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Terminator 3 - Rise of the Machines (Widescreen Edition) Customer Reviews (79 - 81 of 105 Reviews)

Third times a charm
Better than the first? Maybe even better than T2? I admit, without James Cameron at the helm, and the absence of Linda Hamilton, I thought that T3 would not live up to the hype of the most anticipated movie of the year. Boy was i wrong. T3 delivers all the action and special effects one would hope for in this third sequel. The movie takes place ten years after the events in T2. Two terminators once again, are sent back through time.One to destroy the leader of the resistance, and of course the other to protect the primary target John Connor.Is the world to be saved? Or is the end of mankind inevitable? Arnold, the T101, now an obsulete design, goes head to head with a more forminable opponent, The TX, a far more effective killing machine.Played by the beautiful Kristina Loken. Terminator 3 delivers a great script, with action sequences that will blow you away, with a dash of humor that will make you giggle from time to time. If you see one blockbuster movie this summer, and are a true fan of the terminator series, Do not waite for the video, see it on the big screen.

"Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines" Rises To New Levels
Though many critics have commented that this new Terminator is basically a retelling of the second film, I would like to begin by saying that I was pleasantly surprised by this third installment of this very successful franchise. Though the film lacked the direction of James Cameron, who was largely responsible for the birth of the Terminator series, it was nonetheless a worthy successor to his earlier works.

The movie is sharp, with a very definitive, high-tech look and feel about it. Unlike its predecessors, T3 does not have a lot of character development in it, save for a somewhat disarrayed and poorly developed relationship between John Connor (played by Nich Stahl) and Kate Brewster (played by Claire Daines). The duo, thrown together in a moment of peril, at once loathe one another, only later to discover that they have feelings towards each other. According to the Terminator (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger), Brewster will eventually become Connor's wife, (presumably this will be seen in Terminator 4). The development of these characters are probably the one notable weakness in this film.

What makes this movie work are the intense action sequences, as well as the comedic timing of many of Schwarzenegger's lines and situations. In the opening sequence, the Terminator appears just outside a strip club hosting an all-male exotic dancer review. Schwarzenegger's character walks in naked, upon which women begin throwing themselve at him. Upon approaching a male stripper, whose physique is a match to his own, he commands that the stripper gives him his clothes, to which the stripper raises an outstretched palm and stammers "talk to the hand." It is probably one of the funniest moments of the film, and works well to give a moment of liteness to the overall darkness and theme of the story.

This movie is definitely a big-budget science fiction/action film with many high budget effects. The new Terminator (played dominently by Kristianna Loken)looks slick and sensual, clad in tight, red leather, combining the sexual appeal of a woman with the lethal force of a killing machine with a single purpose, to hunt down the future leader of a resistance that will rise against the machines and ultimately defeat them. Loken is completely convincing as the T-X, a prototype Terminator with the ability to change shape and create complex weapons.

The opening and closing sequences are probably the most haunting. Judgement day has arrived, and the movie closes with the first wave of the attack that will end society as it is presently known. The imagery is haunting, and leaves the viewer with a reminder of the potential threat we all face in the onset of new and better technologies. Not that this was the intent of the filmmaker, but to their credit, it works well in this film.

For anyone who is a fan of this series, T3: Rise of the Machines is a great film. For those that haven't seen the earlier two, there is enough exposition in this film to allow even an uninitiated Terminator fan to follow the course of events that unfold in this story. I hesitate to give this movie 5 stars, only because there are some minor weaknesses which, in some ways, makes this a slightly inferior movie to the earlier Terminator films. However, it is a great film and a worthy successor to Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement Day.

The DVD edition of this film contains many extras, from storyboards to the development of some of the films incredible special effects. It also features many interactive extras which are quite enjoyable.

T3 doesn't shoot far, but it hits its mark.
After the death of his mother, Sarah Connor, John Connor (Nick Stahl) has taken to living in the streets. A new terminator, T-X (Kristanna Loken) has been sent back to kill John. As in "Terminator 2", a T-101 unit (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has been sent to protect John and one of his future lieutenants (Claire Danes).

Director Jonathan Mostow does a reasonably ample job of filling James Cameron's immense shoes. His film does not have the emotional and dramatic weight or epic quality of Cameron's films. It also lacks the intensity and edge of its predecessors. Never-the-less, Jonathan Mostow has crafted a strong film loaded with wall-to-wall action set pieces, the highlights of which are a chase sequence composed of mostly physical visual effects as opposed to computer generated effects, and a bathroom brawl.

Mostow is given a solid, albeit contrived screenplay to work with. There are some inconsistencies with the characters from "T2", particularly the T-101 and its capabilities. This is done largely for comedic effect, but the humor comes off as being rather misplaced most of the time.

Nick Stahl does a more than adequate job of replacing Edward Furlong in the role of John Connor, and Claire Danes is a nice addition to the Terminator company. Kristanna Loken's character, the T-X, is a solid villain, but she lacks the cold and chilling menace of Robert Patrick's T-1000. Another issue I had with her character is that her "swiss-army knife" capabilities seemed out of place, almost too far-fetched even for this type of film.

The visual effects, while not ground breaking, are believable. The CGI and physical effects blend nicely. The film is hampered by some hasty pacing, however. But, the haunting and daring finale leaves room for a possible sequel open. One can only hope.

"Terminator 3" is a solid summer action film that is sure to keep fans at least moderately satisfied. "T3" is unlike this summer's "The Matrix Reloaded" which strives to be more than what it is. In trying to be poignant and philosophical, "The Matrix Reloaded" comes off as being shallow and bland. "T3" knows its place. It doesn't shoot far, but it hits its mark.

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