You know what must suck? When your big casting announcement arrives shortly after telling us that Terminator 4 will be PG-13, leaving mostly everyone with a "we give up" sort of attitude.

Variety announced that rapper Common, last seen in Street Kings and soon to be onscreen in Wanted, has joined Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin and Moon Bloodgood (a varied cast indeed) in Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins. He'll be playing a fellow freedom fighter and member of John Connor's inner circle.

Wait, has anyone in this movie not been cast as one of Connor's best friends forever? Maybe they should cast, you know, an actual terminator so they have something to fight. Although not having one would help achieve the PG-13 rating, and Connor could just rebuild society. Skip that whole War Against The Machines; it's too violent. Throw up a Wal-Mart, a Target, a Home Depot and an Olive Garden and call it a job well done.

If only that varied cast could restore everyone's confidence in the movie, eh? I don't think anyone is even banking on poor Bale at this point. Sorry Bale, it's true. It isn't that we don't like you, we just want our Terminator movies old school, with lots of remorseless metal and blood. I imagine that is what the cast wanted too. Do you think everyone, from Bale to Common, is regretting signing on? The rating news must have come long after the ink dried on their contracts. Maybe not -- I mean, they are getting Playmates of themselves out of the deal. Everyone longs for one of those, right?