Thank You, Critics

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the critics for panning Terminator Salvation. I'm being serious. I went in to the film with lowered expectations, and as a result...I absolutely loved it.

On Rotten Tomatoes, TS has only a 35% rating at the time of this post. Nearly all the reviews I've read, including Ebert's, have slammed this movie, or worst, damned it with faint praise.

The story is not without its hiccups, but on the whole, it's a well-produced, well-filmed, action-filled joy ride from start to finish. Sam Worthington steals the show as Marcus Wright, and I never thought I'd say this, but Anton Yelchin is excellent as Kyle Reese. The not-so-invisible hand of Christian Bale unfortunately left a few marks on the script, but it's a better movie with Bale-man in it than not in it.

I'm not going to ruin the movie for you, but I will say this: the critics universally called this one wrong. It's a good movie, borderline great, and has an intelligent plot with zero fat on it. There are some nice turns, especially the dramatic reversal that occurs during the climax of the film. If you're a Terminator fan, you owe it to yourself to see this movie.

Movies I Want To See This Summer

It's now the middle of April, which means the season of the blockbuster is upon us. In no particular order, here are some of the movies I want to see this summer...

1. Star Trek. I've already posted here and here about this movie, so I won't say any more now.

2. Terminator Salvation, because I have to see if Bale's performance is good enough to justify the ridiculous on-set rant. Okay, nothing could ever justify something like that, but still, Bale's capable of being a great actor (The Machinist, anyone?) and it's a Terminator movie.

3. Funny People, which stars Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, and Eric Bana. Sandler has been very good in his more serious roles, like in Punch Drunk Love and Reign Over Me. Based on the preview, it looks like this one will have decent drama and lots of laughs, but without descending into some of the more silly humor.

4. Whatever Works. If you haven't heard of this movie, here's all you need to know: Woody Allen directs Larry David.

5. X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

6. The Taking of Pelham 123. Call this one morbid curiosity. I absolutely love the original with Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw, and I want to see if Tony "I have to stylize every single shot in a movie" Scott pulls off a decent remake. I was skeptical, and still am, of this being a good film, but the trailer has got me wondering.

7. Public Enemies. A film about John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, and J. Edgar Hoover, directed by Michael Mann. Need I say more?