He's back again.

Rating: 7/10 (11 July 2019)

Essentially, 'Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines (2003)' combines the philosophies of the first two movies, positing that the future isn't set but that certain events are, perhaps, inevitable. In this way, it presents a natural and rather interesting extension to the previously established narrative. It's actually a solid story filled with nice character moments and generally intriguing ideas. It also makes a few bold choices which end up being vital to its success. Obviously, it's not as tight as the first or as exciting as the second, and it's not as well-written as either, but it's a competent, surprisingly effective tale nevertheless. Generally, it is a little silly, though. Usually, this isn't too much of an issue; the action scenes are as energetic and engaging as ever, if more outlandish and occasionally downright goofy, and the tone isn't as unbalanced as you might think. Sometimes, however, you do get the sense that things are a little too over-the-top - especially in comparison to its consistently grounded predecessors. There are a few, sporadic moments of comedy that don't quite work. Likewise, some of the 'serious' stuff is a little too serious to be taken seriously (I'm looking at you, opening narration). I think the pacing helps you overlook a lot of these issues, as the thing really does move. As I said before, it's entertaining, too. To say he didn't want to be here, Schwarzenegger is doing a decent job. The character is written as if he has his learning capabilities already unlocked (see the director's cut of 'Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)') but that's not too much of a leap. His counterpart is presented as a machine designed to kill machines and does, indeed, feel like she outmatches him. The design of some of her elements seems a little strange - as does the overall 'rigid endoskeleton/ liquid-metal skin' combo - but she's menacing enough. It helps that the chase is pretty much constant this time, essentially being the driving force behind even the more 'grand-scheme' plot. Some of the effects-work leans too far into early-2000s CG to be believable but there's just enough practicality, especially in the car-chase scene, to make up for that. Generally, the flick is much more enjoyable than you might think. It rounds off the narrative of the 'trilogy' rather well, even including some decent overarching character development, and feels fairly complete. Of course, it isn't as good as either of the films it follows. However, it's undeniably entertaining, despite being silly, and that counts for quite a bit. 7/10