Who cares!

Rating: 4/10 (21 July 2003)

Have just returned after a triple show of T1 + T2 + T3. An excellent way in which to spend a rainy day!
Before the films my three friends and I were looking very much forward to re-see T1 + T2 on a big screen. As for T3 we didn't expect too much.

While the copies of T1 + T2 were slightly dated, to say the least, both films were absolutely superb, also despite the fact that the effects in T1 were quite primitive compared to today. Nevertheless, T1 remained our favorite not the least because of its very stringent and no-nonsense non-moralistic narrative. T2 was also strong in this aspect, though there were slightly more plot holes and a little too much sentimentality, something which unfortunately plagues many American films. Nonetheless T2 is also great.
Then came T3 ... well, a film taste is very individual. Therefore you, dear reader, should not be deterred from going to see this film, despite the fact that my three friends and I all couldn't care less about it.
Why didn't we like it? Well, surprisingly we were all in agreement about the lack-of-Cameron-touch as one of the worst failings of the film. The new director does not have the ability to time scenes, events, statement and the narrative anywhere near the brilliant level of Cameron.

Therefore the new director tries to make up for this deficiency in making the car chases and the explosions bigger, the new enemy T-X more deadly, and destruction more extreme. But it all lacks energy, soul and credibility. The narrative is messy and coincidental, as if the director thinks "now it will be nice to have this scene from a previous Terminator film included and just beefed up" or "let's try this - it might be funny".
This unfortunately lets the actors down, leaving them with empty hulls and we couldn't care less if they die or live. This, incidentally, is comparable to the Matrix II and the new Star Wars films. The director believes that he has a good film if he/she can include some cool effects. Doesn't work, though!
Furthermore, the scenes lack anything that might even remotely draw the audience into the film. While you can feel the anguish of the humans and the one-mindedness of the robots in the earlier films, this piece of junk left my friends and I with the feeling of "who cares!"
The first and second Hellraiser movies were absolutely splendid. However, what followed should not ever be mentioned anywhere - especially number three sucked big time and should never bee seen by anybody. Terminator 3 is not so bad that it shouldn't be seen, though. However, it is highly advisable that you lower any expectations - and the lower them again. Then you might enjoy this film. Alternatively wait for the cheap version of the DVD.
Finally, if the studio really wants to make a T4, which is highly suggested in T3, then they better get Cameron back on the job. Otherwise they will have just another silly action flick, with no real innovation or originality on their hands, like a gazillion other action flicks from Hollywood - because this is what they have with T3. So unless they rediscover the respect they owe to the great old Terminator-films : Who cares!