Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines
Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines (2003)
Image From IMDB
Twelve years after Terminator 2: Judgement Day the Terminator is back, but missing a lot of the things which made it such a fascinating and memorable franchise. I don’t mind Terminator 3, it’s fine, but it’s also difficult to describe it as anything other than T2 light.
Ten years on from the events of Judgment day John Connor returns, but he’s kind of a fuck up. No longer humanities last hope, he has no place in the world, and recent years haven’t been kind to him. So, it’s a good thing those pesky robots from the future have still found a way to come to be, and still want to Terminate the potential saviour of the human race.
It’s a decent enough idea, but until the third act it feels like the movie is treading water. It imitates several scenes from the older movies, but tries to put a comical twist of them. Rehashes some of the classic lines but either stumbles on them, or uses a different character. At times it makes an attempt to be its own thing, but then once again tries to remind you of the superior movies that came before it.
Kristanna Loken tries her best to introduce us to a new terminator, but it feels too similar to Robert Patrick effort. Nick Stahl mopes as John Connor, when the last time we saw him he was an enthusiastic teenage badass. Speaking of which, Claire Dane’s Kate can’t decide whether she is a badass, or a damsel in distress, switching between the two depending on what the scene calls for.
Arnie is back, and knows the role inside out so slips right back into it. I don’t think he brought anything new with his performance this time round however, but I don’t think he phoned it in either. Somewhere in between maybe. Just comfortable in the role, without having to extend himself.
The mammoth car chase scene looks incredible, and was probably the most expensive scene ever committed to film at the time. That level of carnage, chaos, and practical effects, is something that I miss in modern movies, and was glad to see. But I don’t think anything else really stuck out.
As mentioned, I don’t mind this film. I think if the first two Terminators didn’t exist it would be a perfectly fine average sci-fi, but they do exist. Terminator 3 unfortunately doesn’t offer anything new, to the point that having only just watched it i’ve already forgotten plenty of it.
Working my way through the franchise I wouldn’t skip the movie, but I don’t think you lose anything from not watching it either, which is maybe its biggest problem (and a problem as a whole for the franchise after T2) It’s decent enough however, and doesn’t fuck with the timeline anymore than any of the other efforts. It won’t offend you as a diehard fan, just maybe slightly disappoint.
