Overview:
The third installment of the wildly popular Terminator series is finally here and to mixed emotions. Twelve years have passed since we last saw the world of James Cameron unfold on the silver screen but the wait is now over. Being a huge fan of the first two episodes when I ever saw the preview I was incredibly excited and couldn’t wait until July rolled around. I had to cope for seven months after being teased at The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. How did the movie fare you ask? Read on and I’ll tell you all about it.

Review:
The first question that popped into my mind when I saw the trailer was: I thought Skynet was destroyed along with all the Terminators? Well technically yes and no. Not to fret, everything comes out in the wash by the end of the film. So as far as the story goes, it’s fairly smooth. Even though it follows the similar cat and mouse theme like the last two, the story develops further. John Connor (Nick Stahl) is now in his mid 20’s and lives his life on the run and in the shadows. Even though he knows he stopped the apocalypse, his dreams are still haunted by burning buildings, fields of bones, and cybernetic hunter-killers.

Two terminators are sent back through time; one to kill him and one to protect him. Only this time Conner isn’t the only one on the hit list. The new model T-X (Kristanna Loken) is looking for all his Lieutenants. This string of scenes proves to be one of the cooler parts of the movie that doesn’t involves chasing. The action is just as exciting and just as powerful, but I felt that this time around the movie didn’t live up to its predecessors. There was that special something in Terminator one and two had that made them so cool. Although I enjoyed this summer flick I found it to be lacking.

Perhaps the aspect of the film that I disliked the most was the comedic side to almost everything T-101 said. I appreciated the connections to the past two films but when people were laughing at almost everything Arnold said it got a little ridiculous. Some people have said that T3 isn’t too serious and that’s why some things are funny. I agree that most movies should have some funny moments, but when I go see a movie called: TERMINATOR, I shouldn’t feel that the audience is watching Ernest goes to the Zoo. Would it have been as funny, if James Cameron directed it or was it just time that “Ah-Nold” went stand-up? If you ask me, stick to the awesome chases and fight scenes that everyone loves.

What T3 brings to the table is one hell of a car chase scene. If you thought they were good before, go and see the “Crane Sequence.” After this scene, I knew that it was one of the best chases of the 2003 movie season. Then I saw Bad Boys II, but that’s another review. Remember Terminator 2 and the chase scene with the tow truck and the dirt bike? It’s better than that. I also enjoyed the special effects at the Particle Accelerator. I thought that these graphics were as good as those in the Matrix.

Since the first Terminator hit the big screen some time ago technology has changed drastically. In the first movie the Terminator looked as if it was made of clay. The second film was more animatronics, and in the latest installment, all the machines are computer animated. Director of the Bad Boys films, Michael Bay has said that no matter how good they look, that computer animations can always be detected by the human eye. I would have to agree. Now that anything can be done with the use of computers people are exposed to so many eye-popping special effects, that fight scenes are too over the top or so outrageous that the come off cheesy. Some scenes, like the one in the bathroom were exciting but were borderline over-realistic. Gladly Terminator 3 manages to stay away from too much nonsense. A pure summer movie, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines makes for an exciting visit to the theatre.

Acting:
Unfortunately John Connor isn’t played by Edward Furlong. To me, that’s one of the drawbacks of the movie. Although Nick Stahl was a decent replacement, the conversation about “hasta la vista” and all the things he taught the Terminator in T2, didn’t jive well with me as an audience member. Claire Danes did a commendable job in her role; but I won’t tell you what she plays, other than a hostage and a Veterinarian. The best actor I thought was gorgeous Kristanna Loken. She pulled off the ultimate bad-ass enemy robot excellently. Yes, yes I liked Arnie as well, but I thought that his earlier roles as the Terminator were much better (T2 to be precise).


Directing:
I was excited when I found out that T3 was to become a reality; I expected the same pizzazz as the others gave me. Maybe we would have seen something like earlier efforts from James Cameron, but due to a busy schedule, Jonathan Mostow took his place. Don’t get me wrong, Mostow does a good job, but a franchise like Terminator has more potential in the hands of a seasoned director. Don’t cry Jonathan, P42 still loves you. I will accredit Mostow’s eye for fight scenes and chases. The cemetery and following scene will prove this point.


Final Thoughts:
When the credits rolled and the lights went back on, I was just as excited about the movie as I thought I would be. Unlike the end of Terminator 2, it didn’t leave me wanting more. However, there are rumors abound that there is a Terminator 4 in the works. I’m still on the fence about this though. If there is another movie, I think that people will be less apt to see it. To me, the Terminator series doesn’t seem more than a 3 picture deal. I also got the reaction that T3 was a diluted version of the earlier films. It was worth seeing and giving 3.5 Planets but I say this should be the last chapter for this classic. This is definitely one of the summer tent poles of the movie industry, until the holiday season brings us Lord of the Rings and several others. Check it out before it’s too late!

Jameson Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Planets


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