New Terminator Flick not a Salvation for Franchise

Apparently, in Hollywood, mediocrity is acceptable. Maybe there is hope for me yet. Fortunately, the new Terminator movie isn't Catwoman horrible (which, is itself a miracle, given the writing staff). But it isn't Terminator 2 good either. I actually enjoyed parts of the flick and felt it had potential. Maybe one could go back into time, pick up some street clothes, give the script a good rewrite, beg Cameron to helm, and ask Christian Bale to please play a bit part.

I really do like Christian Bale. He is a fantastic actor who really digs deep into the character he is portraying. But I felt the script didn't call for John Conner at the forefront. This story really wasn't about him, or his 'standing around doing not much' wife and staff officers. In a movie where he isn't the resistance leader, it would have been better served to have him as a background player in this first movie. It would also explain why the film failed to portray Conner as the bad-ass that Machines feared. Apparently, he hasn't developed into that character yet. So, why show him on his back, crawling away for most of the flick, and ultimately detracting from the more important storyline?

If one also forgives the bad editing, constant plot holes, gaps in logic, physics that would be pulled over for breaking the law, and the mind scratching question"What date will Conner give for Judgment day when he sends people back?" the storyline of Marcus was actually very good and could have been made into a Terminator movie.

Spoilers.

Usually, I skip over religious symbolism in film. I suppose the Christian bible is an easy source to rip off, and in public domain, so no-one has to pay any pesky royalties. But, while many flicks depict their hero as a post-apocalyptic savior (John Conner's initials are JC), not much attention is ever given to the original Savior's supporting cast. In this case, Marcus is a criminal, a cop killer, Cain and just not a nice guy. So in case you missed the plot point, the film stops for a minute so Marcus can be raised onto a cross for all the audience to see. Once the film resumes, Marcus is passed through a judgment of fire as the world is consumed by Judgment Day (which is one of the reasons I liked Terminator 3. Not many movies will actually blow everyone up). Marcus is reborn and in short order is on a quest to find John Conner and discover himself. To complete the religious parallel of the thief on the cross, it is through John Conner that Marcus will find his salvation. Too bad they didn't make a film of it. That, and an actual army of robots, a hard-core John Conner and plasma rifles (in the 40 watt range) would have made a great movie.