It couldn't possibly live up to T1 & T2

Rating: Null/10 (1 September 2003)

POSSIBLE SPOILERS
After the now classic first two films, we have this largely pointless sequel. I fear it was made only for financial reasons and the absence of James Cameroon shows this. After a twelve year wait, I think the makers could have done better than this.
My main concern was the lack of explanation as to how Skynet was developed. After Dyson was killed in T2 and his work destroyed, I think we deserved to have a more thought-out development of this "re-birth" of the Skynet AI. The development of Skynet in T3 was rushed and contradicts the time-line we learned in the first films.
The overall ethos I so admired in T2 is lacking here. More than anything, T2 gave us hope for the future: that it is NOT in our nature to kill ourselves. Now here in T3 we learn Judgment Day "is inevitable".
The absence of Linda Hamilton also made this film suffer. When we learn of Sarah's death it is empty and unsatisfying.
While it was a enjoyable "action" film with some good characters and set-pieces, I feel overall the tone and story are inferior to the well loved T1 & T2. The ending was an anti-climax and seems only fit for setting up the possibilities of more and more sequels (probably of diminishing quality).
I will finish by saying that in the official Making of Terminator 2 documentary I watched yesterday, T2 was described as "The Conclusion". I rest my case.