Derivative action movie but perfectly entertaining...

Rating: 6/10 (3 August 2003)

Well, I have to say that I enjoyed T3. It was not a taught B-movie thriller like T1, or a faultless big budget sci-fi classic like T2, but it certainly entertained for 2 hours without getting boring. (I couldn't say the same of the other summer blockbuster I saw recently, "Hulk". I had to see that twice to check I wasn't imagining how BAD it was the first time.)
***** contains mild SPOILERS ******
T3 doesn't really bother trying to explain why Terminators even continue to exist post the seemingly "final" events of T2, instead it attempts to capture the audience's attention, with the promise of some impressive stunts, action sequences and effects (right from the opening shot of a nuclear detonation), and a large helping of "more of the same".
It certainly delivers on more of the same, with some great action sequences (T-X driving the crane was particularly good), nice effects, and constant pursuit of John Connor by a particularly mean, seeming unstoppable (and this time not unattractive) machine (apologies to Robert Patrick!), which again is defeated in an ingenious manner.
Where it fell down for me was:
1) it lacked the originality of either of it's predecessors, both in terms of plot, and in terms of set pieces (I guess there are only so many ways a machine can bash another machine into a wall repeatedly, but Arnie shooting up loads of cops then do a "000" count of human victims? Surely we've seen that before!) 2) it had a few too many attempts at humour (that is how we spell "humor" it in England BTW), which I think robbed it of the tension of the earlier movies. For ever slice of "talk to the hand" genius, there was a dog line ("I'm back!" was easily the worst).
But overall, it was more fun to watch than a lot of blockbusters I've seen recently. I'm not likely to hold my breath for the DVD, but i'd recommend seeing it, just don't expect to be blown away the way T2 would have done.