TNMC
This site’s design is only visible in a graphical browser that supports web standards, but its content is accessible to any browser or Internet device.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
What can be said about a sequel that follows a sequel that appeared to put a dramatic end to the story? The very notion of T3 being made was making my head hurt. The fact that it went forward without James Cameron, who was the guiding force behind the first two Terminator films, seemed to indicate this wasn't going to be on the same level. It turns out that is both right and wrong.
Jonathon Mostow steps in for Cameron and this is a good thing. He knows action. It's safe to say that the action sequences in the film are easily on par with anything Cameron did in the series. The downside is a story that seems to pitch much of the first two films out the window. The great part about the first two films was the way they played with time travel, forcing us to keep thinking about whether our lives are locked into a predetermined course or whether we can always be changing the future. T3 does away with that quandary and firmly says that we have a destiny. That's a lot more depressing and a lot less intriguing an attitude for a summer movie.
The story follows John Connor (Nick Stahl) as he continues a nomadic lifestyle ten years after T2. He knows they succeeded in stopping the machines from taking over but can't bring himself to let down his guard. Following a crash on his motorcycle he breaks into an animal hospital to fix himself up. He is caught by a young woman Kate (Claire Daines) who he knew just prior to the events in T2. At this point all hell breaks loose as a new terminator, the female TX (local girl Kristanna Loken), turns up looking for both of their scalps. This is immediately followed by the appearance of the same model of terminator we saw in the first two films, yet again played by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Loken lacks the imposing evil that her predecessor Robert Patrick brought to a similar role in the first sequel. She makes up for it though with a icy stare and the slightest of smiles that gives us the disturbing notion that this machine enjoys the killing. It's not just her job, it's a hobby. Patrick was more in the mold of the original Terminator, an unstoppable killing machine. Loken isn't quite as scary but is a bit creepier, a sadistic killer. Her curvy yet powerful figure makes her simultaneously sexy and off-putting. That combination of sex and power makes her an intriguing figure.
Schwarzenegger became a huge star through this series of films and slips back into the role effortlessly. No one would ever suggest he is a great actor but his screen presence is undeniable and he brings just enough drama and humor to the iconic role to make it work. Nick Stahl is fine as John but seems a bit whiny to be the hero of all mankind. I guess that hero thing develops with some on the job training. Perhaps the biggest surprise, to me anyway, is that Claire Daines seemed right at home in the middle of an action film. Late in the film she even shows off a convincing snarl and bloodlust that would serve well if they ever make a Terminator 4. I just never expected it from someone known mostly for introspective angst ridden sorts of roles.
The best part of this film is the action. The battles are mostly between the obsolete T-101 and the state of the art TX. These are two virtually indestructible machines specifically designed for destroying things. This they excel at. The action has a brutal bone crunching feel to it that has the audience repeatedly wincing and yelping in response to one monstrous blow after another. The special effects are used judiciously, never trying to be over the top, instead focusing on making the violence feel all too real. Time after time one terminator or the other is mowed down with astonishing ferocity, only to bounce back up and return the favor. We know these things aren't real, that in fact they aren't even supposed to be human but machines, and yet the effects are so seamless and visceral that we respond as if living things were taking this pounding. Great scenes like a chase involving a monstrous mobile crane, a one on one terminator slug-fest or the crash of two helicopters will leave jaws hanging open in theaters everywhere. Much to his credit, Mostow doesn't feel the need to resort to flashy editing, opting instead to let shots play out to maximum thunderous effect.
My expectations for this movie were low and that made it all the more enjoyable to discover an entertaining bit of mayhem. It's not as mentally engaging as its predecessors but in terms of action it matches and even exceeds them. Plus I give the filmmakers extreme credit for having the balls to go with that ending. I won't tell you what happens other than to say the final set bears a creepy resemblance to a set in Beneath the Planet of the Apes. T3 is a brutal rampage of an action film. Think of the first two as Muhammed Ali, dancing and weaving and smacking you in the head when you least expect it. Then think of T3 as Mike Tyson, a relentless aggressor that seeks to take your head clean off with one vicious shot.
What do you think? Talk about it on the Forums
