--- title: "Terminator Salvation: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/terminator-salvation/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/terminator-salvation" critics_score: 46 critics_reviews: 12 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Terminator Salvation (2009): what the critics said Critics' score 46 from 12 reviews: 4 positive, 2 mixed, 6 negative. The reviews lean negative, with six of twelve against and only four clearly in favour, but almost everyone agrees on where the film’s strengths lie. The action and the hardware get the praise: the future-war setting, the variety of machine designs and the set-pieces, with even the harshest notices allowing that one desert chase stands with the best in the series. Among the cast, Sam Worthington’s Marcus Wright is the performance most often singled out, and Anton Yelchin’s Kyle Reese picks up several mentions. The complaints gather around the people rather than the metal. Most critics find the human drama thin, John Connor underwritten and Christian Bale given little to do, and a few miss the humour and irony of the earlier films. The spread is wide: Empire calls it a clear step up from the third instalment, while The Guardian finds it dull and Time Out a mess. Slant goes furthest, saying it finishes the series off. ## Empire — empire Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 20 May 2009. The critic finds the film pretty damn good overall and a big step up from Terminator 3, praising its propulsive plot, exciting set-pieces and strong performances from Christian Bale and Anton Yelchin. They single out the fresh men-on-a-mission structure and variety of robot designs for praise. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/terminator-salvation-review/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 18 May 2009. The machines should get top billing in this dark fourth instalment; it makes up in stylish visuals and thunderous action for what it lacks in human drama and narrative focus. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/terminator-salvation/5001279.article) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 May 2009. The film is a sturdy and serviceable sequel with brute integrity, efficient storytelling, and mastery of chases, fights, and explosions. McG manages speed and technomayhem with aplomb despite lacking a signature style. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/movies/21term.html) ## Total Film — Simon Edwards Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 May 2009. The critic says McG largely delivers on the future-war premise with exciting action and hardware, highlighting Sam Worthington's full arc and performance as the standout. They single out the strong set-pieces for praise while noting weaker character work outside the main quartet and limited accessibility for newcomers. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/terminator-salvation-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 20 May 2009. The movie delivers pyrotechnics and heavy artillery for fans but loses the chess match tension between man and machine; Sam Worthington's Marcus Wright steals the show as the conflicted warrior. Bale's John Connor struggles to anchor the chaos. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-may-20-et-terminator20-story.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — The Associated Press Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 17 May 2009. The film delivers plenty of crunching heavy metal action in its post-apocalyptic setting but offers little dramatic life or satisfying human element. It is not the same without Schwarzenegger, resulting in terminally sullen results unlikely to match the scale of bigger blockbusters. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/terminator-salvation-film-review-93173/) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 25 May 2009. The film is a confused, humorless grind that has lost the irony and fun of earlier entries, with oversized machines and self-important tone dominating. Performances and design fail to lift the weary saga. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/06/01/fighting-to-survive) ## Slant Magazine Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 21 May 2009. McG fails to deepen the series' timeline or storytelling and instead shifts to a lighter, impersonal Transformers-like approach with one-note characters and escapable machines. The film is rife with dumb callbacks, lacks internal logic, and finishes off the Terminator series. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/terminator-salvation/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 4 June 2009. The critic finds the film a fantastically dull fourth episode that brings the franchise to a creative standstill. He singles out the uninvolving action sequences and Christian Bale's dull performance for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/jun/04/terminator-salvation-film-review) ## Time Out — Tom Huddleston Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 2 June 2009. It is a shambolic, deafening, intelligence-insulting mess and a crushing failure on almost all counts, though one desert chase scene rivals anything in the series. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/terminator-salvation-1) ## Den of Geek — Duncan Bowles Rating 3/5. 26 May 2009. The critic is torn between enjoying the film as spectacle and finding it lacking in emotional depth and heart. They single out the strong final act and Anton Yelchin's portrayal of Kyle Reese for praise. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/terminator-salvation-review-2/) ## Eye for Film — Anton Bitel Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 27 May 2009. The critic sees the film as a stopgap more interested in setting up sequels than standing on its own, with impressive but unremarkable SFX and an underwritten John Connor role that wastes Christian Bale. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/terminator-salvation-film-review-by-anton-bitel) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/terminator-salvation.md