Review of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) by Dillinger P — 19 Mar 2015

Terminator 3: Rise of the Simple Convienance is a film that essentially no one wanted, especially when James Cameron was not attached to direct. Looking back, its easy to understand the flack this film got at the time and still does, although it does have some moments of genius, the bad outweighs the film, that ultimately comes off as so, so.

Terminator 3 is set 10 years after T-2, Sarah Conner is dead, John Conner lives off the grid, floating from point to point, this is however until a new deadly Terminator, the T-X shows up and starts killing a select few unknowns.

The paths of Kate Bruster, daughter of a military general in charge of skynet during a viral crisis, and John align and our old friend Arnie reappears as everyones favorite cyborg, in order to protect the couple from the now inevitable nuclear fallout.

It's an okay idea, just not executed to a great standard. firstly 12 years after a successful franchise ended, James Cameron had closed the book on Judgement Day, so opening the book back up, without his inclusion, you would have thought that allowing a very good director to take the helm would be a decent idea? Jonathan Mostow, is not that director, he is not completely incapable, however he is forced to bring little originality from a script that just wants to be a mix of the previous films.

He does include some nice moments however, a car chase for example, that although heavily tainted with CGI, is actually extremely brilliant, the new T-X, played by Kristanna Loken is a much more efficent and brutal warrior than the T-1000.

Mostow actually leaves the film on a perfect note also, that many people probably wouldnt have the balls to do. However his over reliance to race through everything and use of CGI, kills the film stone dead in places.

The cast are decent enough Arnie isnt as good as previous installments, Nick Stahl is probably the best John Conner at this point, Claire Danes is okay as Kate Bruster, but the show stealer is Kristanna, who I believe is a model, and just pulls of a terrifying portrayal of a seductive, relentless killing machine, that is designed to kill machines.

Although heavily compared to Robert Patrick, she just about holds her own, even when it comes to the physical side of things, thats when Mostow isnt relying on the Matrix and CGI to emphasis power. The film is in such a rush that every single plot point is pure convienance.

John and Kate's paths are conveiniant, the fact the Terminator is now capable of psychiatry meaning any emotion conflict between characters can be sorted within 5 seconds, Sarah Conner leaving a fuck tonne of weapons in her coffin, the fact Kate Bruster happens to know how to fly a plane, thats her brothers, that isnt mentioned until she needs a plane.

For every problem the solution takes seconds to resolve and it just becomes sigh inducing. Also the handling of comedy in this film is fuckin atrocious, Arnie's introduction is insulting, given her does have some genuine fun moments, that are well written and acted, but so much of his stuff is forced.

There are moments of sheer lunacy that you cant help but laugh at, and some characters are just there to piss the hell out of you. Even with all this, it is a fun waste of time, action sequences are enjoyable, Mostow does add some inventivness to the franchise, I especially like the T-X's ability to control other machines and AI, Nick Stahl gives us a decent John Conner and we get an ending that can either finalize or move the story away from the cat and mouse chase.

It holds its own as a film but compare it to the franchise and it sinks like a led balloon.