truly, truly dire.

Rating: 4/10 (7 November 2005)

It gets a 4 for the special effects only! This film starts by making basic mistakes and then progresses to bigger and bigger howlers.
Let's see. Mistake number 1. The T-X. Right well X = 10. The last bad guy was a T1000. So she's a lower rated model than him then ? Any wonder when she materializes in the window of a clothes shop she ignores the abundance of clothes around her. Also it looks like she's in Rodeo Drive. And she still can't see clothes so she has to rob someone? And the person she robs just happens to be her exact size? Odds of that? Not really going to happen is it? Then the next mistake. She's looking for the lieutenants. So she accesses school records by phone (as these are supposed to be secure under the Data Protection Act it'd be unlikely their kept on a server that has dial-up access.)
Then to compound that mistake she manages to locate where they work from their High School records? Wouldn't it have been easier for them to have had her accessing the IRS or DMV records. DMV as they would have a more recent picture than their high school, then IRS as it'd show where their paying income tax.
She identifies Jose with a badge id and she scans his eye. Why? Like his High School records had retina information on them? No, I truly think not. Then she shoots him 4 times. The most advanced model can't kill with 1 shot from 5 feet? She must be an older model then.
Then Arnie can't decide which model his robot is. Is he a T101 or a T800? Make your mind up Arnold! Also why John avoids the deer, he's an idiot. Why hurt yourself, at that speed you would have barely wobbled when you hit the deer.
He seems to get a ride OK, but you'd think anyone giving him a ride would take him to a hospital. He could give a fake name and address, pay for his treatment in cash. He wouldn't appear on the grid by doing that. Another overlooked mistake.
So why does the logic driven T-X go to Kate's work address at 5am? Like she's going to be working at that time in the morning. Really logical, isn't it! And again when she kills the cat lady, she fires 5 or 6 shots. An advanced killing machine that can't kill with 1 bullet? Even when Arnie said in the last film he had detailed files on human anatomy.
The next chase sequence where the sun seems to rise very fast is lifted wholesale from Terminator 2. It's far too similar, showing lack of creativity. Having the Doctor from Terminator 1 & 2 shows a nice bit of continuity.
And the T-X killing Kate's boyfriend is just like the T1000 killing John's foster parents. Not a new idea. I had to double take and think when I saw the T-X dressed as Kate (she pulls her out of the truck near the start, that's when she touches her. Where she could have easily killed her as well). Also the fact that this multi-million dollar US Government secure installation, Kate gets into a seemingly very high security area so easily? I think not.
And that they don't seem to have any bespoke Anti-virus software or any contingency plans for a virus or a system collapse? Like a back-up system, or the ability to kill all operations without using Skynet? Give me a break!
The whole magnet thing was utter garbage. If the T-X was being subjected to high levels of magnetism she'd shut down. Computers and chips don't like magnets! And how did Arnie get to the surface without passing the magnet? Wouldn't the T-X use a safer route as well as she's a newer model (just another indication that she isn't the latest model).
Also why Kate isn't starting up the plane as John is clearing everything from the ground. The World's about to end and their on a dead-line and she's taking her time, why? I'll assume the T-X learns where they are going from Arnie's memory when she re-programs him. Now he's in the helicopter with her so why he doesn't try and blow her up while their in flight? And she found a helicopter already with fuel in it? The end of the film is pretty dire.
Skynet has gotten itself into computers so there's no core. No Big deal. It just started a Nuclear War! When bombs drop you get EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse) That fries computers. The only systems that would then hold Skynet would be in the bunkers where the humans are hiding. All that means is they yank their power for a few vital seconds and then the only place Skynet could still be, is in the satellites.
No worries. Just never build anything that uses those frequencies or fire a few missiles into space at them. Or get whoever is in the International Space Station to shut them down. Then NO Skynet.
That's the biggest mistake of the film, none of the writers seem to know what would happen to computers and databases after a nuclear attack. Piece of cake. The so-called "inevitable" has just been derailed by me very easily. In a matter of moments, because I bothered to use my brain.
Nick Stahl was rubbish. Arnie was fair to middling. Kristina Lokken was awful. Clare Danes was utterly awful. This film could have been so much better. Shame it wasn't.
Hopefully the script writers read these reviews? Learn about EMP boys?