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TERMINATOR: SALVATION (2009) MOVIE REACTION!! Christian Bale | Sam Worthington

2025-12-07 Entertainment
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Reel Rejects
Reel Rejects
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Terminator: Salvation (2009) Reaction and Mid-Tier Review

Roxy and Tara analyze whether Terminator: Salvation successfully reinvents the franchise with its post-Judgment Day war aesthetic, or if poor writing and pacing sink the strong ensemble cast.

Short Summary

  • The film trades time-travel suspense for large-scale resistance warfare set in 2018.
  • Christian Bale (John Connor) and Sam Worthington (Marcus Wright) delivered strong performances despite concerning writing.
  • Viewers ultimately categorized the movie as "mid" due to pacing issues that left the climax feeling emotionally unearned.
  • Marcus Wright’s identity as a human/machine hybrid forms the core conflict of the survival story concerning what defines humanity.

This reaction and review dives into the gritty world after Judgment Day, examining how director McG handled the established mythology and the notable cast, analyzing specific action sequences, and debating the merits of Marcus Wright’s divisive character arc.

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Description

JUDGMENT DAY HAS ARRIVED!! Terminator Salvation Full Reaction Watch Along: https://www.patreon.com/thereelrejects - Download PrizePicks today at https://www.prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/REJECTS & use code REJECTS to get $50 instantly when you play $5! - Gift Someone (Or Yourself) A Stranger Things RR Tee! https://shorturl.at/hekk2 - The Terminator (1984) Movie Reaction: https://youtu.be/EfG4-rGPC7Y - Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) Reaction: https://youtu.be/wOaep1oxN5g - Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) Reaction: https://youtu.be/d26mJKnGMGA With Sam Worthington returning to cinemas in Avatar: Fire and Ash + Christian Bale set to appear as Frankenstein's Monster in Maggie Gyllenhaal's "The Bride," Tara & Roxy continue their TERMINATOR Marathon giving their Terminator: Salvation Reaction, Recap, Analysis, Breakdown, & Spoiler Review! Roxy Striar (Always, Lola) & Tara Erickson (The Rage Pod) brave the dark & war-torn reinvention of the Terminator franchise that shifts from time-travel suspense to full-scale resistance warfare. Directed by McG (Charlie’s Angels, We Are Marshall), T4 drops us into the scorched wasteland of 2018, where humanity’s fight for survival rages against Skynet’s growing army. Christian Bale (The Dark Knight, The Prestige) stars as John Connor, prophesied leader of the Resistance — now grappling with the weight of destiny as Skynet develops new machines, strategies, & horrors. Meanwhile, Sam Worthington (Avatar, Clash of the Titans) delivers a powerhouse performance as Marcus Wright, a death-row inmate awakened in the ruins of the future with no memory & a terrifying secret embedded deep within his body. His journey with a young Kyle Reese — played by Anton Yelchin (Star Trek, Green Room) — forms the emotional backbone of the film, as Marcus struggles to understand whether he is humanity’s salvation… or Skynet’s perfect weapon. The cast is rounded out by Moon Bloodgood (Falling Skies) as fighter-pilot Blair Williams, Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World) as Kate Connor, and Helena Bonham Carter (Fight Club, Harry Potter) in a chilling role that ties Marcus’s origins directly to Skynet’s sinister rise. Roxy & Tara break down all the standout sequences: Connor’s helicopter crash opening, the terrifying motorcycle-terminator chase, the giant Harvester robot attack, Marcus and Kyle’s escape across the wasteland, and the climactic infiltration of Skynet HQ — complete with the shocking T-800 reveal that pays direct homage to the franchise’s roots. They discuss how Terminator Salvation expands the mythology, explores the blurred line between man & machine, and attempts to redefine the series with a grittier, war-film aesthetic. #TerminatorSalvation #Terminator #SamWorthington #ChristianBale #JohnConnor #JamesCameron #McG #T800 #Terminator4 #TheTerminator #Skynet #MovieReaction #SciFiMovies #ActionMovies #MovieReview #ReactionVideo #SciFiReaction #FilmReaction #Movie #Movies #React #Cyberdyne #React #ReactTo #Reaction The Terminator (1984) Greg & Coy's Reaction COMMENTARY: https://youtu.be/s4zz-0vHwdc T2: Judgment Day (1991) Greg & Coy's COMMENTARY: https://youtu.be/IqmNtkKIsCc 0:00 Checking In! 02:36 Terminator Salvation Reaction 30:06 PRIZE PICKS 31:28 Terminator Salvation Movie Reaction 59:07 Terminator Salvation Review Follow Roxy Striar: https://www.instagram.com/roxystriar/?hl=en https://twitter.com/roxystriar Follow *Tara Erickson* on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaraErickson https://www.instagram.com/taraerickson/ https://twitter.com/thetaraerickson Intense Suspense by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ RR Clips & Shorts Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ReelRejectsClips Follow TheReelRejects On The Socials: https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ https://www.tiktok.com/@thereelrejects?lang=en https://twitter.com/thereelrejects https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ Music Used In Ad: Hat the Jazz by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Head Editor: https://www.instagram.com/praperhq/?hl=en Supervising Producer: https://twitter.com/nerdchronic?lang=en Co-Editor: Greg Alba Co-Editor: John Humphrey Music In Video: Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Follow & Listen to Us Wherever You Get Your Podcasts!! - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3XHMwbveiznxSOGxN9XT0M - Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vc3Rhci13YXJzLXRhbGs

Top Comments (10)

@tegridygone6185 2025-12-07

tara laughing and asking why is the terminator wildly shooting everywhere. did you not see moments before kyle stabbing it in the back of the neck disorienting it?

129 7 replies
@PlanetMobius87 2025-12-07

20:24, Marcus shows Kyle how to strap the gun to himself. When Kyle gets to LA in 1984, it’s one of the first things he does.

105 3 replies
@VirusSI 2025-12-07

When you start a reaction with an "I really don't want to be here" attitude you end up with a disaster like this.

102 3 replies
@HartmanMetal 2025-12-07

Kyle Reese was born around 2003 or 2004, so he is only 16 years old in Terminator: Salvation. By 2029, he would be around 26 or 27 this is when he is sent back in time to 1984 to protect Sarah Connor. Remember, Salvation is set in 2018, about a decade before Skynet develops time travel and starts sending anyone back in time, a full decade before Kyle follows the Terminator back to 1984. The fact that Judgment Day occurs in 2004 now also doesn’t change much; the war just happens around the time Kyle is born. Previously, it occurred in 1997, so there are slight differences. But Kyle is still born post-Judgment Day, even if some events in his timeline differ from the Kyle seen in the first movie.

101 6 replies
@ChristianAnstes 2025-12-08

"Why is the wife pregnant?" Well, when a man and a woman really like each other.....

89 2 replies
@bigjsquare1988 2025-12-08

I will always appreciate this film for doing something different with the franchise.

72 2 replies
@kenyaking7 2025-12-09

I just know yall got cooked in the comments hahaha after watching this reaction

44
@DCibener 2025-12-07

You two trying to work through time travel math is hysterical.

28
@ReelRejects 2025-12-06

Terminator: Genisys (2015) Movie Reaction: https://youtu.be/k6uy_LsQHR8 Prevent the rise of Skynet when you hit that *LIKE & SUBSCRIBE* Button!! 👉 https://www.youtube.com/user/TheReelRejects?sub_confirmation=1 - Download *PrizePicks* today at https://www.prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/REJECTS & use code REJECTS to get $50 instantly when you play $5! - Gift Someone (Or Yourself) A Stranger Things *RR* Tee! https://shorturl.at/hekk2 - Full Reaction Watch Along & MORE For *Royal* Rejects: https://www.patreon.com/thereelrejects

19 8 replies
@RoboNex666 2025-12-08

>Literally remembers nothing about the movies >Spends entire time criticizing the movie LMAO

13

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