We didn't really need it but it doesn't terminate the legacy of the first two

Rating: 6/10 (8 March 2015)

James Cameron's Terminator films were both masterful slices of science fiction, and one of the best robots in cinema history (Played blankly in the best possible way by Arnold Schwarzenegger) left his dent in popular culture. Terminator 2 had a great ending, so we didn't need a sequel. For 11 years they managed to resist the temptation, but eventually they gave in. James Cameron wisely decided not to return, and some random director (Jonathan Mostow) directs the next chapter, as a different terminator in Arnie's shape returns to protect John Connor and his future wife from another robotic assassin. T3 does a decent enough job and could have been worse. The Terminator films benefit from an interesting storyline about fate and the apocalypse, and a surprising amount of emotion for films starring robots has kept all 3 afloat. T3 has a more distant, but still palpable, emotional core. In terms of action, the film does not disappoint and delivers many a thrilling, explosive set pieces full of well executed explosion heaven.
A problem which is the main reason why none of the films got a 10 from me is that the Terminator films are too reliant on chase scenes which can become repetitive. Until the strong final third, the film often feels like an extended chase sequence and peaks too early. There's still a decent plot, but the main characters are annoying and the antagonist is just a blank female version of the T-1000. The CGI doesn't look as ground-breaking as it did in 1992, so she's lame. Plenty of entertainment weighed down by a routine script carries on, until the interesting final act where Judgement Day happens and this twist makes sure the film leaves a better legacy than it might have done. T3 doesn't need to exist, but it could have been a lot worse. Not a spectacular sequel, but still entertaining and not as bad as some other third chapters. It's not another The Godfather Part III.
6/10