Terminator Salvation has finally hit our cinema screens and it is sure to draw in the crowds this summer. This is the fourth film in the series and it features Christian Bale as John Connor leading the remnants of humanity against the ruthless machines commanded by Skynet. This is seriously high-octane, flashy action all the way and there are a few twists in store for fans of the franchise.

After Cyberdyne Systems developed Skynet and control of our defence was turned over disaster soon followed. Identifying humans as a threat Skynet took the understandable decision to just wipe us all out and dropped nuclear bombs across the world on what became known as Judgement Day. The bulk of the film is set after this event with a rag tag band of resistance fighters waging war against the might of the machines.

John Connor is gradually emerging as the leader but he faces opposition in his quest to save lives and in particular to find his father, Kyle Reese. There is also a mysterious man wandering around who seems to have a large part to play in the unfolding events. The action takes off at a serious pace starting with an assault on a Skynet facility and there are countless fights and chase sequences. The bitter war rages on and as the film builds to an explosive climax it looks as though the humans might just win but Skynet is nothing if not resourceful.

The cast are all well chosen and they give good performances here. Bale is a super tough, military style John Connor who bears little resemblance to the teen we remember from Terminator 2. Despite this discrepancy he convinces effortlessly as an action hero. Sam Worthington plays Marcus and turns in a similar muscular performance but the split between the two characters is grating and it feels as though the film makers are struggling to decide who the central character is. Moon Bloogood provides support as the attractive Blair, Helena Bonham Carter appears as the dodgy Dr. Kogan and Michael Ironside pops up as one of the resistance leaders. The best performance is given by Anton Yelchin who plays a young Kyle Reese and he really conjures up memories of the original character.

The film was directed by McG and he avoids any character development or substance in favour of fast-paced never let up action. Terminator Salvation really is two solid hours of spectacular chases and destructive fights. The script is weak and the plot has a few holes too but the action is engaging and distracting with great special effects. The film could undoubtedly have been better but it could have been a lot worse and it certainly manages to beat the previous outing, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.

This is nowhere near the heights of the first two films and without Cameron it lacks the same gravity. The action is constant and it makes watching the film almost tiring. The complete lack of character development and the ropy story don’t help either. If you just want to switch off and enjoy some spectacular action then Terminator Salvation is worth seeing.