Rise of the Machines , Fall of Man

Rating: Null/10 (24 August 2003)

Let's make one thing clear ; I don't think anyone is gonna ( or not ) see this movie because of a favorable/unfavorable review. This IS Terminator 3. You know what the story's about. You've seen the prequels . You were not born yesterday. Hence this review will mention some specifics of the movie and if you haven't seen it yet , be warned .

I went to the theatre with some very simple expectations. I wanted to see Arnie be THE Terminator once again. I figured I was in for some death , chaos and mayhem. You know what? It's OK by me to want some of that every once and awhile. I've enjoyed some very thoughtful, emotional and purposeful films. But now I was in it for all the ' wrong ' reasons. Strangely enough I was rather let down by this sequel .

It wasn't just the holes in the script , some of them gaping. Didn't bother me. Way I see it there really shouldn't be a sequel to Part II ; it was too perfect for that. So the only way to link it with this sequel was to blow the script wide open.

It wasn't the horrendous error in the casting of Nick Stahl in the role of John Connor either. This young man is simply in the wrong business ; he lacks any trace of personal charisma and charm a Hollywood actor should have. His casting in what is essentially the lead role in a multi-million dollar production is bizarre to say the least. The only time I was satisfied with him being in the frame was when Arnie got his hands around his throat and lifted him clear off the floor. Right there and then, if he would have wasted him the movie would have taken a twist in the right direction and broken through all that was expected from the script. But he didn't :-(

Neither was the incredible naivity of the dialogs nor screenplay what blew it for me . You kinda shake the bad impression off when a frightened young woman downs what looks like a menacing small jet with an AK-47; OK so the Russians paid for some commercial exposure too. Why should only the Fins from Nokia be the smart ones and benefit from some ' gray ' advertising?

The main sticking points for me ( and boy was I surprised from that ) were actually the only signs of intelligence this movie tried to show.

The most obvious was of course the ending. Just as we are ready for the final showdown ,the mother of all battles , a glimpse of the monster itself , there's a tremendous let down with everything ending in a dusted place which looks forgotten from history with some AM radio broadcasts announcing the end of the world. I suppose with this the writers tried to show some originality. Originality is good. I've loved originality in all the mini sci-fi and horror series. But you know what? This is not a one-hour special episode of some TV series. This is a major blockbuster movie with fans of the original storyline and heroes who came to see the End coming as the proverbial Mack truck running clear through the screens. But this film doesn't End. It just fades away like a wounded animal that no one would put out of it's misery.

That was the first thought after the film. But something deeper bothered me as well. The sour taste in my mouth somehow expanded in my mind as well. There was a message somewhere in there as well , hidden , lurking.

Then it dawned on me ; what's the real difference between the second and the third Terminator ? It's the outlook of the Future. In Terminator II Linda Hamilton conveys a positive message ; Future is what we make of it. But here in the third part there's a much darker message: Future is inevitable. And the Future is the clash with the Machine . The Machine is our enemy and no matter what, it shall one day turn on us. So be afraid. Be very afraid. Dig some holes in your back yard. Stock up on supplies. Get some guns. Cause the reckoning is coming. And it doesn't matter that there are no enemies are left. It doesn't matter that the threat is not there any more ( parallel with the empty, dusted , obsolete nuke shelter ) There's a reason always for keeping a stockpile ready to blow the world up: It's there to be used and we'll use it on ourselves. And if you aren't afraid of the Russians anymore , if the aliens are nowhere to be found then don't worry. Look into your study , into your children's rooms, into your workspace. The Enemy is there , disguised , dormant , posing as a friend. Till it's time for Him to rise and destroy us all. But the Leader will emerge from the rubble with his few chosen saved by the rat holes they have dug for themselves. And he'll gather his few chosen ones and fly the American flag again ( as the tell-tale scene of the future in the beginning goes )

Well guess again Mr Director ,Producer and Writer. Cause the flag you have waving there shouldn't stand for fear and an Army of One.
Although there's plenty of folk out there who'd like that...