The “beginning of the end” finally makes its way into stores this week. If you’re looking to bring your team together before the holiday tournament season, this week’s pick is a must-see.

Terminator Salvation [Warner Bros.] Release Date: December 1
Starring: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington and Anton Yelchin
Rated: PG-13

In the not-too-distant future, the long-predicted war between man and machine begins. John Connor [Bale], leader of the human resistance, is on a mission to destroy Skynet and prevent the machines from creating a new T-800 robot, which will look like and mimic the human race. But when he runs into Marcus Wright [Worthington], a man with few memories, things begin to unravel. The two must trust each other and join forces to free the human race; however, only one of them is human. Judgment Day has already arrived, and the battle for human survival rests on the shoulders of a few. Will man destroy machine, or will technology prevail as civilization is destroyed?

STACK’s Take: Pretty accurate title, because Terminator Salvation may have salvaged the Terminator franchise. With action scene after action scene, what’s not to like? Bale plays the tough guy perfectly, giving a performance that will rally any team together with excitement. Far better than the 2003 installment, which showed an out-of-his-prime body builder performing the exact same chase scenes, this is the movie you must watch in December to bond and get pumped up for those long holiday tournaments.