Where's Chevy Chase?

Rating: Null/10 (11 August 2003)

I'd have to agree entirely with sem-2's comments. The Terminator series ended with T2: Judgement Day.
This seemed to me to be more like a National Lampoon's version of the first two movies, both of which carried the distinctly darker atmosphere you would expect from a movie that concerns the end of mankind. Arnie spouting off ridiculous one-line gags ("talk to the hand" - please?) and using those dated but "oh so funny" catchphrases throughout the film, gave it a cheesy feel and really takes the edge off. There were simply far too many laughs.
Visually, it is spectacular with plenty of explosions, death, destroyed buildings and car chases but the absence of James Cameron really tells - that integrity of keeping some sense of realism even in the most unrealistic of sci-fi scenarios, which he does so well, is completely absent in T3.
The loss of Sarah Connor from the plot was a blow. On-screen, she embodied the sense of fear and impending doom for the human race in both of the earlier movies and that was definitely lacking here. It is a shame also that Edward Furlong could not have reprised the John Connor role, if only for the sake of continuity and a sense of familiarity with the character. Taking nothing away from Nick Stahl, who I consider to be a fine young actor (he puts in a safe performance in `Rise of the Machines').
Major fans of the first two movies will be disappointed, as I was. However, the film had a lot to live up to, attempting to follow its predecessors and given that I was extremely sceptical before even getting to the movie theatre, maybe I'm being overly critical.
If you liked "Starship Troopers" and you're not a Terminator "fanatic" then you will quite probably love this film.
As far as I'm concerned, the story of the Connor family and the end of the human race was told satisfactorily in 2 parts.
6/10