Reviews Corner

First off, thanks to Mykapalaran.blogspot.com and TV5 for the movie invite held last May 27 in Greenbelt 3, Cinema 2 for the movie Terminator Salvation- the fourth installment of the Terminator series. Terminator Salvation dutifully took us to the future (as the first three did) with all the cybernetic possibilities and tale of this certain, ever enduring John Connor. He was John Connor already back when I was in early grade school and now that out of my college years for more than a decade, he is still John Connor. It was just right because, there would be this anchor we could go back and try to remember from the old days – John Connor and his quest to save the world from the machines.

Watching Terminator Salvation actually got the movie goers to want to do a marathon of the first three installments. I love this fourth installment the most. I’m not sure if was my youth and I was practically too young to have enjoyed the movie my mom dragged me to watch in 1984 (Terminator) that did not get me to appreciate the first movie as much. I was barely 8 back then! Or it could also be the number of years that passed. I would know after I watch the first three Terminator movies again soon.

To be honest, I can barely remember a whole lot of details from both Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Terminator 4: Salvation is set on the year 2018 where machines are carefree, roaming the earth while people strive to survive. Resistance Fighters headed by John Connor leads his team through this radio frequency. I love how they weaved the character of Marcus into the story. Half man, half machine. His emergence was planned out by Skynet, executed simultaneously as he was sentenced to death by lethal injection.

As with the theme of all previous Terminator movies, John Connor is out on a man/world-saving mission. This is like a given already. While the new character (Marcus) in this particular installment was a murderer back in the year 2004 was used by Skynet as he signed a contract of approval before his death. Marcus was built to be a killing machine, a former criminal who later became a hero as he repeatedly put his life on the line to save mankind.

The first few minutes of the movie got me all confused. Nothing made sense until the puzzle came together as Marcus (T-800) rose from his hibernation, as per Skynet’s plan. Terminator Salvation is the “doomsday” that was foretold from all the previous Terminator movies. The highlight of the movie was when John Connor quipped, “If we behave like machines, what’s the point of winning?” It packs the whole point of the rest of the human being Resistance Fighters (as they call themselves) and what Terminator Salvation is all about. This movie easily deserves 4 out of 5 stars.

TV5 has indeed unleashed a major player to Saturday primetime TV competition with Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, posing a big threat to the network wars as it posted high ratings during its pilot episode last Saturday.

Hundreds of thousands of viewers who were excited and curious of how the comeback of the international top-rating gameshow would go made sure they were home at 6:00 pm watching TV5. Now hosted by veteran comedian Vic Sotto, the premiere was truly a success as Who Wants to be a Millionaire? marked the channel’s highest-rating pilot episode within its genre.

As TV5 Senior VP for Brand Management Jasper Evangelista expresses, “We’re very pleased with the high ratings that Who Wants to be a Millionaire? posted on its pilot episode. We actually received a lot of positive feedback from our viewers, colleagues, and advertisers on how good the show is and how great Vic handles the hosting. We’re all excited for the next episodes because for sure, the viewership will expand even more. With Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, everybody now has a reason to be home every Saturday at 6 p.m.”

With 10 celebrity contestants who felt both excited and very nervous, the first round set off with DJ Mo Twister emerging as the fastest finger winner and as the first ever contestant to get on the hot seat face-to-face with host Vic Sotto. Indeed, experience isn’t after all the key to winning in the game show because ironically, the round ended for DJ Mo with a music trivia question regarding Freddie Aguilar’s award-winning Metropop song, Bulag, Pipi, at Bingi, considering his 14 years of experience as a DJ. Teen star Megan Young, whose hands were really cold as she nervously played on the second round, missed out on a question regarding Barbie Doll’s birthday. Slated to play next week is the last fastest finger winner, Polo Ravales who was anxiously seated beside ex-girlfriend Ara Mina. Find out if he’s going to fare better than the past two celebrities.

Catch and join Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and find out how you too can live the millionaire dream as it dominates the ratings and shakes Primetime TV every Saturday, 6 p.m., only on TV5.