User reviews

Skip: Rise of the Machines Salvation, Genisys, & Dark Fate

Those films aren't worth your time. Watch:

Terminator, Terminator 2 Judgement Day, & Terminator The Sarah Connor Chronicles

This is the true sequel and a worthy successor to the two great films. The only problem with this series is that it was canceled before its time and ended on perhaps the biggest tease for a future season that you could possibly think of. It really guts me that we didn't get to see the future they promised in the final minutes of the finale here.

The acting is good, it's filled with fun action, the effects are a little dated, but you know what? Just enjoy the ride, as brief as it will be.

This show has taken some weird turns but overall is still one of the better sci-fi shows on prime time. When I heard this show was danger of being canceled I almost flipped. They are going to far with the canceling. Just because a show doesn't rate in the ever changing top 5 doesn't mean it's not a hit with the fans. I do enjoy Camerons strange terminator antics and John I-am-tired-of-trying-to-be-a-future-hero attitude. Sarah holds this all together with her stubbornness and relentless pursuit of trying to stop judgment day. Now it does get a little to unbelievable with Sarah's flashbacks and delusions of Kyle. Also the fact that there is a little bit of sexual attraction implied at John with Cameron is strange. But none the less a great show.

You know when you sit down and watch something new, and it grabs you, surprises you and entertains you? Well it doesn't happen all the time, but this show did that with me.

With a big franchise, and some very big shoes to fill (i.e. Linda Hamilton's) the show and its cast have quite a big battle on their hands. But for the most part the show's pilot does justice to the franchise, and forges ahead with a new direction, extremely well.

The pilot wears its Terminator heart on its sleeve, with lots of Terminator action, but it sufficiently sets up stories so that the show can run for many seasons exploring the Terminator universe while not having to resort to robot-of-the-week.

Lena Headey has a tough job taking on such an iconic role, and I couldn't help but compare her to Linda Hamilton (and to miss Hamilton at times). But she showed some great potential, and in some moments I thought "this actress is going to be cool". I have faith she will do well and turn the role into something that is her own.

Give the show a chance, this one can really go somewhere. If FOX doesn't cancel it that is.

After hearing the buzz surrounding this show I expected it to be better than average, but what i saw blew me away. Unlike the third film which was mildly entertaining, This movie embraced the mythology instead of trying to change it. We all knew when they melted Arnold that wasn't the end, but now instead of replacing all the things we loved about the first 2 movies just to make some cinematic eye candy we are giving an actress that embodies the spirit of the character that Linda Hamilton introduced us to in the 80's and Summer Glau is a welcome introduction to the cast as the NEW protector. The two other reoccurring charterers also add a some interesting possibility's. The only thing I'm afraid of is that if this isn't an instant hit, FOX will screw themselves over once again and pull the plug waaaaay to soon, They seriously need to remember Family Guy and Firefly.

I watched the 1st episode of Sarah Connor Chronicles last night and I have to say that I was a little more than sceptical.

However I really enjoyed what they have managed to do with the franchise. It took a little time to adjust to the new actors playing these characters that i grew up with, just as it did for Terminator 3's John Connor. But at least that movie had Arnold in it right?? So what about the Terminators in this series? I found the bad Terminator quite menacing, it had the unstoppable feeling that the original movie gave. My only gripe with this guy is that the Terminator seemed to have an attitude. Like a kid who thinks he's hard....perhaps just my opinion.

And as for John's new protector, I was a little shocked by her appearance. However I am not slagging her performance, in fact the opposite. She remained so emotionless throughout the episode, she's very attractive (no doubt that will help John trust her) but there is also something quite menacing about her....

I guess we will have to wait and see....If you haven't seen the Sarah Connor Chronicles yet because you were sceptical as I was, give it a try. Just remember it's not a $200 million movie and it's more than likely you'll enjoy it.

How sad that this was ended. They didn't get to give it a proper conclusion, and the last bit would have been(or will be? Fingers crossed) interesting to see them continue from. Both the pilot and the opening of second(and thus far, final) season are excellent, if they misstep here and there. This ignores the third one(thankfully) and builds upon the first two(particularly T2, including the self-irony; I, like many, love both of them). It does so quite well; I disagree with those that say that this ruins them(and there are a *ton* of references, too). Not everyone will like what this does with the material, but a lot of it is compelling and memorable(to be fair, occasions of it feels like revisits), and hey, no one is forcing you to watch this. Anyway, it expands on the "mythology", characters(they really grow in this) and universe, and they come up with cool stuff. They don't let it grow stale, challenging the status quo every now and then. The acting is great, the leads are convincing and well-cast; Dekker is a likable John, Headey(who *always* seems to be a strong woman... well, in this, 300 and The Brother's Grimm, and that's all I've seen her in) fits as Sarah(if the ages of them are played around with compared to the movie continuity, something you could by now argue to be a requirement for any sequel to the original, '84 one), and Glau is spot-on as Cameron. Guest stars(some from the films, and they tend to look *nothing* like the real ones) vary slightly; however, they tend to be up to the high standard set by the main players. Younger performers are not that annoying in this. This can evoke genuine emotion from the audience, and the plots are well-done and engaging, if they go to the well too many times on "someone making an obvious mistake". They also have an excess of threads, and not all of them are properly resolved(and the abrupt cancellation means that several aren't, at all). The dialog often tries to be clever, at times it doesn't get there(think Prison Break, for example). It and the scripts are largely well-written. The nifty theme tune, and a bit of the score, is very clearly inspired by the flicks. It's mixed when this uses music or famous portions of text, legends and the like; same goes for use of slow-motion and skipped frames. The editing and cinematography are nice, and this uses hand-held cameras well. This can be funny, amusing and clever, and without disrupting the appropriately dark tone. The FX are rather good. Make-up is beautifully done. The action is *awesome* at its best(and that's the majority of it). Chases(on foot and vehicular), shoot-outs and fights(with fantastic choreography and stunts) with well-chosen and typically(not always!) realistically handled guns will have you on the edge of your seat for many episodes. This has plenty of tension(if a little of it is lost because, in certain cases, we know what will happen) and excitement. The Terminators themselves are bad-ass(with a few exceptions), and don't worry, there is a solid amount of battles between humans and robots, and not only the groups against each other. This does have occasional product placement, and a couple of babes in this, on and off. There is much violence and disturbing content(I'd say PG-13 or an all-out R), and a small amount of "almost" nudity and sexuality. The DVDs come with commentary tracks(that sound like they had fun doing the show), well-done, informational featurettes, deleted scenes, and outtakes. I recommend this to any fan of the franchise. 8/10

The Sarah Connor Chronicles, I admit, had a very rocky start with the pilot, simply because it seems to wipe out any canon that the third film had. (I suppose that could be a blessing in disguise. Let's face it, the film was pretty awful. Though the cast wasn't exactly at fault.) We pick up a short while after Terminator 2 left off. John Connor (Thomas Dekker, Zach of "Heroes") is 15 years old, and Sarah Connor (Lena Headey "300" ) has morphed into something much hotter and far more fit for action and violence. They are now joined by a very new model of Terminator who actually has an alias now, Cameron (the remarkably talented Summer Glau of "Firefly" and "Serenity" fame).

Hunted by the relentless Terminator from the future slated under the alias of Cromartie (David Kilde, veteran stunt man and having a small part in the Matrix Reloaded), and FBI Agent James Ellison (Richard T. Jones, best known for his supporting role as Bruce Van Exel in "Judging Amy") John and company try to once again halt the coming of Judgment Day and the revolution of the machines.

Add in a great supporting role performance from Dean Winters (HBO's "Oz" and FX's "Rescue Me") and you have a pretty solid cast.

The premise itself is hardly new ground for the Terminator saga, however it adds in a lot of flair with an angsty John trying to come to grips with the fact that he is eventually going to become the hero of the human race. Sarah Connor once again is trying to prepare him as best she can to accomplish his destiny, with the aid of Cameron the typical clueless cyborg trying to complete her mission.

The show has a lot of promise and went, in my eyes, from "Canceled in a Season" to, "Huh. Now I'm curious as to what happens." Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles merits an 8/10

I sat down to watch the pilot with a pretty closed mind. It was gonna be rubbish. John's not hard enough, the mother ain't the original, and would another woman terminator work?

Here are the answers: John. He doesn't quite have the look, but he's not too bad at the part. During this series it is clear that he will BECOME a leader- but he's not one at the start.

The Mum: Very good. Lena is definitely strong enough for a pretty hefty role, and she, an experienced actress, shows her prowess.

The Terminator: Summer Glau. Excellent. Very good actress, different to Arnie, but by no means disappointed. Her performance in the pilot that she will be more than just their robotic protector... we'll see I guess.

In the pilot itself, the acting is decent. That is to say, there were no weak links in the chain. They were believable, and some more than that. As for the script, could have been a tad better in the first half, pretty good in the second.

A lot of good action, decent script and acting- the show shows promise. Doesn't mean it can't fall, but something tells me it won't.

EDIT: I figured out what's telling me. It's the voices in my head : )

I'm very pleased with the TV incarnation of the Terminator universe, at least thus far. It is visually engaging, mostly well-acted and -written, and strikes a good balance between action and drama, exploring worthwhile themes while not skimping on the fighting, shooting & explosions.

Lena Headey is a good strong actress. Her portrayal of Sarah may be softer than Linda Hamilton's in T2, but in time I hope to see some exploration of the character's darker side. Thomas Dekker is convincing as the conflicted John, and Summer Glau has a Firefly fan-pleasing turn as the female Terminator-cum-distant relative of River Tam.

I was happily surprised at the quality of this show. Though the CGI visual effects may be lacking compared to the films, I am willing to let that slide in light of the decent plot lines and interesting revelations about the Terminators and the looming Judgement Day. I hope the show continues not to suck.

As a Fan of the first two movies (and I quite like the third one), I just had to inspect this new part of the terminator franchise. Quickly I was disappointed, Summer Glau was great, but all the other characters were two dimensional and also the scripts often quite standard. Still, it was entertaining so I continued to watch. Good call, it turned out quickly...

Since the introduction of "Derek Reese" (SO not resembling his "Beverly Hills90210"-Character) it seems the director, writer, and everyone else was changed to the better. From there on you could clearly see the staff, while trying to keep an overall mainstream-attitude, was experimenting on some scenes with new ideas. This has led to a highly entertaining TV-Show with some outstanding scenes, which are greatly supported by the actors.

Here I have to point out the performance of Summer Glau and Garrett Dillahunt, clearly their talent carries most of the show.

When I saw the first of the eleventy jillion or so spots FOX aired for "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," I got a foreboding feeling in the pit of my stomach. You know the feeling - it's the feeling you get when you find out about something you REALLY want to like, but you're afraid it's going to suck horribly. Although I didn't dismiss the possibility that it would be worth watching, and the casting of Lena Headey and Summer Glau piqued my interest even more, I remained wary of FOX's ability to pull this off successfully. I mean, there are about a million ways the writers and producers could have screwed this up.

Fortunately, I ended up being rewarded for my curiosity. The first episode was decent (though it's actually better than decent upon a second viewing), and was good enough to compel me to watch the second episode, which was terrific.

The main thing I like about this series is that it delves further into the relationship between Sarah Connor and her son as he approaches young adulthood (an element that was sorely missing from T3). This is one of the most important thematic elements of the Terminator series, and I'm glad to see them coming back to it. I imagine that this series will serve as a means to bridge the gap between the James Cameron films and the upcoming trilogy.

Other things I enjoyed were the characterization of the "Rivernator" (who is more socially adept than Terminators we have seen in the past, but realistically so - the elements of socialization she isn't quite as good at are the same things a machine wouldn't be good at), and the "skinless Terminator" subplot (yes, I know, he shouldn't be able to travel back in time, but that ski-mask is totally bad-ass).

All the ratings of the show I've read were based on the first 2 episodes. Typical for Fox they went with less thought and more explosions to draw it's crowd. The only reason I kept watching the show was because it was the only thing I had saved on my laptop during a flight. By the time I got to episode 5 I completely turned around and was hooked. Every episode is better than the previous. Though that may not being saying much considering where it started by the time the premature season finale came around I was truly sad to see it end. If you quit watching this show after 2 or 3 episodes, give it another chance. It will surprise you. Ignore the people who are bickering about the time travel causation and realism in the first couple episodes. They are just plot devices to get you to where the show is really at. They don't linger on them and after 3 episodes you don't see anything like it again. This is a human story.

No one will ever forget that scene in James Cameron's "The Terminator" (1984), where a cyborg assassin, called a Terminator (played in that film by Arnold Schwarzenegger), uttered the infamous line "I'll be back!" before shooting up a Los Angeles police station, looking for his quarry, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whose unborn son John Connor will lead a human resistance to eradicate the machines that in the future will wage a genocidal war on mankind.

"The Terminator" is pretty close to being one of the greatest sci-fi films ever. It's my favorite sci-fi film of all time. I've tried to keep up with the non-canonical comics (an omnibus is due out next month that I fully intend on buying), but Cameron's first movie is the unlikely sci-fi triumph that I love dearly. Somewhere in there, within the lightning-fast action scenes and perpetual, relentless violence, "The Terminator" and its sequel "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991), lay a vocal anti-Cold War subtext and strong sentiments about a society that's growing more and more mechanical at an alarming rate. (For the record, I know the two computers in my house may be conspiring against me while I'm asleep.)

The new television series "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," now airing on FOX, pretends that 2003's "Terminator: Rise of the Machines" exists in another time-line, and instead centers on both Sarah (now played by "300" Lena Headey) and a now-15-year-old John (Thomas Dekker) after the events of "T2" as they attempt to lead their lives free of Skynet and its assassin Terminators. As it turns out, the future is inevitable, as is Skynet's war on human beings. More Terminators are in this time-line, determined to wipe out the future savior of mankind. Sarah and John, now joined by an unknown female Terminator model number named - named! - Cameron (newcomer Summer Glau, whose character's name is an obvious reference to James Cameron), now decide to take on Skynet before it's even activated using their resources in the present. Glau's Cameron is something like a hybrid between Arnold's classic Terminator and Kristanna Loken's T-X from "T3"; in a throwaway moment early in the pilot, after saving John, she gets a chance to utter one of the films' most famous lines - "Come with me if you want to live" - after running down a would-be cyborg assassin.

"Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" comes to us from writer Josh Friedman and director David Nutter. The series is a little complicated, and toys around with the time-line established by Cameron's first two "Terminator" films. One of the great things about "The Terminator" was its novel, simple premise, with such a strong narrative and complex themes. The series boasts strong movie-quality effects, pumped-up Hollywood blockbuster-style violence, and a relentless pace that's on-par with something right out of the films. The performances seem so-so (so far); both Headey and Dekker are sufficient but seem to lack the emotional connection we had when Linda Hamilton and Edward Furlong were playing the characters. But the real standout is Summer Glau, probably the best, cutest (cutest!), and sexiest female Terminator I've ever seen. Regardless of my presumptuous feelings about her work here, she is someone to keep an eye on.

Of course, there are problems. While the series seems remarkably high on intelligence (I say that with a true amount of positive astonishment), its writing definitely needs some polishing. There are moments of dialogue that don't really seem to stand out the way that it did in the movies. In the movies when characters interacted with each other, their words seemed to flow naturally and I worked hard committing those lines to memory because they stood out as something memorable. But here, those moments of strong character-driven dialogue and interactions appear to be a no-show. Times when characters talk only appear to be bridging the gap between the action sequences. Not only do Our Heroes have to worry about more and more Terminators coming out the woodwork (or the future, in this case), but they also have to worry about an FBI agent named Ellison (Richard T. Jones), whose character for some reason seems unnecessary, when we should just be focusing on the three main characters and their attempts to dodge their inevitable fates.

"Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" may not have the technical sophistication of its source material, but it's definitely for-sure television popcorn entertainment, and a little something for those hardcore "Terminator" fans like me. I'll always love James Cameron's first "Terminator" movie, and I'll always love the following in various media. The series, on the other hand, well it's already off to a good start despite a few missteps along the way; I just hope it doesn't get "terminated" before it's had a proper run.

8/10

This is an excellent show with a great cast and good special effects. I will agree it is odd that John Conner does not mention anything about what takes place during this time period in Terminator 3, but it doesn't take away from the show.

This show fills many of the missed gaps between John's early youth to adulthood seen in the third movie.

Hopefully Fox doesn't cancel the series like they do with many great shows (ie firefly)!

If you have not seen T1/2/3 before I would recommend watching them before watching the series.

The Sarah Conner Chronicles is definitely worth watching!

Being a huge Terminator fan I was like many expecting T3:Rise of the Machines to be even bigger and better than T2:Judgement Day which in my books is still one of the best sequels ever made. However unfortunately T3 ended up being nothing more than a Luke warm sequel at best I mean don't get me wrong it was worth checking out but for a Terminator film it should of been just well BIG and it was not. However I think with the announcement of Chirstian Bale as the new John Conner in the 4th instalment it is a promising sign that things can truly only get better. The Sarah Conner Chornicles much like Smallville sets the tone nicely for that after viewing 2 episodes of it , it seems like a much more deeper heavier view into the world of the machines and their mission not just kill Conner but to also ensure Judgement Day and that is what this did rather than T3 which should of done it. There is constant action and some good use of CGI and not to mention the actors who play each of the fearsome fighting machines carry them-selves well. As well as action we get the human side of people and the emotional content that is involved in this story , something that was very superficial in the third movie. John Dekker does a fine job of the young Conner along with Summer Glau and especially Lena Headly , although she might not be a 'tough chick' as the haters are saying , the most important thing about her is that she is a mother protecting her child and will stop at nothing to do it which maybe in some ways makes me like her more than Linda Hamilton. There might be a few goofs between T2 - T3 timezone but on the other hand as this is sci-fi and we are dealing with time travel and the chaos theory I am willing to let that go. To conclude , The Sarah Conner Chronicles got of to a fairly decent start and it is enough for me to want to check it out further and I hope that it progresses further into something solid leading to the build up of T4 , defiantly worth checking out for Terminator fans and sci-fi fans.

TERMINATOR: SARAH CONNER CHORNICLES - 8.0 OUT 10

This season , a mother will become a warrior, A son will become a hero, And their only ally will be a friend from the future...

Even though the first episode had me wondering why so much repetitive content was in it, the later episodes were awesome! I have to admit that in the beginning it was a bit getting used to the lack of familiar faces (like Arnold) but the actors did a great job and kept it interesting and helped me get past that first impression really easily!

From my perspective,I guess they needed some sort of a bridge to link the series to the original movies. After that, completely new and awesome story. Characters are working out, gaining more depth, twists added to the plot and so much more. I hope there's a second season coming!

It's sad to see people dogging this show, the show really wasn't bad at all, and it was at least as entertaining as t3. (I think this john conner is better than t3's version too). I don't think it was possible for a TV show like this to live up to the standard that a movie like t2 created. I can forgive the slightly amateurish acting, and plot holes be damned I'm glad that this show came out. There hasn't been a decent sci-fi series on mainstream TV in a while, and if I have to see one more reality show I'm going to puke. So everyone that thinks this show is so shitty for whatever reason should give this show a chance I think, it could be worse. Plus, jeezum Summer is freakin hot as terminatrix, its worth watching just for her heh.

This is pretty good after the first five episodes.

Unfortunately, before the show even started, writer / producer Josh Friedman said, "Okay,I've given it a lot of thought and I have a perfect idea for a Terminator TV show: Okay, John Connor is having a normal teen existence with Sarah Connor in suburban America and it will be like all the other teen shows out there. And along comes a hot teen girl Terminator who goes back in time to when John's a teen and Sarah's still alive and brings them into modern times so that we don't have to make it a "period piece." So there should also be a bad Terminator who chases them into the future, but only its skinless head goes through time. Sure, all this would contradict the rules laid down in the first Terminator movie, but I'm sure no one will notice, and it's about time travel, so no one is interested in reality, right? What's the old rule: The more outrageous the premise, the LESS grounded in reality the story should be?"

So when the other creative forces were done fixing Joshy's mess, most of the audience had bailed, which is unfortunate because it got really good for the rest of its run.

Unfortunately, after that it was good but still far from perfect, and perfection would be the only thing that would save it after the first five episodes.

Out of all the continuations of Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), this is the best. The creators really care a lot about the Terminator franchise and try to expand it in new and interesting ways while retaining the core of what made the Terminator series gripping. I was really disappointed when this was cancelled as I wanted to see how the mysteries paid off. The actors are all very good and portray the main characters well. The only complaint is that there are too many time travellers in the series, which lessens their impact.

Lena Headey (300) is just barely old enough to be the mother of a 15-year-old boy, and being as lovely as she is it certainly brings up a lot of interesting questions, especially when she is wearing those sexy cheerleader-type outfits as she did in the first episode.

Casting Summer Glau as the good terminator was a brilliant choice and will really give us something to pay attention to when the dialog drags. After all, I can get through an hour just watching her read a magazine.

The story is overly familiar to most of us, but the fireworks are always exciting and there is a place for an action series without the excessive testosterone you would find in something like "24." I'll be there through all the episodes. Will you?

I've seen all four episodes so far and I'm loving it, its a great story and a lot better than many expected.

I hope this show keeps on going. The show would be better if they never made terminator 3 but hey, it still works into the story, i wish they wouldn't make a number 4, but as long as it doesn't mess up this show its OK.

The franchise should have been left alone at number 2, then this show would have had a bigger influence, but as long as i like it, i guess thats all that matters.

The show has some great bits of action that action lovers will surly enjoy, it could use a little more suspense but I'm not complaining. This show is worth watching, you cant take everyones review into account without watching it yourself.

So I got the flu early this winter.Had to spend some serious time indoors.The Technician that works with me gave me this recorded series.Wow! I have always been a great fan of the Terminator movies.The concept is so tangible.I started the first episode and could not stop until the last one.Episode one was a little unsettling.I used all my brainpower to try and figure out the time line.Overload!As I relaxed I found myself lost in a world I loved!Lots of action yet enough storyline to keep me glued.

The characters are all well played.A great choice!Wish I could be there with them fighting the machines.I hope to see more of this series in the future...

Well short and to the point as its only just started but already its off to a great start, and well overlook the whole "my god thats a lot of people and machines been sent back" "sort of messing with what has gone before" "how the hell would that happen" but these should just be taken with a pinch of salt and take the show for what it is, just a good action and well written TV show, its rare these days and such a show could of gone so wrong but its nice to see money been spent on making it look the part and above standard acting for such a show, I think the only shows to beat it in the past 2 year or so are Dexter and Battlestar, just hope they keep up the speed and action as not sure how it will fair when we start to hit the odd ones that you can tell its "save budget week"