Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes, Kristanna Loken, David Andrews
Directed by: Jonathan Mostow
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Science Fiction
2003

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Years after preventing Judgment Day, John Connor (Nick Stahl) still lives in fear of being hunted down by robots from the future. When a new terminator (Kristanna Loken) arrives to exterminate him and bring about the end of humanity, his only hope is another terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) sent back to protect him.

Review:

Tim: I almost feel bad about liking this movie. It came twelve years after the previous film (which is a science fiction landmark) and felt a bit unnecessary. Plus, it didn't include James Cameron at all, the man responsible for creating this franchise and ensuring it would be unforgettable wasn't involved in the least. Despite this film's flaws, I couldn't help but still enjoy this movie (to some extent). Cameron created such an amazing, compelling story with remarkable characters, so naturally, I want to find out more of the story. That, plus the enormous amount of goodwill this franchise build up after the first two films was enough to cover up for some of this movie's flaws.

Now, I am not saying this is a great movie. It is, without a shadow of a doubt, the weakest entry in this franchise and represents a major drop in quality. Still, it does just enough to be a halfway decent movie. Some of the problems are pretty obvious- the special effects aren't as astonishing and game-changing as in the previous film. This movie is badly missing Cameron's touch.

There are some strengths- it is pretty cool to see Arnold Schwarzenegger reprise his iconic Terminator role. He is older, but looks every bit as fit as he did in 1991 (indeed, his workout regime was pretty outstanding). I got a bit nostalgic seeing him play this part once more. While the dialogue isn't the best, he still has fun with the role. The movie does feature some pretty impressive action sequences. While none of these are as iconic as the ones in the previous film, they will certainly keep you interested. The highlight has to be the car chase with the construction crane. The destruction here is on an impressive level, and at least tries to live up to the franchise name.

Besides Schwarzenegger, who gets a pass for his performance simply because of how tremendous he has been in it in the past, the rest of the cast is at least decent. Nick Stahl does a fairly good job as John Connor, replacing Edward Furlong. I wouldn't say he is remarkable by any stretch, but he is at least somewhat convincing. Claire Danes was a odd casting choice (I had a hard time believing she was really willing to do this film), but her presence is a welcome one. The big change to the franchise was having the villain terminator this time as a girl. Kristanna Loken was a good choice in that she is an impressive physical specimen and somewhat looks like she could be a robot. The gender switch kept things interesting, although Loken isn't even remotely as frightening as Robert Patrick was in the previous movie. I appreciate the attempt to change things up, but in this case, it resulted in a forgettable villain.

While I was at least somewhat entertained throughout the movie, I still didn't make my mind up until the end. The film actually does a good job of progressing the story of John Connor and the looming Judgment Day for all mankind. I actually thought the end of the film was pretty remarkable. The slight twist at the end was a welcome one, and ended the movie in pretty amazing fashion. I really enjoyed this conclusion, and it made me think about the Terminator franchise in a new light.

In the end, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is certainly the lowpoint of a franchise know for setting the bar extremely high. After the landmark first sequel, it was inevitable that this film would have been a bit of a disappointment. Sadly, the disappointment didn't need to be this large. This movie certainly could have (and should have) been much better. While I probably liked this movie more than I should have, I fully acknowledge that this movie is the weak leak. Still, I enjoyed this movie, and I wouldn't mind a fourth film (I think).

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Terminator: Salvation