Surprisingly good

Rating: 9/10 (3 July 2003)

I've been a lukewarm fan of the terminator series. I watched the two previous films before seeing T3, and it really struck me that these films are more about hardcore action then a believable plot. Not so with this film. They brought back much of the writing talent from the first Terminator and it definitely shows. People may complain about the lack of blood in this film, but I think it adds a sense of reality and suspense that it would not have otherwise. There are plenty of explosions and action for the less intelligent, but for once these have been put second to good science fiction. I've seen many films that have not managed this mix well. This film pokes fun at its occasional cheesiness so that we know the writers are sure where it's going. This film has a surprise ending which alone is worth the price of admission.