Review of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) by Kai82 — 26 Mar 2021

A solid movie and even when it is the weakest in the (so far) trilogy it is nowhere near being garbage. It tries to redo everything that makes Terminator 2 great but fails to reach the same levels but also succeeds in being an entertaining movie.

I must point out that it was hard to continue after Terminator 2 which is universally praised and one of the most recognized movies atop on entering pop culture history. I would not be angry if they ended the story after Terminator 2 but if a movie makes enough money a sequel will be made no matter what to gain more money from a franchise.

Basic Hollywood rule if not applicable to the whole movie industry(Also valid for other entertainment branches). In hindsight from 2021 the franchise never reached the level of the first 2 movies and there are some really weak entries.

However I will also say all later movies have some redeeming qualities mostly in form of really interesting ideas and concepts (Yes even if I dislike the performance / outcomes I will praise some ideas for creativity reasons).

Lets go back to the movie: At the beginning there was a struggle for the rights of the franchise and at some point Arnold Schwarzenegger asked James Cameron if they themselves should acquire the rights.

Sadly it did not end well and James Cameron was out of the picture for the project and neither Linda Hamilton nor Edward Furlong were included in the cast. Luckily Arnold Schwarzenegger was available as it would be a colossal disappointment if they did not get him too.

The story is set approx 10 years after the events of Terminator 2 and follows John Connor who after the death of his mothers hides from Skynet by living a nomadic life to not appear on the radar. However Skynet will not give up and sends another Terminator back in time to get things done which lead the human resistance to respond similarly.

Again we have the standard set up and overall the story delivers. It does not reach the levels of the prequels but is well done. I use mostly the term that it lacks the last pushes in this situation. The mixture of character development, twists and action is satisfying.

I praise the stunt team for the performance. I will also say that it is sometimes a bit underwhelming, there are a few awkward moments / scenes and the conclusion is something I don't know if it is excellent or a disappointment.

I will admit that most of the humor works well. Acting wise there are some missteps but in general the cast delivers a good performance. Lets start with Arnold Schwarzenegger in his iconic role. I say he delivers and you hear nearly no one criticizing his performance while for many his performance is a redeeming feature of the film.

I am divided for Nick Stahl as John Conner. Mostly a good performance but there are scenes were I do not like him or better said the performance. I think it is the script not him. Claire Danes as Kate Brewster is excellent and gives a relatable and immersive performance.

Claire Danes as T-X is the hidden star of the movie. She fully delivers and I never doubt her menacing and intense performance. Most of (the few) awkward moments I would blame on the script or director.

Again I feel compelled to say that it is hard to follow the prequels and director Jonathan Mostow is really talented (I like many of his works). The special effects are excellent and ILM (Industrial Light & Magic) are just legends of the industry (If you do not know them look up their resume and films were they contributed the special effects).

Visually and soundtrack wise I think there is nothing to criticize or maybe at most some nitpicks. Overall this is a good movie that has the burden to continue one of the most acclaimed movie in the genre.

It tries its best but could not reach the level. However it is not a failure a good performance. I give an additional point because the latter movies made me appreciate this more.