Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Terminator: Salvation

I can't believe I'm the only one who has ever had the following thought about the Terminator movies, but I've never heard it anywhere else.



In spite of the flawed logic, I'll still probably go see this movie. The trailer looks very cool. I might have a little trouble getting past Batman as John Connor, though.

Hey, if you're a musician and you missed yesterday's episode, be sure to check it out. I've issued a songwriters' challenge to put music to lyrics I've written. All (and I do mean all) submitted songs will be published in a special weekend posting on January 24. The first entry has already arrived.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

As a Sci-Fi geek I can explain this in 2 ways, there is the multiverse theory where each outcome results in a splitting of the timeline. In one timeline Sarah lives, in one she dies. If she dies someone else rises to lead the resistance, and thus the next timeline split. The second explanation disregards the Multiverse for a simple time loop. The robots can't go back to the day before the first attempt to kill her because of the paradox. If they go back farther on the second mission then the first mission couldn't have happened. Is your brain leaking out your ears yet? The suspension of disbelief is a huge factor in Sci-Fi especially in the movies where the real explanations are lost due to time and budget restrictions.

Dave Stratton said...

Interesting explanations, but I remain unconvinced. In the first explanation, we just conclude that in some universes there are sequels and in others there are not. That doesn't explain away the problem with the sequels that exist in our universe. Regarding the second explanation, the whole point of all the Terminator missions is to undo something previously done (the birth of JC -- oh my god I just noticed the symbolism). So what do they care if the first mission gets undone? Made unhappened? Whatever. You're right about the need for suspension of disbelief. Mine is quite powerful, so I'm still able to enjoy these movies, the Bond films, 24, and even the Today Show.

Dave Stratton said...

Now that you've got me thinking about this, I wonder what would happen if the robots ever did succeed. Picture it -- the robot overlords are gathered around the time machine. They have just sent a Terminator back to kill John or Sarah, then suddenly John Connor doesn't exist and never did exist. Wouldn't they be standing there confused, saying, "What are we doing here? Apparently we just sent something back in the time machine. Anyone know why? Anyone? Is this a good thing that we don't know what the frack we're doing here? My CPU is overheating." I think that would be a very funny scene. I would cast a bunch of CP30s as the confused robot overlords.

Jeremy said...

Exactly Dave, they would not know if the outcome was successful or not. As shipping troll said, it was either create an alternate timeline that they would not be a part of or they would never know to check their results due to the fact that it happened so many years prior.

If you watch the series they seem to address that in the episode where the renegade Aussie chick that comes back by herself remembers something about Kyle that that Kyle Reese did not experience. They have already made so many changes that it has changed the future to be unrecognizable to the people that came back.

Smooth said...

All this talk just makes me want to watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGoi1MSGu64