The film opens--it is 2003, death row inmate Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington) is housed at the Longview Correctional Facility where he meets with Dr Serena Kogan (Helena Bonham Carter), a representative of Cyberdyne Systems to donate his organs and tissue for what he believes will be a good cause.
He wakes up 15 years after his execution, in 2018, to find a desolated downtown Los Angeles...
At the same time, John Connor (Bale) on a nearby Skynet base, is the sole survivor of an assault. He discovers plans to develop the T-800, as well as a Skynet transport carrying captured humans, who are being moved to Skynet's main base of North American operations in San Francisco.
Connor returns to a nuclear sub acting as Resistance headquarters and tells Resistance leader General Ashdown (Michael Ironside) of his discovery. Ashdown informs Connor that, even though it will result in the deaths of most of the prisoners, an offensive against the Skynet base in San Francisco is planned to take place in four days. When Connor asks why it would be in four days, it is revealed that the Resistance intercepted a transmission from Skynet, listing people that they planned to kill in four days: first on the list is Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin), second is Connor, and the rest are the command staff of the Resistance.
The resistance has also discovered a frequency that could possibly be used to force Skynet machines to shut down. After leaving the submarine, Connor speaks with his second in command, Barnes (Common). He also reunites with his wife, Kate (Bryce Dallas Howard).
Meanwhile. after stealing clothes from a dead Resistance fighter, Marcus makes his way through the city to discover that the only human survivors there are a teenage Kyle Reese and his young, silent, child companion named Star (Jadagrace). .
As Marcus and Kyle leave L.A. city behind to meet Connor, their vehicle comes under fire by various terminators, which takes Kyle and Star alive in a round up of humans to transport to a prisoner camp. Marcus, however, is left behind.
Connor is determined to discover why Skynet is taking human prisoners. The Resistance picks up unusually concentrated machine activity in the Los Angeles Basin and dispatch fighters to intercept the hunter-killers in the area. One of them, Blair Williams (Moon Bloodgood) a pilot, is shot down and rescued by Marcus, and the interception fails.
The script from John D. Brancato & Michael Ferris sets up things nicely--allowing for plenty of T-action....But...I know that we are dealing with the end of the world type stuff--I must say, the film is almost too dark...I missed the type of humor (provided by Arnie) from the other films...Everything was too serious...
McG staged some great action scenes and the late great Stan Winston's crew pulled off some great FX and all--But this is a summer flick that's STILL not all that fun to watch--
As Connor Bale was just OK--which in and of itself was a surprise--Was I expecting too much from him? Maybe...I was more impressed with Worthington as Wright--Whose character had an engaging arc in the film and he really pulls it off.
Yelchin's Reese served as more of a major "Save him or we wreak our future" plot point than anything else. Hopefully he's got more to do in the next one.
Howard, Bloodgood and Carter are there yes--but are pushed out to focus on Bale and Worthington.
Salvation is solid but has tonal issues that really took away from the cool factor--
Apocalypse is serious biz...But as a Summer Blockbuster it need not forget to have fun.
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