Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

I don't really understand why this movie is hated. As far as I'm concerned, this is better than any of the sequels that came after it. Yes, even Dark Fate. That movie felt too much like it was just straight up rebooting Terminator 1, with elements of Terminator 2 sprinkled in there, and even one part of T3 ([spoiler]The T800 in that movie was also the one who killed John Connor[/spoiler]) and didn't have hardly any practical effects.

This one felt a lot more like a natural continuation from where T2 left off. While sure, some might argue that it goes against T2's ending, but I mean you kind of have to in some way if you want to continue the series. I think the way they handled it here makes a lot of sense. Just like in Genisys and Dark Fate, no matter what you do, humans are eventually going to learn how to program AI to the level that it becomes self aware. This movie I think took a bold direction with its ending, and could have led to a great future sequel trilogy if they hadn't abandoned that idea after Salvation. I also think the T-X is a great villain, and there's a ton of absolutely fantastic action with great practical effects and stunts. This movie holds up really well, much better than any of the movies that followed it imo.

After _Terminator: Dark Fate_, you all need to give this movie an apology.

It's better than a 7 but not an 8 but then again more terrible Arnie humor but the TX did make her cyberboobs bigger soooooooo

He’s back....again. _Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines_ is a smart, adrenaline packed film that brings the series full circle. On the eve of Judgment Day the Terminator returns to ensure the survival of John Connor, the future leader of the human resistance in the war against the machines. Nick Stahl and Claire Danes both give strong performances, but Schwarzenegger has lost the magic; he just doesn’t have the Terminator look to him anymore. The real problem however, is Kristanna Loken (who’s no Robert Patrick). Loken comes off as too robotic, and not very Terminator like. Also, some of the callbacks and attempts at lighthearted humor (homaging _T2_) don’t quite work. Still, the action sequences are spectacular (minus a few spots of bad CGI), and the plot’s especially well-crafted in how it brings together the whole Terminator series and rectifies the time-travel paradoxes. _Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines_ is a strong sci-fi/action film with both a thrilling adventure and a compelling story.

Damn, I just rewatched several parts of it, and I forgot how good this actually was. I was on the Genisys hype train for quite awhile, but once it wore off and I looked at the staying power of each of the Terminator films... this is the most memorable Post-Terminator 2 sequel to come out. Nick Stahl actually does a great job of continuing the lonely and paranoid character, John Conner, and I actually prefer Arnold's performance here over Genisys. The downright depressing and almost hopeless attitude the movie has makes it a rather fitting entry into the series, despite it being not directed by James Cameron. That ending with the nuclear bombs going off is actually bone-chilling. One of my favorite moments of the whole series. The story repeats a little too many beats from the previous two, but it works them around in a way that feels new and fresh. The action is a blast, the crane sequence being the peak of the first act, and there's lots of great moments. Overall, very good movie that I underrated for awhile there.

This was well made and a lot of fun. Many sequels, particularly in action and science fiction genres, destroy their own narrative, continuity and mythology by throwing in a retcon. This seemed to follow neatly from the first two films, explaining the revised Judgement Day without really contradicted the second film. It stuck to its formula, threw in a bunch of fan favourite phrases and images. Pretty enjoyable really.

Even though we know the formula very well from the first two "Terminator" movies it still works: A T-1000 (good) and a more powerful T-X (bad) are sent back through time to terminate Kathrine Brewster, the wife-to-be of John Conner.

A rather unexpected ending: Judgment Day can't be stopped besides all the efforts from John Connor and the T-1000 and the nuclear first strike by Skynet happens, leading to the establishment of the resistance lead by John.

What?!? So if Sarah Connor killed off the terminators and all evidence of the first terminator at the end of T2, how did Skynet even exist to send back a female T-X to kill other members of the resistance? Why is their even a need for a resistance? John Connor has been staying off the grid because he thinks Skynet is sending back terminators anyway? How did the inevitable Skynet coincidentally create a T-X that was such a close facsimile of the T-1000 that never existed? Why does the T-850 (Arnold-style terminator) look so much like the units from T1 & T2? I am confused.

Alright, so regardless of all of those discrepancies, I'll roll with the premise that "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" lays down, anyway. The female T-X (Kristanna Loken), closely pursued by the T-850 (Arnold Schwarzenegger), hunts down John Connor's friends, his future wife Kate Brewster, and John himself. Arnold's terminator attempts to keep the T-X away from John and Kate as they try to stop Skynet before it starts Judgment Day, the war between the machines and man. It just so happens that Kate's father is the Director of Skynet itself. The military has developed SkyNet and is on the verge of flipping the switch that will essentially outsource the nation's defense to it. Kate's father is basically the military's keymaster.

Despite the lack of continuity to the first two movies, I actually like T3 quite a bit. There are some really great action sequences, primarily the crane chase and the hand-to-hand battle between the terminators in a bathroom. I think the special effects are pretty good and the movie moves along at a healthy clip. The ending is quite a twist and is a nice setup for a sequel. But the ending also would have been an okay place to let the entire story sit without a follow up ever being made. I can't remember where "Terminator: Salvation" picks up the story, but I'll be revisiting it soon.

I did not like the forced, light-hearted quips and almost slapstick reactions of Arnold's T-850. There were also some annoyingly convenient moments such as the melting T-X managing to call up a rotating saw blade to cut free of the magnetized particle accelerator. There was also a senseless sequence where the T-850 was reprogrammed by the T-X to attack Kate and John. Somehow it fights against the logic of its reprogrammed CPU and shuts itself down to keep from killing them. Later, it manages to boot itself back up and save Kate and John. I don't even understand why the story just wouldn't have the T-850 continue to pursue the T-X without the entire reprogramming crap. Did we need to give Arnold a chance to actually emote?

Ultimately, the good of T3 outweighs the bad for me. I have watched this numerous times and am always entertained despite its flaws.