While there's no disputing "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" is a weaker film than the first two entries in the franchise, the critical reception toward it was largely warm, securing a 69% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In many ways, this relieved the pressure for "Terminator Salvation," as it had a buffer between it and the iconic films from the past.
Instead, "Salvation" received the dishonorable distinction of being the first film in the franchise to have a Rotten rating, as it only garnered 33% critical approval and a 53% audience rating. In fact, its blushes are only spared as being the worst-rated film in the franchise by its successor, "Terminator Genisys," which holds a measly 26%. The New Yorker's Anthony Lane gave it a thumbs-down, even suggesting Christian Bale's on-set meltdown might have been more interesting in contrast, writing, "'Terminator Salvation' is a confused, humorless grind, with nobody, from the stars to the set designers, prepared to prick its self-importance."
