The Moose Hole - Terminator Rises Again

Rating: 8/10 (4 July 2003)

Let's say you're an average Joe. You have your favorite sports car, a fabulous job, your own house, a beautiful wife and a great family. You go through life without a care in the world. But these things won't last. Why? Judgment Day. Imagine a world of complete darkness where man's destiny is controlled by machines and super computers. Sound familiar? It should because this is the backdrop of the entire Terminator series. The original Terminator cost an estimated $7 million but went on to gross $40 million at the box office. It became so popular on video that Terminator 2: Judgment Day was created, helmed by James Cameron. With a production budget of $100 million, T2 went on to gross $204 million, so it was a no brainer to make another sequel, right? Well, it took them 12 years and a reported $175 million budget but T3 has finally arrived in theaters just in time for the 4th of July holiday. But will Rise of the Machines continue the success of the popular franchise or will this result in its fall?
The story goes that the life of John Connor, the leader of the resistance movement that defeats the machines, is in danger once again. But this time he is not the only target. A T-X Terminator, the most advanced killing machine created by the Skynet network, has been sent to the year 2001 to kill the lieutenants of the future human resistance as well as John Connor himself. But John will be harder to locate because he has been living off the grid for nearly ten years. By having no cell phone, no home, and no real identity, the Skynet network is less able to track him down should the time come. Though he and his mother, Sarah Connor, prevented Judgment Day from occurring on August 29th, 1997 when they prevented the creation of the network, he still lives in fear that the end of the world still may come. He fears are correct as the T-X is looking for him but a T-850, like the one sent to kill him before he was born, has been sent by the resistance movement to ensure his survival. The events that occurred in T2: Judgment Day didn't prevent Judgment Day, it just delayed it. Within three hours, nearly 3 billion human lives will be destroyed in an instant. Now John Connor must team up with the Terminator and his future wife to try and prevent Judgment Day once again. The story for T3 is not as fabulous as the one done for T2 but with James Cameron not directing this time around, did anybody really expect it to be? Having the opening of the film focus on the thoughts of John Connor and then flash forward to a battle between machines and man was a good way to start off the picture. There are a couple of holes in the plot of the film that could have explained why certain things happen within the film but they really aren't a huge matter for the film. The ending to the film was also well done but more could have been shown.
The only returning cast member from Terminator 2 is Arnold Schwarzenegger reprising his role as the T-850 Terminator that he made famous nearly twenty years ago. Once again Arnold works extremely well with this role. Though more of the character was done using CGI then in the other previous films, Schwarzenegger still provides an emotional voice to the character in those types of situations. Edward Furlong, who played young John Connor in T2, was dropped from the project when the studio believed that his drug and alcohol problems would delay production, so Nick Stahl was brought in to replace him in the role. Stahl is the not the perfect replacement but still does a very good job with the character. Kristanna Loken is the new villain in the Terminator franchise playing the role of the T-X Terminator, Skynet's most sophisticated killing machine. She is very plain with her emotion which is good since she plays a machine. The only problem with her character is the questions left unanswered. Her character is made of liquid metal but at one point during the film a part of her is damaged prevent the use of a primary weapon but the film doesn't explain why this happens. But that really has more to do with the plot then with her. Claire Danes rounds out the rest of the main cast as the future wife of John Connor. There weren't that many scenes with in the course of the film that really focus on her, which is good since John is more of the focus, but most of the scenes that she was involved in were well done. The introduction of her character and the whole idea of destiny (her and John meeting and eventually getting married) was a good twist to the story.
Overall, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is a good summer popcorn film. T3 doesn't even come close to the majesty of T2 and for several reasons. The dialogue is much less serious then T2 but this was to be expected with James Cameron not at the helm this time around. The plot holes presented in the film also hurt the overall effect. There is no clear explanation on what Skynet is exactly and how it is able to control the machines if there is no core. There are also unanswered questions involving how John Connor and the Terminator are able to enter a secret military area with no problems at all. This doesn't seem to really matter as all Hell breaks loose soon after. The film is also less dramatic then the first sequel and plays more for just action and laughs but that seems to work on its own level. There were many humorous moments in the film with some working like the statements made by the T-850 replying to situations that machines can't understand. But there were also moments that didn't work. For example, the T-X inflates her breasts to get the attention of a cop who pulls her over. This was unnecessary as the cop didn't even seem to notice. Besides some minor complaints, there are many things that work for the film. The fact that Jonathan Mostow makes this his own film instead of just trying to copy what James Cameron did in T2 is fabulous. The action sequences were well done and the special effects were just absolutely amazing especially at the very end of the film. Speaking of the ending, it was a little disappointing that the film makers ended the film the way they did but that allows them to follow up with a fourth Terminator film and not give away too much. T3 may not be the best film out there but it is still a great film to enjoy over the holiday weekend.
My Rating: **** out of 5 (Grade: B+)