I'd watched the original Terminator (1984), and seen Judgement Day (1991) as well as Rise of the Machines (2003) but hadn't kept up with the series after that. Wanted to kill some time this weekend so...
Terminator: Salvation (2009)
I'll start by saying I like Christian Bale. I don't love him as an actor, but I generally like what he does in films. This is mostly anchored in what he did for the role in The Machinist (2004), as I didn't see American Psycho until later. Let me just follow that statement with my assessment of his performance in this film being "did he lose a bet with someone and have to take this role?" It looks like he gives it his all, and it comes off with the same criticism many have of Keanu Reeves in that it appears canned, unemotional (even his yelling is just volume, not emotion), and the same actor stuck in yet another of the same old same old. Bale just doesn't do it in this film. Though, I suppose nobody does as they are on what 6? 7 in the series? and nobody other than Ahnahld gets brought back. I will say, in this one, I really bonded with Sam Worthington who, while being a 'supporting actor' kind of face really took the story and carried it on his back throughout. His story was THE story. Yes, there's lots of explosions, gunfire, and killing as required by the genre and title, but they did well with Worthington's role. He brings this from a 5 up to a 7/10.
ThreatMatrix: Nuthin. They got nuthin.
Terminator: Genisys (2015)
New film, new cast...other than Ahnahld returning yet again. Here, we introduce timelines and how they can get changed. Meh, ok. I struggled to determine if I found the new Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) attractive; however Jai Courtney as Kyle Reese for this go'round did very well in his role. Ahnahld got a bit more screen time, with plenty of VFS for de-aging. But our protagonist in this one as John Connor was Jason Clarke. No offense intended for Mr. Clarke or his parents, but it just didn't look good on screen. His acting outdid his looks, but overall it couldn't be overcome and it detracted from the film. Story wise, they did well to take things up a notch. The time travel twists opened a few plot opportunities, and they used Ahnahld very well, but for me Kyle Reese's (Jai Courtney) relatability kept me in the story line better. They also brought in the T-1000 liquid metal baddie for a bit, which is always cool, but then connected him to others in new ways that were both interesting, believable, and sure to set up another film (Dark Fate 2019). Final verdict 8/10
ThreatMatrix: We get a shadow of Sarah while she gets nekkid for the time travel thing. Her and Reese. We see their backs from shoulder up in the light. So, nuhtin.