The previous three Terminator films provided tantalisingly teasing glimpses of the much-referenced future wars, but never really provided the fans with what we wanted to see; humans vs the machines in a post-apocalyptic age. That's where Terminator Salvation and McG step in. Greeted by general derision by fans before a frame had been shot, mainly because of the appointment of McG as director, can the silly-named Charlie's Angels director appease the fans, satiate the expectation and produce a sequel/prequel/continuation/reimagining that's fit to be associated wiith James Cameron's classics? Well, while not in the same league as Cameron's sci-fi masterpieces, the good news is that McG has done a good job and produced an impressive and entertaining film. It kicks off with a bang and doesn't let up for it's entire running time, with spectacular action scene after action scene, featuring the Terminator models we know and love as well as some new additions (metal-snake things, really fast motorcycle cyborgs, a giant robot that snatches people up for harvesting), with impressive use of effects both practical and digital. The action is the main attraction of the film, but the actors do wonders with the generally well-written screenplay (the odd clunky line excused). Christian Bale is as intense, gravelly-voiced and brilliant as we expect, while Sam Worthington (next to be seen in Terminator creator James Cameron's 3D spectacular Avatar) does well as does Anton Yelchin as the young Kyle Reese. Imagine Saving Private Ryan but with the Nazis replaced with killer cyborgs and you'll have an idea of what to expect from Terminator Salvation; eschewing the chase movie structure of the previous 3, this 4th instalment is more of a war movie. Shot with a shakey- camera urgency, McG and his crew (including his cinematographer, now infamous from that leaked Christian Bale outburst) give the film a great visual look, a washed out pallet of colours representing this post-apocalyptic world. McG references the previous films (Arnie cameos, the two famous lines "i'll be back" and "come with me if you want to live" are used) and it fits in with the, admittedly convoluted, timeline of the mythology, but he isn't afraid to deliver his own film, not merely a rehash of it's progenitors. Far from the disaster people were anticipating, Terminator Salvation is a film worthy of it's famous title. Great visuals, great action, great entertainment. Come on guys, give McG a break.