With James Cameron’s mammoth sci-fi motion-capture 3D epic, Avatar, opening in most markets tomorrow (December 18th), I thought it’d be interesting to share Cameron’s thoughts on Terminator Salvation, the fourth installment in a franchise he made legendary with The Terminator and T2: Judgement Day in the ’80s and early ’90s.
Jordan Hoffman over at UGO managed to get some “quality one-to-one time” with the legendary Mr. Cameron. During their “b.s.-free” conversation, Cameron revealed his thoughts on McG’s take on the Terminator franchise. Obviously, as Hoffman points out, Cameron has been a busy man, though he still managed to catch the fourth Terminator installment. Here’s Cameron’s “review” of it:
“It probably didn’t get a fair day in court because I had to watch it at night when I got home from work, over a period of two or three nights. I think Sam [Worthington] is remarkable in the film because, well, I think Sam is remarkable in anything he does. Interestingly, I think McG did a good job in the sense…I think he was almost too referential to the mythos of the first and second film. He over-quoted them in a way?”
“It didn’t feel to me to be enough of a reinvention. I mean the thing we did with the second film is that we reinvented the first film completely; spun it on its ass and made the Terminator the good guy, and came up with a whole new concept for a villain, it felt fresh. I didn’t feel the fourth picture was fresh enough. It also lacked a certain stamp of authenticity because Arnold wasn’t in it. I mean, he was in it briefly, digitally, but that’s not the same thing.”
“I didn’t think it was bad. I didn’t think it was embarrassing. I don’t think he let the franchise down in some huge way, but I did feel some sort of unease that it didn’t go beyond.”
I have to agree with a lot of what Cameron has said about the latest Terminator installment. I ultimately had fun with it, particularly enjoying the performance of Worthington, as well as some of the special effects. But I agree with Cameron in that McG didn’t take it to a whole new level the way Cameron did with T2 (Salvation had many plot issues). Although it wasn’t meant to be an official reboot in the same way as Star Trek, for example,I still expected Salvation to push things a lot further than it did.
I’m hoping that if and when McG gets back behind the camera for Terminator 5 (if all goes well with the sale of the franchise rights, that is) that he’ll try some radical things to “spin it on its ass,” to quote Mr. Cameron 
. That might not be the case, however, as there’s rumors that the fifth movie would go back to the old going back in time plotline that we got in the first three installments. We finally get to the future war with the machines and now they may be going back to the time travel thing? Talk about being stuck in the past (get it?).
Do you agree with any of Cameron’s thoughts on Terminator Salvation? Would you like to see McG return to direct number 5? Which direction would you like to see the story go in – time travel or future war?
Source: UGO Movie Blog
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I think that is Cameron’s Politically Correct ways of saying “McG, you f’ed up my baby. You lose America.”
That is a Bloodsport reference btw.
This franchice was alrdy kill since the 3rd installment. It obviously had a good potential to expand from T2.
Why would I said that? Because if it put an end on T2, then John Connor may no longer exist. No Skynet from the beginning no more needing time travelling for Carl Reese to meet Sarah & the rest you figure out.
So as long as John still exist, so does Skynet. Thats is John destiny. Having introducing Marcus is like inviting a Bionic (6 million dollar man) to join forces against terminator.
That plot was totally pointless no matter how remarkable Sam Worthington performance. The same as how he taught Carl Reese to defence his weapon from been snatch by an enemy such as the Terminator??? Another pointless plot.
Marcus character shld have been play by Arnold himself in the 3rd installment reintroducing to audience as a human for the 1st time & how he ended up being pick by Skynet as role model for the T-800.
Besides didnt Arnold left his arm stuck below a trailer in T2 final fighting scenes with T1000, that element still remains same for the future instead coming out wth a lame idea of my *****basement.
These are just part of the potential story plot to expand for sequels but the directors were too focusing on the T-model gadget coming out with all sort of terminators they could ever think of. Being too commercialise along with the toy line i guess as a result neglecting the story telling element as what James Cameron always focus on.
I hereby wishes my sympathy & condolence to this franchice which has alrdy half demise.
IF A 5TH FILM GETS MADE, WHICH I HOPE IT DOESN’T, BRING THIS WHOLE STORYLINE FULL CIRCLE AND TIE IT TO THE 1ST FILM WHERE SKYNET AND THE WAR NEVER HAPPEN.
i thought it was better then 3. maybe in the next one well see the machines being sent back in time so the ones sent in the past three films make sense.and reese needs to be sent back,and john must die and the robot that does it has to be reprogrammed and sent back. and that brings up questions why dont they reprogrammed a bunch of robots to help battle?
I just remember Cameron making fun of T3 in the commentary of the Extreme DVD Edition T2, lol. I mean, he was subtle about it, probably didn’t want to ruffle too many feathers, but when Arnold said his famous line, “I’ll be back” at the Cyberdyne building, Cameron was like “So what do you think? Better than ‘She’ll be back?’” and both of them started laughing. I wish he would have said more…
Mcg has proven he can’t deliver a Terminator film. Speculation on his involvement in another one makes me sick…
Why didn’t the interviewer ask Cameron if he would be involved with any future terminator movies? Or what direction McG should take it? I mean cmon and ask the tough questions you pansy.
I liked Terminator Salvation enough for a summer popcorn movie, but I hope they don’t make any more. It’s like beating a dead horse, and totally unnecessary.
See, this is exactly how I feel about the movie. It was NOT bad. It did NOT ruin the franchise or nuke the colloquial fridge.
It just wasn’t all it could be.
Well I sure thought McG’s effort was embarrassing as all get out.
If I could get Skynet to send ME back in time, I promise you I’d terminate SALVATION with relish, myself.
Like SK-47 said, Cameron is sugarcoating/being PC about the whole idea. You can really read between the lines and tell his overall attitude towards T:S. He’s in the same boat as most of us fans also.
I didn’t really like Terminator Salvation at all. It was boring to be honest. I just walked out having to pee really badly and that’s about it. I don’t even remember the movie that well, but I do remember the CGI Arnold. That was the only memorable scene.
Stay in the future, just make John Connor a machine or something (that’s of course completely stupid, but it would spin it on its ass).
I actually liked Salvation although I agreed it fell short anbd wished that it had gone more like it was planned to before Bale changed its course.
That said what would be really funny (to everyone but McG I reckon) is if the next “Scary Movie” or whatever name they use features in its story a robot going to the past and Terminating McG before he signs on to do Charlies Angels.
If the rights get sold I hope Joss Whedon gets it and rocks it. That’s my hopes, he would totally rock that ish!
But I do agree that McG (what a a pretencious name) shouldn’t have done the film. It was okay, but not great. It’s what I would watch when I’m hungover on a Sunday morning when I don’t wanna use my brain (even though the plot holes make me wanna slap McG).
So we know that mcg wants to stick it in and break it off again, but what about Bale?
The next person that interview’s Christian needs to ask him if he’ll “be back!”, and if he’s open to mcg driving it into the ground again.
I’d love to get him drunk and ask him that,,,
Also while drunk I would then ask him what’s the deal with the Directors Cut dvd only available at Target?
Yay, have Bale phone in his performance again like he does for all of his movies lately…
@Shaun
Well, if you go back and stop T3, there probably wouldn’t be a T4, kill 2 birds with one stone, lol.
Watch some cash flush foreign conglomerate buy it then sit on it. Use it to hawk a bunch of products or something. Terminator cereal “It’ll kill you like John Connor” Terminator gas treatment “Terminate the competition.” Toyota Terminator trucks. They’ll slap the logo on the smallest model. Terminator bug spray “Terminate the nasty ones.” It’s always been a kitsch cliché but that would seal its legacy…
@790
“Mcg has proven he can’t deliver a Terminator film. Speculation on his involvement in another one makes me sick…”
You took the words out of my mouth.
Awesome Awesome movie!!! My score: 20 out of 10 and I was the one that was sick of all the promotion. Still am!!
WOW! What a kick-ass flick!!!
Are you talking about Avatar or Terminator Salvation?? I hope Avatar, lol.
Well, I certainly don’t want to see Mr Charlie’s Angels let loose on another real movie. 4 wasn’t a total waste, despite bad choices like a carnosaur-silent super robot (certainly the most efficient choice for the job!) and Bale forgetting how to act (this is the same man who did the Machinist, right?), it was entertaining. I just want more than a Tin Man story.
It was better than 3, though I liked 3′s “holy crap, the war happened for real” ending.
I think Bale must have opted for the “Do the biggest film ever and then from there on phone in your lines and persue other interests like drigs or gambling or some type of addiction that after a few years yoiu can go into recovery from and then start your comeback career in the indistry & then repeat” choice when signing onto Hollywood.
What a shame because he was great in other films.
Does anyone here think that maybe Bale fell from acting grace because of being so over shadowed by Haeth Ledgers Joker role in Dark Knight?
BlueCollarCritic
I don’t think Bale is done just yet as an actor. He did great in a few performances and has the chops to come back strong. You have to remember how things went from bad to worse with Terminator Salvation, whether it was his fault or not, and how it needs to be forgotten. Move on and don’t make another movie with McG. That should cure everything for Bale.
@M-Cat
Let us pray on/for that.
@BlueCollarCritic
I think he let the fame get to him… But that’s just my opinion…
Boo f’n hoo. Salvation was not that bad at all. Yep it coulda been more but I appreciate the various things they accomplished in it. T2 & T3 both focused on keepin John Connor alive where Salvation was focused more on keeping Reese alive. The machines also tried a different approach to infiltrate the resistance keeping with the premise of learning from it’s mistakes. Bale did a solid job playing a post Judgement Day war hardened John Connor and Worthington did a great job as everyone already mentioned. Keep in mind Bale isn’t a screenhog and doesn’t mind being a costar like in the Batman movies, Public Enemies, 3:10, etc. Ppl need to stop being so supercritical like they could do better.
I find it hard to believe that the director that is famously known to be very critical, extremely detail-oriented, and a perfectionist could find very little at fault with that garbage heap of a movie, especially when it poorly handles a mythos he created. Or maybe he really did mellow with age.
I find it hard to believe that the director that is famously known to be very critical, extremely detail-oriented, and a perfectionist could find very little at fault with that garbage heap of a movie, especially when it poorly handles a mythos he created. Or maybe he really did mellow with age.