Full of action and high-tech gadgets, Terminator 3 is very enjoyable - a worthy addition to the Terminator trilogy.

Rating: 8/10 (17 December 2006)

Terminator 3 was very enjoyable - it was just like its two predecessors except more modern, high-tech, and with a far bigger budget. Instead of just being a high-tech action flick which forgot entirely about the Terminator plot and only had the characters and situations it invented (and no new scenarios), this film continues the Terminator legacy with a new character (the T-X, who is female and far more high-tech than Arnie), a new plot and the promise of a rather uncertain future for John Connor. It isn't a classic and certainly not the most critically well-received of the Terminators, but it manages to bring the golden oldies into the 21st century and make over $400 million in the process.
I have to say this - I enjoyed it. Big explosions, exploding cars and robots and guns (and anything to do with action) are certainly my thing, and this film had no shortage of them. The superbly high-tech T-X was rather squarely acted, but she had cunning and villainy and was a hugely menacing villain. The Terminator himself becomes an ally of John Connor this time round (which most people certainly weren't predicting), and he sacrifices himself to let John Connor and Katherine Brewster live - he is the main hero this time. The ending is surprisingly powerful and meaningful, and ensures that this film is more than just standard action fare - it is part of the Terminator series in its own right and deserves to be remembered as a part of this monumental film legacy.
On the whole - Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines isn't going to be remembered as a classic, but bad robots, cunning villains and so-called "vital to the Earth" human characters ensure that this film is a Terminator. Explosions and death galore - this is hugely enjoyable. Spiffing! 8/10