The best of the 3

Rating: Null/10 (14 November 2003)

This is the best of the trilogy. Let's hope there's not another decade before the fourth. I'm not normally a fan of big Hollywood blockbusters, not least the high-grossing trilogies of recent years (Harry Potter, Matrix, Lord of the Rings), but there's something about the first two Terminator films I've always liked. Maybe because it's set in the real world, I don't know. When I had the opportunity to see a preview of Terminator 3, I thought I was bound to be disappointed, not least because the director Jonathan Mostow made the appalling U571. But I was enthralled. From start to finish, I couldn't tear my eyes from the screen for one moment. Much of the film is similar to the first two, in that there's an evil Terminator after the good guy with someone from the future to protect them. Cue high adrenalin car chases, stunts, explosions, etc., all done with panache and good humour. But there's more to this movie than its predecessors, more than just simple chasing. There's a bigger picture, about fate, about the relentless march of technology and the naivety of the American military. Quite simply, it's an interesting film. Nick Stahl and Claire Danes are believable and have good chemistry, Arnie is entertaining, with some great one-liners and the female Terminatrix blends in without any problem.