He's Back...
Schwarzenegger Returns to Action in T3

Don't bother looking for my review of the last Terminator movie. When T2: Judgment Day hit the screens, the year was 1991 and this Web site was not even a spark in my brain. Personal computers and computer graphics were just starting to be the rage. The idea of seeing a morphing T-1000 (Robert Patrick) take on Arnold Schwarzenegger in a Termintator free-for-all was like a dream come true. Now, twelve years later, Arnold once again dons his trademark black leather and sunglasses. In this age of computer magic, however, T3: Rise of the Machines will need more than special effects to sway audiences.

In T2: Judgment Day, Sarah Conner and her son John had successfully destroyed Cyberdyne Systems and (hopefully) the last evidence of the Terminator who attacked Sarah in the first film. With Cyberdyne destroyed, SkyNet would never be built, and Judgment Day -- that day in August, 1997, when the world ended -- would never occur.

John (now grown up and played by Nick Stahl) has lived his life "off the grid" in fear that something bad might happen, despite the fact that Judgment Day never happened and history (as far as he knew) had been altered. As it turns out, John was pretty smart, because it's only a matter of time before a new Terminator pops out of the future to start hunting again. This time the new model is a T-X that appears as a female (Kristanna Loken) and her mission is a killing rampage that inadvertently leads her to the primary target John Conner.

Naturally, another Terminator (the T-101 series played by Arnold) shows up hot on her trail. His mission is to protect John Conner and Kate Brewster (Claire Danes), a veterinary doctor who finds John in her office after he is injured. The result is a long chase scene as the Terminatrix chases down her quarry with ruthless determination, killing everyone who stands in her way.

And what happens after the chase scene? Well, that's pretty much the whole movie. The TX keeps coming and Arnold keeps knocking her down. Along the way, there is some interesting discussion about the future and John's (and Kate's) role in it. Whereas the catch phrase of T2: Judgment Day was "the future is unwritten," the message here seems to be "the future is inevitable." The T-101 tells John that Judgment Day was not averted, but merely postponed. John's future as leader of the human resistance is still destined to occur.

Unfortunately, T3: Rise of the Machines suffers from some big plot holes that can only be the result of bad writing or bad editing. Several key factors went unexplained, such as how gun-toting people gained access to a restricted military base. The extended crane chase, as the TX barrels down on our heroes in a unwieldy crane truck, is a bit too long, but plays out well.

Oddly, despite the R rating, this is a kindler, gentler Terminator movie. On at least three occasions, there is implied violence by the TX without actually showing anything. When she finally does do something on screen, it is shocking. Naturally, there are guns and explosions galore, but for most of the film the civilian casualties are kept to a minimum.

The acting in T3 is no better or worse than the other Terminator movies. Arnold has his role down pat, but Stahl and Danes are obviously trying to find their motivation. The acting is a little too angst-ridden to be believable. But that's okay. This isn't Shakespeare.

As for the conclusion of the film, you'll have to see it for yourself. From a science fiction perspective, however, I think it works in one regard and fails in another. Personally, I liked the ending and -- naturally -- how it left the series open for a sequel. Will Arnold be back to fight another day in Terminator 4? I guess that depends on if he runs for office in the California gubernatorial election. One way or another, though, he'll be back.

MY RATING: 7 out of 10.

RATED:
RUN TIME: 109 min.

He's Back... Schwarzenegger Returns to Action in T3

He's Back...
Schwarzenegger Returns to Action in T3