Terminator Salvation
In a machine-ruled 2018, a resistance leader and an amnesiac stranger fight through the ruins of civilization to save the future of humanity.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- bleak
- propulsive
- foreboding
- action movie night
- science fiction marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the effects and action spectacle impressive but considered the storytelling mechanical and the dramatic character work comparatively weak.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The 2018 storyline follows John Connor and human resistance fighters conducting operations against Skynet and its machines.
Marcus awakens naked with amnesia, and the story gradually makes his unexplained body and origins central to the conflict.
The film depicts a devastated 2018 landscape where survivors travel through dangerous territory while Skynet controls lethal automated weapons.
The film presents John Connor's resistance leadership and Kyle Reese's emergence within the future conflict referenced by earlier Terminator stories.
Films like Terminator Salvation, and why
The Terminator
shares post-apocalyptic warfare, human resistance against artificial intelligence, militarized action, and dystopian technology
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
shares large-scale machine combat, survivalist futurism, resistance themes, and cyberpunk science fiction
The Matrix
shares post-apocalyptic landscapes, rebellion against autonomous machines, and bleak techno-thriller action
Mad Max: Fury Road
shares war-film spectacle, desperate survival, and high-intensity combat in a devastated future
Movie Details
- Director
- McG
- Release Date
- 2009-05-20
- Runtime
- 115 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (7261)
Cast
- Christian Bale
- Sam Worthington
- Moon Bloodgood
- Helena Bonham Carter
- Anton Yelchin
- Common
- Zach McGowan
- Bryce Dallas Howard
- Jane Alexander
- Michael Ironside
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Terminator Salvation about?
- In a machine-ruled 2018, a resistance leader and an amnesiac stranger fight through the ruins of civilization to save the future of humanity.
- What is Terminator Salvation like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Terminator Salvation as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Terminator Salvation violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Terminator Salvation as moderate.
- What did critics think of Terminator Salvation?
- Critics broadly found the effects and action spectacle impressive but considered the storytelling mechanical and the dramatic character work comparatively weak.
- Which films are like Terminator Salvation?
- Films with a similar feel include The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Matrix, and Mad Max: Fury Road.
- How long is Terminator Salvation?
- Terminator Salvation runs 115 minutes.
- Where can I watch Terminator Salvation?
- In United States, Terminator Salvation is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
