The Terminator franchise is turning in its grave.

Rating: Null/10 (14 April 2006)

Doesn't James Cameron's masterpiece, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, have a perfect ending? John, Sarah, and the Terminator manage to prevent Judgment Day by destroying Cyberdyne Systems and melting all the evidence that a Terminator ever existed. There's no way humanity will have to suffer through this war, right? WRONG! According to the professional idiots at Hollywood, Judgment Day is inevitable. Because without Judgment Day, there can be no sequels.
Well, the T-101 is back to promote his campaign for Governor! And the memorable characters you fell in love with from the previous installments are! Well, Sarah Connor's dead. Damn, that's a disappointment. Well, at least we've got Edward Furlong and no, wait. He's not in it. They replaced him with Nick Stahl. Well, Earl Boen's back as Dr. Peter Silberman! Funny I didn't remember him being in the third one. Maybe I should pay better attention.
Well, anyway, the machines decide it'd be a great idea to make the next Terminator model an attractive blonde. And they also apparently decide to ditch the numbers in favor of the much flashier T-X. You know, it sounds cooler, because the machines certainly care! I was infuriated at the lack of creativity in "Judgment Day is inevitable." Shouldn't you give an explanation as to HOW the exact same thing can be picked up if there's nothing any scientists can start from and the man who created the machines in the first place sacrificed himself to MAKE SURE his research never led to anything? Oh, wait. That would take away valuable explosion time. How silly of me.
Speaking of that, there's hardly any action in this movie. Hardly any GOOD action, anyway. There's a pretty cool chase scene in which the Terminator hangs on to a crane driven by the T-X. There's also a scene in which the Terminator blows away the police, but it's effectively ruined by the "Human Casualties: 0" thing. An obvious and pathetic attempt to make the audience believe this takes place in the Terminator storyline.
As for story well, if you ignore the numerous plot holes involving John Connor's age and the completely unrealistic idea of Judgment Day going off exactly as before, only later the story still sucks. The only interesting plot twist is the idea that the Terminator killed John Connor in the future. Kinda chills you when you hear that, but then you're immediately shaken out of the mood by Nick Stahl's incessant whining.
It ends abruptly and unsatisfyingly. It starts off good with the Terminator being controlled by the T-X. John Connor and his newfound love Kate Brewster rush frantically to prevent Judgment Day a second time, and you get a sense that it's going to be an exciting last- minute rescue of the human race. Unfortunately, the movie decides to spit in your face and set off Judgment Day anyway. Wow the entire point of Terminator 2, and also the main character's goal (apart from being a more annoying son-of-a-bitch than Anakin Skywalker, which was a huge accomplishment on his part) is reduced to nothing. No fate? Screw that, it's inevitable!
Terminator 1 was sad because Kyle dies at the end. Terminator 2 was sad because Arnold dies at the end. Terminator 3 is sad because the Termintor series dies at the beginning.