Series Terminated

Rating: Null/10 (23 July 2003)

Once again, it amazes me how a group of movie makers can take an established, solid concept with splendid plot elements, and mould it into a hair ball of cheap, run-of-the-mill entertainment. This third installment continues the story about ten years after T2, and once again John Connor's life is threatened by a killing machine from the future. In other words, you basically get exactly the same movie all over again, only with an altered cast. If anything, it just serves as a cheap build up for a fourth Terminator movie that shows what will eventually happen in the future. No wonder the director is relatively unknown either. Not many people would want to droodle on from James Cameron's modern day sci-fi classic, T2.

Nick Stahl is a good choice to play a more grown up version of John Connor. The problem lies in the script itself, handing him some awfully dull lines. His speech about the death of his mother for instance, is a painful scene to watch. Flatly written and executed. Claire Danes on the other hand, however cute and sympathetic she might be, is clearly miscast for this role. I don't think she delivered a single one of her lines in a believable manner. She's supposed to go through a whole lot in this movie, transforming her from a scared young girl to a confident action companion for the lead hero. Hearing her yell "Die, you bitch!" to the TX at the top of her lunges, with her usual shrill voice, just didn't cut it for me. Neither didn't any of her more quiet moments of grief and guilt when her loved ones are slaughtered seem very natural. As for Kristanna Loken, she does what she can with the premise of the female Termitatrix - and that's that. This movie was never meant to display any of her eventual acting abilities anyway.

Sure, the third Terminator movie delivers a lot of action, huge explosions and even some wry humor, but is that really all you want from this series? In that case you'd be just as well off watching Bad Boys II. The epic scope of T2 is completely muddled here, as are some earlier vital plot elements ignored. And what's up with the screwball comedy?! To watch Arnie's Terminator don Elton John glasses by mistake, crossing eyes when malfunctioning and getting crabbed by the crouch, just seems totally out of place. It's one of the things that makes T3 seem much brighter and less filled with tension than the previous installments. Almost like A Disney movie with some added gore and violence. Even the short Terminator-3D-movie made for the theme park ride at Universal Studios is more interesting than this mess.