Saw it. It was garbage. Nothing about it screamed "Terminator". Nothing but random explosions, bad acting, lousy CGI, that cliched "Iraq documentary" directing style, and Mad Max pastiches. I don't know where this fangasm is coming from. Open your eyes, this is a mainstream representation of Terminator, not an artistic representation.
The first two Terminator movies were bold, brassy, had awesome contemporary stunts, awesome modeling and effects work with both a limited AND unlimited budget, they played like a rock'n'roll road movie...that's what makes Terminator "Terminator", the escalation of drama in a nightmarish, ignorant present day world where they think their saviours are mad and that nothing's going to happen to them. This is why Sarah Conner Chronicles was a masterpeice and stayed TRUE to the "road trip from hell" scenario, it "got" Terminator.
This does not.
The most iconic thing about this crap is the outtakes with Bale.
And I hate when idiots use the "don't listen to the critics" shitic. How retarded. Critics are members of the audience as much as anyone. If anything, I could argue the only reason the audience like this is because there sheep who roar at explosions.