Ranking The Terminator Franchise From Worst To Best

Terminator Salvation was made as an attempt to jump-start the franchise after six dormant years (with the exception of a certain TV show) and create the foundation of a new trilogy set during The Future War. Sadly, though, directed by McG, it is another lesson in how not to reboot a series, though in the opposite way of Terminator Genisys. Fatally, Salvation does not give fans enough of what they want.

Sure, there are shots and bits of dialogue drawing from the first Terminator film, but the future war aesthetic established by McG is bland and boring. Technically the film is gorgeous and a fire cracker, but everything is washed out in sepia tones. The PG-13 rating doesn't help: the Future War features exploding bodies and this Future War features none of that.

The script is also very bog standard. John Connor has to save Kyle Reese from being exterminated in the Skynet facility in San Francisco and must also defeat Skynet itself. The only interesting part of the movie's plot is the redemption arc for convicted murderer Marcus Wright.

The only performances that matter in this film are Christian Bale's Connor and the late Anton Yelchin's Reese. Both make the film, by providing depth to each of their physical performances. Sam Worthington does an okay job as Wright, but he's sort of restricted by a poor screenplay.