Hey U Guys

I knew on Sunday when I went to see Terminator Salvation that there was no way I was going to be able to sit down and write a typical “review”.  The manner in which I saw this film deserves its own type of recognition.  So I’m going to break it down into 3 areas.  This is my review for the Terminator Salvation Experience.

The Film

Being a huge fan of the Terminator franchise, especially the T1 and T2 films (yes, I was one of the few that actually thought T3 was decent) I was excited, yet nervous by the thought of another one.  When I first read that they were making it, my first thought “NOOOOO!”.  After I read that Christian Bale had signed on to play John Connor, my “NOOOOO” turned into more of a “Ok, maybe it won’t be so bad.”

I went into this film knowing full well it could one of two ways.  It was either going to be really great, or it wasn’t.  Having McG as the director, there was a lot of scuttlebutt going around that he wouldn’t do the franchise justice.  After seeing it, I think those naysayers were wrong.  I won’t go into details regarding the story because as I’ve mentioned before, I don’t like to include spoilers.  To give a brief synopsis of the film, I’ll run it down for you like this.  Terminator Salvation picks up years after Judgment Day.  The year is 2018 and the Resistance is in the midst of the war against the machines.  Fighting what looks to be losing battle, John and company make a discovery that shifts the core of what John has always believed his future to be. 

Sam Worthington plays Marcus Wright.  Wright is a new character to the Terminator franchise and is an excellent addition.  I had read that Christian Bale originally wanted this part but I’m glad he went with the John Connor role, because Sam Worthington absolutely owned this role.  His portrayal of the spectrum of emotions that Marcus went through was believable and resonated beyond the screen.  Bale and Worthington are also joined by Anton Yelchin who plays the young Kyle Reese.  The Reese in this story is younger than his character in The Terminator and I think Yelchin was a great fit.  Here, he’s still a boy, but one who has had to become a man very quickly against the backdrop of war.   The casting was well chosen and I feel that everyone delivered.  Performances were believable and honest. 

I think McG really delivered here as well.  He has a good eye for action and the pace was well kept.  There were a few throwbacks scattered through out the film and for those who are familiar with the franchise, you’ll be able to spot them right away.  Some may see this as cheating on McG’s part, but I think he used them more as a tribute to the originals.  Some are pretty blatant, and some are more subtle, but the trained eye will definitely be able to pick them out.

The Theater

I was fortunate to have been in Southern California this weekend.  Since we were close, we decided to head over to Los Angeles on Sunday specifically to see Terminator Salvation at Mann’s Chinese Theater.  This theater is legendary.  It’s been remodeled since the last time I was there and it’s absolutely gorgeous.  There is something about going to see a film, any film at a theater that has so much history.  If only the walls could talk!  Unfortunately the showing we went to was not in the Grauman’s Chinese Theater (the main theater).  Instead this was shown in theater 6.  Not seeing it in the main theater was a bit of a bummer, but theater 6 was chosen for a reason.  That was the theater that had the D-Box Motion Code seats for the showing we went to.

The Seats

When I started to plan the trip to L.A., my first order of business was to look up the Chinese Theater to see if the film was playing there and to look at the show times.  When I went to the website I came across a blip on something called D-Box Motion Code seating.  I didn’t know what it was so I did some research.  The D-Box seats provide the film-goer with an insane film going experience.  These seats are specifically programmed and synched with a specific film.  They shake, shimmy, tilt and pitch you like you are actually in the film.  It’s completely insane.  After they turned out the lights they showed a preview presentation on the seats and while they were showing on the screen what the seats could do, our seats were doing it.  It gives a whole new dimension to watching a film.  I asked Dave if England had anything like this and he said no.  I knew then that I must put myself on the line so that I could report back and let our readers know about this invention.   There are only a handful of theaters that have incorporated this technology and the Chinese Theater was only one of four theaters in the United States to use it with Terminator Salvation.  I wasn’t sure if they outfitted an entire theater with the seats or if there were just a few.  When we went up to the ticket counter, we actually got to choose our own seats.  Come to find out, only one row of theater 6 was equipped.  The tickets are costly, at $20 a seat you better be sure you want to see a film in this fashion.  As far as I’m concerned it was $20 well spent.  I’d do it again.  From the beginning credits, the seats started to move in rhythm with that famous Terminator theme…you know the one…all though the action sequences to the end, the D-Box seats give you a completely different type of experience.  The flying scenes, the fist fist-fights, the shooting, the crashes, you feel it all.  The fact that they move means they take up a little more space than the average seat…which means when you’re sitting in these seats, you aren’t on your neighbors lap.  Which is nice for a change! 

I have to say that overall this was one of the best film-going experiences I’ve had.  I had a wad of napkins in my fist that got absolutely decimated.  I was tense, excited and enthralled throughout the whole film.  This turned me into a giggling schoolgirl and for that I’m giving this experience a 9 out of 10.  I know, I know, but to me it was just that good!  I’m probably biased due to the fact that I love the franchise, or it could have been the fact that I saw it at the Chinese Theater or it could even be because THE SEATS MOVED!  Whatever the reason, I loved it.  That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.

If you’ve seen Terminator Salvation, please comment.  We would love to hear what you have to say.