17 Years Later, Christian Bale’s Most Overlooked Thriller Is Worth Revisiting

For most people, a list of Christian Bale‘s most re-watchable movies would be quite long — one of the 21st century’s greatest stars, Bale has worked with iconic directors, won one Oscar (and received three other nominations), and created a legendary character with his three-movie run as Batman. But when we think of Bale’s best work, few of us think of Terminator Salvation, a movie with a 33% Tomatometer score that disappointed many Terminator franchise fans during its initial release.

However, those turning their noses up at the 2009 film might be missing out. Believe it or not, Salvation, out of all the Terminator movies, found itself among HBO Max’s most popular movies last month. The only franchise installment to be set entirely in the future, there’s an argument to be made that this fourth entry is more than just better than viewers thought at the time — it may actually be the best Terminator sequel besides Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

‘Terminator Salvation’ Finally Reveals Something Fans Have Wanted for Decades

Directed by McG, Terminator Salvation picks up over a decade after Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, in a post-Judgment Day 2018 (which was still the future back in 2009, but feels like ages ago now). As Bale’s John Connor wrestles through the ranks of the Resistance, Skynet continues to take over the war-torn and charred West Coast. But when a stranger named Marcus (Sam Worthington) appears, Connor is forced to deal with a type of cyborg he’s never seen before, all while doing everything he can to find Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin), the man he knows will one day become his father.

With a full-blown post-apocalyptic aesthetic that emphasizes the mechanical dangers all around, Salvation does what all Terminator fans have clamored for since the original: it chronicles the Future War. Based on that premise alone, you’ll find enough excitement to hold onto for just under two hours — which is no small thing for a movie with an infamously chaotic production.

As Bale once put it in an interview with Collider: “This is Terminator, and as much as people want to have some kind of human story and character in there, there must be, but what are people really going for? They’re going for a good time.” And if a good time is what you’re hoping for the next time movie night comes around, then don’t sleep on the suspense-filled thrills of Terminator Salvation. Between the impressive Terminator designs, pulse-pounding action sequences, and strong cast, which also includes Moon Bloodgood, Common, Michael Ironside, and Bryce Dallas Howard, there’s no reason not to give this one-off sequel another go. You may be surprised at how well it stands up to modern sci-fi blockbusters.

The Film Honors the Franchise’s Potential

Despite Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s claims that Terminator Salvation “sucked,” the reality couldn’t be further from the truth. No, it’s not a genre-defining James Cameron/Schwarzenegger collaboration that will knock your socks off. But Salvation is a competent and enjoyable action movie that makes good on its promise to explore what the world (or, at least Los Angeles) might look like if the machines really did take over.

Yes, it wasn’t structured like any of the other films. But that change from film to film is actually a crucial element of what makes the franchise function. Part of the reason that T2 works so well in comparison to The Terminator is the way that Cameron subverts audience expectations by shifting the tone from a low-budget sci-fi horror to a high-octane sci-fi blockbuster. Likewise, while all other franchise sequels attempt to copy the success of Cameron’s sequel, McG and company switch up the format once more, trading in the impending threat of the future for that very future that our heroes tried so desperately to prevent.

As arguably the most underrated entry in the Terminator saga, it stands apart by refusing to rely on time-travel or the usual trick of one-upping the previous Terminator antagonist. Likewise, it doesn’t require that you know much of anything about previous installments beyond what the movie itself offers. Instead, the film is presented as a high-octane post-apocalyptic adventure. While it may not live up to all of our Future War expectations from Cameron’s films (remember: this is supposed to be 2018, not the 2029 future seen in The Terminator), it’s still leagues better than most of the other post-T2 flicks out there. Terminator Salvation may not be the best that the franchise has to offer, but it’s the type of action flick that still packs a mean punch.