Corporate Line: Arnold Schwarzenegger returns in this third installment of the popular sci-fi action saga as a cyborg from the future once again becoming involved in the affairs of twenty-something John Connor and his first battles with the SkyNet machine network.
The Good: You will get your fill of one-liners from Arnold… you know the joke that isn’t really a joke and could only be delivered by him. I didn’t quite expect to have a laugh with much of the film. And if you think this is a carnival of laughs you’d be wrong. There is a hell of a lot of carnage. The highway scene in The Matrix Reloaded was intense and T3 tries to up the anti minus much of the CGI.
So what would you do when a gigantic semi with a crane is chasing after you? Run like hell. What a masterful piece of effects. You’ll be awed. Did I say the film was funny?
“Talk to the hand” spews Arnold. Trust me, it’s funny. Or, when Arnold is told to “Drop dead” and remarks “I cannot comply”. Out of context it isn’t the least bit funny yet in the film it killed.
The reason why you see any of the Terminators is for the action. T3 doesn’t let you down either. This Terminator is so action-packed that you’ll find it hard to escape for a bathroom break. Now that is the kind of movie I like!
The Bad: There is a story and some new faces, neither is interesting. Kristanna Loken is okay as the new cyborg. Maybe it’s me but for some reason seeing some good looking woman destroying everyone and thing just doesn’t seem right. The biggest oddity is the swapping of John Conners of T2 played by Edward Furlong for Nick Stahl in this version. It seems odd considering Furlong would have seemed to be a better choice for two reasons, Stahl doesn’t look like Furlong and second he isn’t a very interesting leading man. Claire Danes seemed completely out of her element. Neither Danes nor Loken can mustered up the ferocity that Linda Hamilton had in the two previous Terminators. Perhaps it’s because James Cameron decided to opt out of this sequel that so many things seemed so out of place.
Frankly: In the end T3 doesn’t let down the franchise. It seems short and leaves the door open for a possible T4, you only have to wonder where Arnold would fit in – and if he weren’t around would anyone care? The bigger question at hand is do you care or even want to see this sequel? I would see it again. I would recommend it to a friend, hell I’d even go as far as beg and plead for another addition to this storied franchise. Let the machines rise, just let me be there to see what happens next. Oh, and please Arnold… don’t go into politics – Hollywood needs you. We need you!
+ Charlie Craine
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