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Terminator 3 - Rise of the Machines (Widescreen Edition) Customer Reviews (91 - 93 of 105 Reviews)

very enjoyable third Terminator instalment
I watched this film with low expectations since so many sequels are disappointing, but was pleasantly surprised by exciting action sequences, a strong cast and interesting plot. Schwarzenegger reprises the role he was born to play, and he doesn't ham it up as much as he did in T2; Kristanna Loken looks great as the Terminatrix (though she shows too much emotion, I assume this was a directorial decision); Nick Stahl plays 22-year old John Connor as an angst-ridden anti-hero; Claire Danes is very good as Katherine Brewster, future resistance fighter (though she is made to scream and react a lot), particularly considering that she accepted the role a few days before shooting started! Everyone is great, though Linda Hamilton is missed; to me she's as integral to the Terminator-mythos as Arnold. The script is fine -- with a plot consistent with the previous films, not as much mining for catchy one-liners, but too little on the time paradox aspect of the story.

DVD extras include two commentary tracks -- one with director Mostow alone, the other with Mostow, Arnold, Loken, Daines and Stahl. Arnold's intelligence (and his out-of-control ego) shine through in his lengthy monologues -- though who was going to tell him to take it down a notch? The best extra is an hysterical deleted scene, The Sargeant Candy scene, about the origins of the T-1. There's also a trailer, a storyboard comparison, a Terminator timeline, a visual effects featurette, a video game trailer and making-of featurette, gag reel, featurettes on costumes and action figures, and a 13-minute eye-candy making-of documentary. The film can be heard in English or French and subtitled in English, French or Spanish.

Enjoyable continuation of the Terminator franchise.

Judgment Day is inevitable
I like this movie much better than I expected to like it.

Why wouldn't I expect to like it? Five reasons offhand: No James Cameron. No Linda Hamilton. No Brad Fiedel score. No Edward Furlong. And (as of T2) no future for the Terminators to come back from.

But Jonathan Mostow has done a pretty good job with this one. Not perfect -- for example, I don't find Kristanna Loken's T-X anywhere near as menacing as Robert Patrick's T-1000 -- but it's not bad at all. And his non-sappy ending returns the Terminator series to its pessimistic tech-noir roots.

Nick Stahl's okay as John Connor; I miss Furlong, but Stahl looks as though he could actually _be_ the love child of Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn. And Clare Danes is surprisingly effective as Kate Brewster, John's future second-in-command and spouse. Marco Beltrami's score is good too, although I still miss the main theme from the old one.

Arnold, of course, is Arnold, and he's still why we watch. The stunts and special effects are very good.

I won't spoil the ending for you, but the outcome of this one may surprise you. In fact, it restores quite a bit of what T2 undid.

The omitted 'Sgt. Candy scene' is delightful, but it's by far the best item in the bonus materials. And as with the other Terminator DVDs, the deleted scenes are helpful in understanding certain plot points, so they're nice to have.

All in all, a nice addition to the Terminator series. Will there be more?

T3
Terminator fans will love this third installment. It explains itself fairly plausably. Sequels always have to take time to explain why a previous character isn't there,etc. Although SF fans (e.g. Trekkers) are well aware of the 'time is a river' theory, I found it to be quite logical. Kristanna Loken is one hot Terminatrix in leather (or maybe snakeskin). If you Google her, you'll find that she's a super model. The action is top notch but lacks a compelling soundtrack. Arnold doesn't vainly hog the screen, and looks only a bit more aged (good make-up?). Claire Danes gives a credible performance thanks in part to her lovely, large expressive eyes. Hers is the most forceful performance. The ending is a tribute to the love of a father for his daughter and resolves the ease with which the characters penetrate a high security facility. To the movie's credit, it's not the expected happy ending, and quite frankly, I'm looking forward to a continuation of the franchise.

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