Like one of its unstoppable robots, the TERMINATOR series continues to chase after its prey: the almighty dollar. The first film in the series was the complete package, a sleek and deadly time travel tale that ends on a tidy and final note. Creator/director James Cameron brought the series back to life in 1991, though, with a few new wrinkles, some very special effects, and lots of ultra-action – but there wasn’t much of a story to tell. the third film had even less on its mind, reducing the iconic Terminator franchise to a series of action set pieces.

Now we have a fourth film in the franchise. It is a gritty, vicious, and ultimately empty experience.

Christian Bale stars as John Connor, the grown-up version of the bratty kid in JUDGMENT DAY. Connor has taken his place as the spiritual leader of the Resistance, largely due to the recording left by his mother that tell the stories related to her by Kyle Reese from the first film. Connor is preparing his ragged troops for a final assault against the Skynet control compound utilizing a signal that will disable the machines.

But this is also a movie about a man named Marcus (Sam Worthington), a convicted criminal who manages to cheat death thanks to Cyberdyne technology. Dazed and confused in this post-Judgment Day world, Marcus goes in search of Skynet in the hopes of finding answers. Eventually, Marcus and Connor team up to try and defeat the machines.

First of all, the technical effects are excellent and, in some instances, breathtaking. The sound effects department had better start preparing Oscar speeches, because I thought the sound design was spectacular. Most of the CGI works very well in this film as well, which are combined deftly with some excellent practical effects. Every dollar is showing onscreen.

Where the movie falters is with the script and the cast. First of all, the script lacks a propulsive drive toward a third act climax. The motivations of each character are all over the place. One minute Connor is suspicious of Marcus, and then in the next he’s making plans with him. Particularly confusing is Marcus’ motivation to go to Skynet. How exactly does he know he needs to go there? Why does he think the answers are there? On what is he seeking revenge?

The script has serious character problems as well. Connor is reduced to a barking, brooding monotony of wartime cliches. Several other characters are thinly sketched references to other films. For example, the little girl here is reminiscent of Newt from ALIENS, except without her charm or story depth. Other characters follow similar fates. Anton Yelchin’s Kyle Reese is the typical “young man who wants to be a leader” character we have seen in countless other films.

My other complaint about the script is the fact that it doesn’t really have an ending. By the time the film is finished, you realize you’ve been duped. You just sat through a film that didn’t really matter at all. Connor doesn’t really accomplish anything, and none of the actual story about the war has only just begun. It’s a very frustrating aspect to this movie.

The performances are generally pretty bad overall. Worthington and Yelchin by far do the best work here; Worthington steals the movie from Bale with a fairly charismatic performance that infuses his poorly written character with just enough actual emotion to remain believable. Yelchin has almost nothing substantial to use from the script, but he manages to give his Reese some substance anyway.

Bale is awful, though. All growling and grumbling in that low-pitched whisper of his, Bale has become a caricature of himself. While watching the film, I thought that I’d be happy to never watch him act again. To quote the man himself, “it’s fucking distracting” to watch him repeat the same tone of voice in every performance. Does he have anything else to offer anymore?

The other truly bad performance comes from the infamous Helena Bonham Carter, who plays a scientist with Cyberdyne who eventually becomes the face of Skynet. The idea is ludicrous enough, basically taking a forgettable page out of SUPERMAN 3’s horrible robot lady. But then you cast Carter in the role, and she does her usual lip-twitching, wide-eyed psychopath routine. I would say that I haven’t liked a single performance from her since MERLIN so long ago, and even that was over-the-top. It’s a terribly distracting performance that induces laughter.

And one other point – Arnold makes an appearance here that is truly breathtaking. The CGI artists who made it possible should all be commended for that stunning entrance.

Director McG does a good job of keeping the action tight and punishing. There are several excellent action beats in this film, and all of them are handled well. The film has a washed-out look similar to SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, and McG does a masterful job of putting the audience right in the thick of the action. Some of this film is simply not his fault; his direction is ankled time and again by a poorly designed script.

The film ends on a half note, basically warming us up for the inevitable part two of a new trilogy. Unfortunately, part one is less than satisfying. Perhaps the next time they approach one of these films, they should worry more about telling one cohesive story, rather than spend their time counting the money they will make from their lucrative and obligatory trilogies.

I, for one, wouldn’t mind this series being terminated.