Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

That was an excellent one.

It is a performances centric movie

Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Terminator 3 (2003) ReviewFollow up to T2 several years after they prevented Judgment Day John Connor is in his mid twenties and his mother Sarah Connor has passed away. Nick Stahl replaces Edward Furlong (most likely due to his recent drug hiatus) Stahl is actually quite good in the role. He plays him as a conflicted lost person who has nightmares about the apocalypse. Arnold is back and remarkably hasn't aged a day since the twelve year gap from last film. He once again plays the good terminator but this time to protect someone else too. Now of course Arnold is brilliant in the role, he was born to play this character and he always gives it 100%. The film elevates every time he's on screen. The villain is female but this time is a step back from the last one. The T-X played by Kristina Loken isn't as terrifying as the other villains but is still very deadly. She seems like downgrade as she has an exo-skeleton with a liquid metal exterior but thankfully she can still imitate other people. We all know that exo-skeletons can be destroyed a lot easier than the T-1000 which was purely just liquid metal. But there are a few interesting things to her in that she can manipulate machines and vehicles to wreak havoc and she also has a built in gun which looks really cool. Director Jonathan Mostow who previously helmed the Kurt Russell thriller Breakdown does a more than average job here. It's clear he wasn't in full control with so many producers breathing down his neck telling him how to make the film. He does his best with the often silly script by John Brancato and Michael Ferris. One thing he delivers well on is the action sequences. T3 is full of great action scenes from two chase sequences, a police hold up which goes awry and an exciting bathroom fight. However some of these action scenes are exaggerated to the max with some of them going on for far too long like the bathroom fight and the first chase sequence. There is an awful lot of CGI - One scene where the terminator has to reconnect his head would have looked a lot better had it been done with animatronics. The bathroom confrontation between the two terminators also looks very cartoonish at times. There's a nice use of practical effects in parts but it ultimately relies on some often dated looking CG animations. The majority of the time it delivers but there are too many self deprecating moments from the often cartoon like sound effects and the constant self referential gags to the first movies. There are a few dumb character moments, some annoying characters and it's peppered with one too many cheesy one liners like "Talk to the hand" and "I like your gun". But the film redeems itself running at a brisk pace of 100 minutes it has some good character interactions, effective action scenes, great cinematography and a surprisingly sombre ending. It's not a classic like the first two but it's far from terrible.

Schwarzenegger is great and funny, but the guy who played John Conner was a bad casting choice. I hate to be negative, but I'm not sure what his appeal was to the casting directors - his acting skills were subpar (didn't seem emotionally connected enough at times) and he seemed sooo different from the younger John Conner they had in the second Terminator movie. I didn't find it believable that they were supposed to be the same person. There'd been all this build up to "the great John Conner" over the previous Terminator movies, but I was so underwhelmed by this actor. Linda Hamilton's absence is also greatly felt. Maybe she could've helped carry the movie - Clare Danes and the guy who played John Conner just can't pull it off in my opinion. Schwarzenegger is perfect for comedic effect, but he's not really ever the protagonist in these movies in the traditional sense, even though the series was named for his character. He was the best part of this movie; it's saving grace, I guess. Overall, it's an okay movie, but the first two Terminator movies were way better.

Let's face it. The Terminator franchise has always been kitsch. It's "classic" kitsch but kitsch nonetheless. To expect something more from a franchise that started going down the cheesy sentimental route in its second entry is expecting way too much. These movies were meant to be fantastical thrill rides, and T3 is no exception to this rule. In fact, it's a solid blockbuster filled with great action, solid acting, (mostly) well timed humor and great special effects. I also thought it did a good enough job of justifying itself as a legitimate continuation of the universe. If you take this franchise too seriously you will be disappointed with this entry because you will be too preoccupied with how it's "supposed" to be.All in all, solid entertainment. Too bad T4 & 5 had to suck so bad.

Sometimes, a series just isn't meant to continue. After delivering a solid and exceptionally well-made Sci-Fi thriller with 1984's "The Terminator", director James Cameron followed it up with one of the greatest action films ever made with his 1991 sequel "T2: Judgment Day." But it would be twelve long years before a third film in the iconic franchise. Twelve years of rumors and speculation and hopes and dreams on the part of film-goers the world over. But when details on the production of "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" started to emerge, fans grew noticeably (and rightfully) concerned. Especially with the loss of series creator Cameron, here replaced with director Jonathan Mostow and a small army of screenwriters.Would it live up to the long-building hype? Could it come even close to matching the essentially perfect quality of the previous films? Would it be another great installment in the franchise?Well, despite an upfront warm reception from critics and general audiences, the answer to these questions in retrospect is sadly a resounding "No!" While "Terminator 3" is far from being a terrible film, it's unfortunately a painfully generic and often soulless retread of the far superior second chapter, filled to burst with contrived winks and nods tossed in to win over fans... but never feeling necessary or even particularly fulfilling. Yes, it is entertaining enough to warrant a one-time viewing. But on the whole, it's just a prime example of an unneeded continuation to a perfect and self-contained tale.We pick up some time after the previous tale, as John Connor (Nick Stahl) has grown paranoid about his future, and lives "off the grid." However, he is forced to face his possible destiny as a savior of mankind once again when a new Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) arrives from the future to protect him from another threat- the T-X (Kristanna Loken), a new model that combines liquid metal with an endoskeleton armed to the teeth with future-weaponry. At the same time, a mysterious computer virus is striking all over the world, and the military contemplates using the newly-completed Skynet system to eradicate it, not knowing the power that Skynet has and the destructive consequences its activation would cause.To give the film credit, there are some elements at play that do indeed work. Schwarzenegger is a joy as always, and it's a blast seeing him reprise what is perhaps his most well-known and beloved role on- screen. The rest of the cast plays their roles well, and there isn't really any sore thumbs. Mostow also delivers some genuinely thriller sequences of action and adventure, including a phenomenal and wildly explosive car-chase early on that still holds up well to this day and is one of the best sequences of the entire franchise. I also thought that despite not quite matching the high- bar set by "Judgement Day", newcomer composer Marco Beltrami does an adequate and admirable job with the film's score. He gets the tone quite well, and while his themes are never as memorable as Brad Fiedel's prior work, it gets the job done with style.Unfortunately, some great action and performances can't really overcome the biggest issue, which is that this is a really bland and blatant inferior copy of what's come before. Too much of the film is devoted to just trying to match the last film beat-for-beat, to the point it feels borderline condescending. To try and avert this, Mostow and the writers pepper in comedic subversions, but they just feel contrived at best. (Do we really need to see Arnold wearing a male-strippers "Star Sunglasses" as a gag?) The film feels without soul or identity because it plays it far too safe for its own good. And thus it can be tedious to sit through on a second or third viewing.There's also just a slew of issues I have regarding the general writing and production. The film's pacing is a bit of a mess, and key segments feel left out and poorly established. The idea of the villain being a female Terminator is fascinating and could work, but Loken comes across as miscast looking back. She lacks menace and plays the role a bit too "sexy." (They really needed someone like a Lucy Lawless or an Uma Thurman in this role.) And it lacks the polish of Cameron's work with flat cinematography and sometimes uninspired choices in shots and composition.Still, it's not a total loss. The story is just solid enough to be worth checking out, the action is great and it's good fun seeing the Terminator back in action. It's not a great film, but "Terminator 3" also isn't objectively terrible. I say give it a shot once if you're curious, because there is some definite fun to be had. But I'd mainly suggest just sticking to the first two.I give "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" a mediocre 5 out of 10.