Movie Watch: Terminator Salvation

I'm going to through in some spoilers here because, well golly, as I've said before some things just deserved to be spoiled.

Terminator: Salvation starts off pretty strong. One of the early action sequences is actually a pretty impressive showing of cinematography and directing. A lot of the premise elements make it seem like the movie is trying to build into something more than just an action movie - something almost like a Philip K. Dick novel in places.

And then, about half way through, the entire movie gives up completely on all of the above and turns into a vapid Hollywood blockbuster before turning the corner to being blind, stupid and annoying.

I'll try to be vague, but let's just say that about the time John Connor decides to napalm an entire forest - it's about time to bail. It doesn't entirely make sense, and just serves to set up another (this time much more banal) action scene and worse - opens the plot to numerous blunders of the movie's progressive downfall.

For one thing - it begins to baffle the viewer as to why John Connor, who should have more advanced knowledge of Skynet, Terminators and hacking phones for free service (though that last bit is probably of little use anymore) acts like such a dimwitted grunt for most of the movie. Gone is the intelligence that we've seen in previous movies, in its place is a role that feels like a boilerplate from every other action movie. Bale's strategy through all of this is to give us his angry puppy dog look through most of the movie.

When the movie reaches its "twist", the wheels have officially come off the bus. There's the right way to do a twist - which is the careful seeding of hints and foreshadowing, and there's the Terminator: Salvation method which is to just wait until you need a nifty plot moment, make up a bunch of crap and hope the audience is still impressed with all that napalm blowing up.

As the movie moves into Skynet Central, you might think to yourself: "this can't get any worse". Surely all these computer interfaces designed for humans in a machine world gone made is bad enough. Or maybe that in a city full of human killing machines, the incredibly powerful AI decides to send a lone robot to kill off its most wanted prize. Or maybe the revelation that all terminators are, in fact, just walking nuclear bombs. Or the "salvation through electrocution" scene.

I won't spoil the ending - but I will warn you. Yes. Yes, it gets worse.

It's a horrible movie. Highly, highly not recommended. Seriously, Terminator 3 was much better if only because it knew it was just a stupid action film from the beginning.

Peter Asaro And The Terminator

H+ sat down with robot genius philosopher Peter Asaro:

I think we are now starting to see robots that are capable of taking morally significant actions, and we're beginning to see the design of systems that choose these actions based on moral reasoning. In this sense, they are moral, but not really autonomous because they are not coming up with the morality themselves... or for themselves.

They are a long way from being Kantian moral agents –- like some humans –- who are asserting and engaging their moral autonomy through their moral deliberations and choices. [Philosopher Immanuel Kant's “categorical imperative” is the standard of rationality from which moral requirements are derived.]

We might be able to design robotic soldiers that could be more ethical than human soldiers.

Robots might be better at distinguishing civilians from combatants; or at choosing targets with lower risk of collateral damage, or understanding the implications of their actions. Or they might even be programmed with cultural or linguistic knowledge that is impractical to train every human soldier to understand.

-- Can "Terminators" Actually be our Salvation?

Peter is my pledgefather and just one of the most insanely smartest people I've ever known. Last I saw him he was secretly wondering how to apply military AI software to video games, but I'm pretty certain he's contractually obligated to try and rule the world with giant robots now. Congrats Pete, great article.

Wired Asks For Sarah Connor Chronicles Salvation

The show came to life in Season 2, which concluded last month. A tapestry of heartbreak, dread, looming violence and black humor, it resembled nothing so much as a sci-fi Sopranos. The familiar conventions of hour-long dramas were routinely shattered, while the writers meticulously enriched the Terminator mythos beyond all expectations. Unlike the blatant make-it-up-as-you-go-along ethos that powered Battlestar Galactica, the Sarah Connor writers really do have a plan.

Meanwhile, the performers have given life to a host of memorable characters, from Lena Headey’s grim title character to Summer Glau’s terminatrix Cameron, the most inscrutable, yet intriguing, sci-fi character since Spock.

Which brings us to your mission: Save Sarah. Over at sci-fi enemy-blog io9, they’ve started a Flickr group featuring viewers posing with products advertised on the show, giving sponsors and executives important proof that Chronicles fans — unlike those deadbeats watching Ghost Whisperer — are willing to put their money where their eyeballs are.

-- Urgent: Save Sarah Connor Chronicles From Termination

I suck and need to catch up on the last couple of episodes, Fridays have been a bit of a mess for me lately. Still, agree with the article - the show has had its ups and downs, but seems to can only go up from here.

Actually, what I would love is to see the show renewed with an enhanced budget. I know that's probably far from reality, but the writers have done very well will few dollars, and I'd love to see what they could do with more.

Your Friendly Reminder: Dollhouse and Terminator

Whedon fans might stay home tonight. You've got new Terminator and the premiere of Joss' latest, Dollhouse.

Friendly Reminder: New Terminator Tonight

Awesome female robot. 7:00 CST. What more do you need to know?

TV Watch: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

No, it didn't premiere and you missed it or anything, only through the magic of the Internets did I somehow stumble on an preair copy of the upcoming television series which aims to fill in the Terminator storyline after the events of Terminator 2 and apparently before the events of Terminator 3.

I would say this show is of interest to three groups of people:

Firstly, anyone who wants to see Summer Glau, formerly River on Firefly, act like a kickass robot (spoiler there, but no more than the previews, so). Personally, I don't understand how this isn't every living person on the planet, but each to their own and all that jazz. If you want to see Summer Glau act like a kickass robot, certainly check this one when it premieres.

Secondly, Terminator fans who just want to see more of the franchise. It seems to handle the subject material and hold tight to the existing canon, so you're in luck there. The production value is a little bit of a mixed bag and leans to the first movie than the sequels in terms of special effects wizardy - but it is definately Terminator.

Finally, sci fi geeks looking for something next month when the writer's strike has robbed them of pretty much everything except apparently Battlestar.

I'm certainly in the first and third category, so I'll be checking it out. The Girl hadn't watched the Terminator movies (I know, I know) and said it was hard to follow and kind of shallow. So non-killer robot geeks should probably stay away.