He's back.

Rating: Null/10 (11 August 2003)

If you're a geek like me, you know stuff about movies before they hit theatres. It's called "the buzz". The buzz was pretty bad on T3. Linda Hamilton and James Cameron didn't want anything to do with it, it was a useless sequel made only for the cash, the online script sucked arse, yadda yadda yadda.
Well, booyakasha, did Jonathan Mostow prove everyone wrong. He made a humorous, exciting and at times, even dramatic/epic film. Is T3 a GOOD movie then, I hear you say in amazement? Yes, it is. It is beyond ENTERTAINING. It is GOOD. Depending on how it holds up on multiple viewings, it might even become GREAT.
We're heading into Subjectivesville, USA here, but I had an extreme fondness of the two other Terminators (especially T2). I spent summers, every day playing Terminator with my two neighbors (I was 11 back then or something). We took turns on who could be the T-800, John Connor and the T-1000. The concept of the Terminator is (as is Star Wars) a part of my childhood. So there is something about T3 (as with the prequels) that connects deep inside of me. But now that I've seen T3, I can honestly say that, unlike the prequels, it is not a GUILTY pleasure.
Arnie is born to play the part of the T-800 (but one does wonder why Skynet keeps building Terminators with Austrian accents) and the stoicine flair he does it with will have you cheering throughout the film. John Connor does not force him to soften up in this one, so it's all 2 TUFF 2 DIE all the time.
Nick Stahl is good as the doubting leader-to-be of mankind (though I'd still have preferred Ed Norton). He's sympathetic and likeable throughout, but unfortunately you don't get to see the transformation from alcoholic bum to Great Leader.
Claire Danes easily out-acts them all as Kate, John's future wife and second in command. Her reaction to the deaths of loved ones are almost as if she really was breaking out in tears on that set. PAY THIS GIRL MORE!!!
Kristanna Loken, my biggest doubt on this film. She can't possibly out-evil Robert Patrick as the T-1000 or even Arnie himself as the bad guy in the first one. She's just so damn hot! Well, to be frank, she didn't. She's not bad or anything, she does exactly what she had to do, but the sense of menace the T-1000 had just isn't there.
The story is a real winner. A friend whom I saw the film with fell asleep before the last half hour or so (he was TIRED, not cause it was crap), and if someone would have asked him about the ending, I assure you he could not give a correct answer.
So, do I want a T4? Yes, all it needs is Mostow, Stahl and Danes. And I assure you: THEY'LL BE BACK.