A Different Type of Terminator ---86%

Rating: 8/10 (31 July 2003)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
I just couldnt imagine a better sequel to Terminator 2: Judgement Day, which is probably the best action movie of all time. But, after seeing T3: Rise of the Machines, I came to one conclusion: T2 and T3 are different types of movies. And T3 ends up on top.

SUMMARY
The famous John Conner is all grown up now, and yes, you guessed it, is still being hunted down by robots sent from the future. But this time around, its no ordinary robot. The Terminatrix is far more superior in speed, strength and intelligence than John Conner's only chance for survival. Yes, the Terminator is back, but he has to protect not only John Conner, but also a mysterious young woman whose purpose throughout the war with the machines appears to be unknown.

FUN FACTOR: 95%
This movie is one fun thing to watch. Probably the most exciting movie to watch this year, and that includes The Matrix: Reloaded. Every scene in this action masterpiece, even the dramatic scenes, is vividly interesting. I remember when I was watching this movie in the theater, and halfway through I dropped my hot dog on my shirt. And it was nasty, all this relish and onion and ketchup all over. But, I didn't really care; I just kept on watching. Maybe, I'm just crazy.

ACTING: 85%
Well, lets start with none other than The Terminator. With a far greater arsenal of humorous lines and actions (the reoccurring scenes with the sunglasses), the Terminator's "personality" is far more expressed in this film than in the previous two. And the new additions of Claire Danes and Nick Stahl efficiently make up for the missing Linda Hamilton. The T-X (Terminatrix) shows as much emotion as she can, which is not much. But, hey, she's a killing robot. Still, overall, decent acting by the main stars, and great improvement by Arnold in the comedy department.

STORY: 80 %
What made the first two installments classics was the storyline. Its intricate plot, full of twists of time travel effects, the first two movies were not only action movies, but thrillers. And, this element is what lacks in T3. Now, this is such a bad thing. T3 just happens to be more of an action movie. The movie had some elements of time travel and the future war here and there, but not as much as the first two. Still, the end of the movie (I'm not going to give anything away) left me with a bunch of questions. And thats a good thing. A really good thing.

DIRECTION: 85%
When I found out that James Cameron was not going to do the upcoming Terminator, I thought this is going to be a blowout. But it wasnt. Jonathan Mostow took the job, and made an excellent movie. I have to admit, T3 has a totally different look from the last two. While the first two were darker, T3 is more explosion. Its mainly because T-1000, equipped with only his hands and the shapes they can become, relies more on stealth and close combat. With that type of enemy, the atmosphere of the movie must always be dark. In T3, however, the T-X relies on guns and, therefore, at-a-distance type combat. That creates more explosions and less blood. That's another thing, T3 is not even close to being as violent as the first two. To sum up, T3 has a lighter look compared to its predecessors, but is still successful in this transition.

FINAL IMPRESSION: ---86%
With an excellent cast of characters, breathtaking action scenes, and a little bit of fresh humor added in, T3 is, undoubtedly, a worthy addition to a classic series.