The first thing I thought of when this movie was over was "I wonder how many people got fired for this". Whether it's the god awful cinematography and visual style, or the inane storyline filled with mediocre action, there's nothing that Salvation really does right. My excitement for the film peaked when I saw some of the casting, but even great actors can't make the writing any better. Bale does a fine job, but the character writing is so shoddy that it feels like the John Connor of the previous films doesn't exist. The story is just as terrible, this is a film whose conflict is mostly driven by stupidity, both from the protagonists and antagonists. Entire parts of the film would have to be cut out if the machines acted even a little like they are supposed to. But while watching this movie, all I could think about was how poor it looks. Literal constant shaky cam, terrible lighting, dumb close-ups to hide the boring set design, it's all here. I've seen YouTube videos with higher quality action and CGI. Absolutely hilarious that they thought this was going to be a new trilogy.