Exceeded all my expectations

Rating: 7/10 (13 July 2003)

What can I say, but I really enjoyed Terminator 3. The key, I believe, was to go in expecting to be let down. 2003 has been and will continue to be a sequel-happy year, filled with instantly forgettable rehashes of successful films in order to see if lightning would strike twice, or thrice, or who knows how many more times. Since the first two Terminator films were so incredibly good and T2 ended on such a fantastic note, I didn't think another good entry into the Terminator franchise was possible, especially since a) Arnold isn't young anymore, b) Linda Hamilton was not involved, and c) neither was Jim Cameron. I was expecting a sub-par action flick with mediocre special effects and painfully shallow performances all around. While the amazing Linda Hamilton's presence was sorely missed, as was the direction (not necessarily the dialogue) of James Cameron, T3 really delivered! It was a great deal of fun and excitement, exactly what a summer moviegoer should want to see during a season known for idiot movies.

I am very hard to please in the summertime since SO much trash comes out and most so-called films released between June and August insult my intelligence beyond forgiveness. While not as fresh, intriguing, and thought-provoking as the first two, Terminator 3 actually, surprisingly, had somewhat of a brain! The story was well-conceived, the special effects were out of the park incredible (given the budget, they'd BETTER have been!), Arnold was in great shape, and most strikingly, the performances were very strong indeed!

While Arnold Schwarzenegger's speaking performance was limited mostly to expository dialogue, short commands or replies ("Negative", "Get down!", "Take the wheel"), he gave a delightfully campy, tongue-in-cheek portrayal of the part tailor-made for him. His deadpan quips were in the "lame and predictable, but can't help laughing and smiling" category. As for the stunts and his fights with the new T-X supervillain, or "Terminatrix" (played adequately enough by stone-faced stunner Kristanna Loken), they were outstanding. At times, the physical confrontations between the two make the classic fights between Arnold's T-101 and Robert Patrick's T-1000 in T2 look like a schoolyard spat. I kept seeing dollar signs popping up with all the cars, buildings, etc. that were destroyed.
Perhaps the most inspired casting, however, were Claire Danes as Kate Brewster and Nick Stahl as John Connor. I NEVER would have expected Claire Danes to fit well into a Terminator movie, but she was a gem! First of all, she's looking great these days. She has such attractive features, but in more of a classical way. Whereas Loken's looks make guys simply say, "She's hot!", Danes has more of the look of a girl that a respectable man would want to introduce to his family. She played her part excellently and remembered to have a good time doing it, as one can see while watching her.

Nick Stahl was perfectly cast as reluctant hero John Connor. He had a look in his eyes of a man with a haunting past (and future) as the role requires. There was a wonderful sense of urgency and despair in his voice that told me that he understood the part completely. His character's frustration came through perfectly and I know purists say that Eddie Furlong should've played him, but I disagree. Furlong was okay as young John, but nowadays he just doesn't have a certain look that Conner should have (no offense to Eddie. loved him in American History X). Stahl has such a strong dark side, it's a shame the part of Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episodes II and III didn't go to him, as he would have probably done very well.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. T3 packed a nice summer popcorn movie punch and a very clever ending. Considering the expectations and the dynamite of potentially alienating diehard Terminator fans, director Mostow, whose exciting 1997 B-movie Breakdown showed a great deal of promise, has earned his wings in the annals of action moviemaking.