How do you follow Terminator 2 Judgement Day?

Rating: 6/10 (4 November 2019)

Terminator 3 Rise of the machines tries, but is hindered by the absence of the original cast. I guess this was due to Edward Furlong being "otherwise engaged" and Sarah Connor being killed off "off screen". I wonder if Linda Hamilton was even considered to return? Hmmm.
You know even with my casting concerns T3 isn't too bad, certainly not the real stinker in the series. Nick Stahl arguably does a half decent job in furthering the John Connor story, would it have been better with Furlong? Who knows.
The story was a gift really, as we prepare for Skynet becoming self aware. This is what the story arc has been leading up to.... Judgement Day. It's also the 1st time that we hear that it's not been erased but just postponed, something that other sequels including Dark Fate would borrow to explain and justify their existence.
The addition of a female terminator in the TX is an interesting twist and an evolution on what had gone before, she was certainly played straight in a similar vein to Robert Patrick's T-1000.
The same can't be said for Arnie who is playing it for laughs at times almost as a parody of the T-800 he first portrayed. This is probably my main issue with this film, as the franchise looks to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. Shame.
The ending was an interesting twist on the narrative that had been built up, judgement day can't be stopped only survived. I didn't see that coming and I was surprised. This set the franchise up for John Connor truly leading the resistance. Something that we kind of got in Salvation, kind of.
So, should you see this movie? Yes it's an interesting study on how to take a movie franchise on after two cracking instalments and the departure of arguably the main reason for that success.....James Cameron. It's not perfect and marginally better than Genisys in that it doesn't mess around too much with a tried and tested formula. That said it's still only a 6/10 for me.