A Journeyman Terminator Movie

Rating: 6/10 (5 May 2012)

The third movie in The Terminator series came very late in the day, and while it has some explosive, well-done action scenes and the odd dose of unexpected humour (Arnie in the Elton John-style sunglasses) it's easy to see the imagination and grasp of character the first two movies had has gone.
It isn't a bad film taken on its own and its unexpected ending works quite well; other than that it's just a long chase movie. It's a pacey but rather soulless film, indifferently acted and with poorly conceived characters. Some tension is generated by female Terminator Kristanna Loken's first attack, but even this just descends into formula after a while. We've been here before in the earlier movies, and they did it a lot better.
What the film really misses is James Cameron's ultra-smart direction and sassy grasp of narrative. I'll be honest and say I don't care much for Titanic and Avatar but his two Terminator movies, Aliens, and The Abyss are much admired genre classics. Johnathon Mostow's effort, in the end, does not join them.