ellipsis after T3 with the Governator out of the picture, and everyone was perplexed by the blockbuster follow-up and cookie-cutter rendition of T2. T3 screenwriters, John D. Brancato and Michael Ferris, answered the call by delving into the world of the older John Connor - the one that existed beyond the Terminator series. Terminator Salvation is an attempt to reboot the series, which ironically can never be terminated with its intricate pattern of time travel, technology and parallel universes. The story opens on Marcus Wright (Worthington), a man on death-row and jumps straight into 2018 with full machine-human combat as Connor (Bale) tries to find and protect his father and bring the Terminator reign to a halt.

Terminator Salvation has been influenced by more contemporary films in its genre. The revolutionary Transformers pedal-to-the-metal computer artistry has had a direct influence on the Terminator franchise with unmanned vehicles, aircrafts and “alien” cyborgs making earth their playground. Salvation is also marked by strong parallels with Resident Evil: Extinction, a gaming franchise, which has a similar desert environment and futuristic shredded guerilla soldier costume department. The themes are also quite similar to The Matrix Revolutions with an all-out attack on the machine headquarters, pitting man against machine in a green screen extravaganza. Then the cinematography has borrowed a few pages from Children of Men, with a similar wrecked urban atmosphere and emphasis on protecting the unborn. The film references the early installations of the series in a few instances, but really feels like a movie on its own. There are no flashbacks, set ups or inferences to the old world of Terminator, apart from a few tapes to John from Sarah, his mother.

This stand-alone complex extends to all areas of the film and will disappoint fans of the series, who have grown accustomed to the comedic smirks from Arnie. Schwarzenegger definitely left a hole in the series, and while Bale makes a suitable replacement in terms of star power, he has a lot of catching up to do - after a performance worthy of Keanu Reeves. Bale is supported by a host of cult icons including: Michael Ironside, Helena Bonham Carter, Anton Yelchin and rallied by up-and-coming stars, Moon Bloodgood and Sam Worthington. The story is unlike its predecessors as the three principal characters develop separately with their own stories culminating in a grand search, rescue and destroy mission. The film is so jam-packed with stunning CGI and action sequences, that there’s very little room for the same connectedness that was conveyed by James Cameron in the first two Terminator movies. The slick visuals and special effects are no substitute for warm, real characters and this is the downside to Terminator Salvation. It’s an epic action, sci-fi, adventure and thriller - but its too much Hollywood machine and not enough flesh and blood.

The spectacular environment is immersive, but if you don’t have a reason to care about the characters, then it becomes a cold, detached and alienating experience. It’s difficult to match up to James Cameron’s T2, and reviving a series is always going to be ambitious for any cast or director. Terminator Salvation succeeds in creating a platform for sequels, but lacks Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Terminator spirit and time travel dynamics that made the first few installations so magical. Fans will be proud of the new direction the franchise has taken, after a fairly dismal outing in T3, however the series will always feel hollow without the larger-than-life presence of Arnold Schwarzenegger… and no mannequin or Terminator is going to change that for the time being!

The bottom line: Slick.