Rise of the dollar

Rating: 6/10 (2 July 2003)

When compared to the first and second Terminator movies, T3 is probably average at best.
The special effects were top notch but the movie seemed forced. Whereas the first and second at times grew deep and philosophical (or as much as this storyline would allow), T3 had none of that. It was just action scenes mixed in with ho-hum dialogue to explain what was about to happen next.
Terminator 2 technically was a sequel, but it didn't *feel* like a sequel. T2 could have stood on its own.
Terminator 3, on the other hand, pretty much assumes that the viewer is familiar with the storyline. Old characters (just one really) are shamelessly plugged in for quick appearances that didn't further the storyline one bit. New characters have been added and their histories faked to appear as if they've always been a part of the Terminator world. The movie watched as if it was the last season of some long running television series overdue for retirement.
On the plus side, T3 has some strengths. As mentioned earlier, the special effects were excellent. Also, the writers gave the Terminator some hilarious moments.
This is a short movie and the action moves briskly. Watch it if you're a fan of the series or if you're into awesome action scenes, but don't expect it to be very deep. 6 out of 10.