Overall Rating
  Awesome: 19.68%
Worth A Look: 38.73%
Just Average: 16.19%
Pretty Crappy: 11.43%
Sucks: 13.97%
12 reviews, 243 user ratings
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| Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines |
by Brian McKay
"Highly superfluous, but equally entertaining"
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While TERMINATOR 3 isn't the most unecessary sequel ever (that honor would probably go to something like WEEKEND AT BERNIE'S 2), it certainly belongs somewhere in the top ten. There was no real reason for this to be made, except for the fact that Arnold needed a major payday after the way his last several movies sagged at the box office. One can almost imagine him trying to talk James Cameron into directing RI$E OF THE MACHINE$ . . ."Come on, Jimbo. Do it for your old pahl Ahnold!"
"Forget it, Arnie. We wrapped everything up quite nicely in T2. There's no real reason we need to make this."
"Da hell dere isn't! My movies have been crappy lately. I nearly lost my ass on Collateral Damage. Goddamn dat 9-11! I need a real blockbuster! And while were on da subject, when are you gonna stop making all those trips to the Titanic so we can film True Lies 2?"
Fortunately for Terminator fans, though, Schwarznegger, Mostow, and company actually put a little thought and soul into this project. Rather than simply use the franchise name to deliver up a substandard product and make a quick buck on opening weekend before word of mouth kicks in, they've created a sequel that, while inferior to its predecessors, still manages to be thoroughly entertaining and respectful to the groundwork laid by Cameron. What could have been a blight on the series turns out to be a respectable entry - though it doesn't bring much that's new to the table. Boiled down to the bare essentials, it's just a retread of T2 with this year's model, the T-X (Kristanna Loken), and a few pages from the Robocop films.
John Connor (Nick Stahl), now in his mid twenties, lives the life of a drifter. Although his late mother, Sarah, believed that they had managed to avert "Judgement Day", he is not so confident that such is the case. Turns out that he's right, when a couple of Terminators show up and begin duking it out over his fate. The T-800 (Schwarznegger) saves him from the T-X's initial onslaught, and along the way they also recruit the reluctant Kate Brewster (The bland Claire Danes), a former crush of John's who is now a veterinarian and, as fate would have it, John's future second in command. There are lots of chases and explosions and pretty CGI. The TX and the T-800 knock each other around six ways from Sunday, with everything in their vicinity getting smashed to bits.
While it is dampened by familiarity, the crashes, smashes, and spills are still fun, and Arnold's matter-of-fact cyborg mannerisms remain as amusing as they were in T2 - especially when he pilfers a set of black leathers from yet another redneck bar - albeit this time with a twist.
In fact, that's really what this film is. It's T2 with just enough new twists and wrinkles to keep things exciting. And you know what? I'm okay with that. At least it doesn't completely rape the groundwork set up by the previous films, like the atrocious Alien 3 did. "Hmm, let's kill off two out of three of the audience's favorite characters - before the opening credits have even finished rolling!" Yeah, great. Thankfully, a bit more care and consideration has been put into the story - which, while bending the continuity of the previous films in a number of places, never breaks it outright. The film acknowledges its roots, realizes that it can never top them, and just manages to do its own thing while remaining true to the overall formula.
The performances are mostly gratifying. Arnold, though 12 years older, looks no worse for wear. In fact, he looks as bad-ass in this film as ever. Nick Stahl does equally well in the John Connor role, managing to bring a quiet strength and haunted sensitivity to it without the grating voice or effeminate mannerisms that Edward Furlong displayed. Kristanna Loken is this year's Estella Warren (Planet of the Apes) - fantastic looks, and competence in her role, but not enough screen presence to springboard into real stardom. Except for a few novelty supporting roles, I doubt we'll be seeing much more of her. Although she serves up a few amusing moments as the T-X (including distracting a cop briefly by enlarging her breasts - right before she kills him anyway), it is never really clear why the T-X needs to be so overtly sexy, since she usually forgoes subterfuge through sex appeal and takes the more direct approach of shooting and smashing anything in her way.
As for Claire Danes - well, I know she was some kind of heartthrob poster girl for a while there back in the 90's, but I never understood the appeal and still don't. While she's not exactly painful to watch here, she is neither a good actress, nor all that interesting to look at. She seems out of place somehow, outside the realm of the teen angst roles she based her career on.Terminator fans, we got lucky with this one. There was no way it could ever rival its forebearers, but it could have been a damn sight worse and probably not a whole lot better. It admirably fulfills its role of being an entertaining holiday weekend popcorn movie, with just enough humor and action to help you forget the fact that the franchise is getting stretched thin. I somehow don't think we'll be so fortunate when the aging Arnold eventually creaks his way through T4: HIP REPLACEMENT DAY
link directly to this review at http://www.hollywoodbitchslap.com/review.php?movie=7893&reviewer=258
originally posted: 07/04/03 04:19:30
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USA
02-Jul-2003 (R)
UK
N/A
Australia
17-Jul-2003
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