MCG, THE MACHINE BEHIND ‘TERMINATOR SALVATION’

This week the “Terminator” franchise returns to theaters with its darkest chapter yet, a relentless, spirit-crushing vision of the future where humans are snuffed by killer robots. There are not a lot of lighthearted moments in this film, but you might hear chuckles in the theater during the screen credits because of one line: “A McG film.”

McG? ? Let the eye-rolling begin. There’s something about that name that conjures up images of Sacha Baron Cohen’s hip-hop buffoon Ali G or maybe McLovin, the nerdy, underage boozehound from “Superbad,” cultural references that don’t exactly lend themselves to the fearsome, grinding gears of “Terminator Salvation.” His resume hasn’t relieved the pressure, as it’s highlighted by the gloss of two “Charlie’s Angels” films, a lot of pop music videos and a Superman film project that infamously never got off the ground.