Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) (1 Viewer)

[Seth Paxton]

His scanner isn't working right. There were dead bodies all over the place

Oh shit is that funny stuff.

I agree about the programming of "don't kill" and mentioned it briefly myself, and especially agree with the fact that who would take the time for such an instruction when everyone is a goner anyway.

Also, if you are in the future and realize that Judgement Day couldn't be stopped after all (which you would), why not send a terminator back with that message the minute after that last one was killed. Of course we always could question the TIMING of the placement of these time travelers, like why not a day earlier or a year earlier? I suppose we must assume that they either can only link into the "aiming" done by Skynet or have some other such restriction. I can let that go of course.

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Review uploaded. Feel free to bake me for poo-pooing this film.

Shit, I thought I was kind.

Her will (a LEGAL document said put a bunch of ILLEGAL weapons in her 10,000 coffin, so the T could access them years later? It would only weigh about 700 pounds.

Silberman? WTF? They went for the jugular in humor, but I still laughed more in T2. Those jokes worked with the story, not winking at it.

Great effects.

Atrocious villain.

But now I sound bitter, so I'll bag off. After the early good buzz, I expected a lot more than this.

T2 delivered. T3 showed up.

Take care,
Chuck

 

[Al_S]

I saw this movie today and liked it but thought it was cut short. I was just getting into the movie when all of a sudden it ended. I guess they were trying to set up a T4 I don't know. I give it :star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: stars.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

I did think it was kinda silly that he BOUNCES the truck over Daines when he first enters.

Glad I wasn't alone in my eye-rolling during this scene. Yeah, it's a tiny complaint but it was just silly enough to pull me right out of the action.

 

[Chris Atkins]

I like the new direction--and let me stress the word NEW--that Mostow, et al, have taken this series.

This isn't your father's Terminator--or even your "when I was a teenager" Terminator. This is taking the series in a new direction, with different choices than were made in the first two films.

The focus is now clearly more on the action--the truck bouncing over Claire Danes is good evidence of that. But there is nothing wrong with focusing more on action, especially when it is done as well as it is done in T3.

Yes, things might have been a little rehashed in this one, but they have set up T4 brilliantly to take us in new directions.

Whether they make the right choices is up to them...."no fate but what we make."

 

[Matt Stone]

I hated that bouncing thing too. I didn't really start liking the movie until the crane-chase. I'll have to go see it again tomorrow and see if I like it as much a second time.

 

[Chris Atkins]

I hated that bouncing thing too.

That's really odd...I and the rest of the audience I was with loved that part. Lots of oohs and ahhhs.

 

[Ashley Seymour]

First to collect my thoughts, this was worth the trip just for the action scenes. I really enjoyed the performance by Claire Danes, even if the development of her character was rushed compared to our introduction to Sarah Connor. The Terminatrix can be a fox out of a Playboy centerfold, but I like the central characters to be a bit more plain and believable.

What I note about sequels and I see it touched on my many posting comments is the lack of a feeling of “discovery.” In T1 we are introduced sinister nature of Terminator as are the people who are unfortunate enough to meet him. As each new character is introduced we learn and discover a bit more. In T2 we get some repeats, but there are enough twists to keep us interested. T3 comes along and the only real sense of discovery we get in the characters is a hurried explanation. It is almost literally John Connor saying, “hey aren’t you just like the last one?” and the Terminator “no I’m different.” End of discovery.

Well if the writers and director have turned the same rock over and over and have not found another novel way to work with the characters, why not go in another direction with the script? I don’t mean to argue the time travel issue, goodness we would have a thread that would go on forever.

How about bringing in the locals and military in an expanded and participatory role? In T1 we had the Terminator tearing up the police station and the whole state going on alert. Even with this depiction I was a bit disappointed, but there was so much else going on with the story – discovery – that I excused it. In T2 we start with our psychiatrist ignoring all the evidence of a Terminator and treating Sara for her “insanity.” At least the third time around, all government agencies should be aware and on alert. There could have been a police and military nerve center that comes into play that would get caught up in the chase as they did in the first. Yes, I know it is a repeat, but this time instead of giving weak repeats of jokes in previous films, the public could follow the chase on TV as they do in real life in LA.

The writers have chosen to give the police and military the power to cover up the happenings of the T1 and T2. This may be a bigger stretch than the acceptance of time travel. Think about it. Some guy leaves a bit of tape on a door in an apartment complex and a president resigns in disgrace. A large part of LA is blown up with dozens killed and there is no news?

Sorry, I’ll get flamed for debating an element that is not in any of the films, but my point is that the formula for success in a sequel is to not rehash what has gone before, but to repeat that which make the original a success. The fun of discovery.

 

[Dan Shogren]

Pathetic attempt at continuing the series without cameron. The entire movie seemed forced to me and the writing was fairly poor. Most of the movie seemed like a rehash of the predessesors and lacked the power of the first two. The action scenes were also sub par. Arnie only got to use his shot gun once! The musical score was also very disapointing, i was expecting the familiar, "DUH DAH DUH DUH DUH!" Clangs to come into the music at some point, but alas, it was not used until the ending credits. The entire movie seemed like a crappy rushed action movie with terminator characters slapped in and a couple of elements from the previous movies. Also, was i the only one who thought the cgi work in this movie was pitiful? It never was able to pull me in and create a sense of disbelief like movies like the matrix reloaded and the hulk were able to. Overall a very bad attempt. I am very very disapointed.

 

[Raymond_H]

Quick Thoughts :

:star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star:


This was a good summer blockbuster movie. This is (to me at least) what summer blockbusters are about. Not on par with the greatness like T2 but a fine solid effort. And while I thought I was going to hate it given the circumstances that surround the film, as you can tell I throughly enjoyed it - From start to finish.


I am hoping for T4 and excited about it, the only thing that might prevent that from happening is how much money this one rakes in, because the marketing for this movie was horrible.

Again, good throughout much better then the other action films that has come out so far this summer.

Raymond

 

[Dennis Pagoulatos]

I'm laughing at "the greatness that is T2" comments from everyone...sure I was blown away by T2 in '91, and action-wise for a long time, but the story and heavy handed writing always felt weak compared to movie 1. Now it's really funny to see it being hailed as something beyond an action masterpiece (which is really all it is in my book at this point) Inconsistencies? The second film was FULL of them. Bad acting complaints? "Why do you cry?" anyone?

Let's review T2, shall we?

Perfect action set pieces? YES
Perfect editing? Check.
Good writing? Not really (inconsistent, heavy handed, syrupy)
Cartoony characters? Uh huh.
Clunky humor (unlike the first one)? You betcha.
Cheesy message rammed down our throats (horrible Linda Hamilton narration at the end)? OHHHH YEAAHHH!

Come on, I'll accept people not liking T3, but enough with the "man the story was sooo much weaker than T2!" comments...that's just laughable!

Let me put it this way:
T1 is like classic "Tom and Jerry" cartoons when they're trying to KILL EACH other in all sorts of gruesome ways.

T2 is like flashier later "Tom and Jerry" cartoons when they become FRIENDS (GAG) and wear RED freaking BOW TIES, compared to T1!!

Do you GET me? (Oh my goodness, I think I've lost EVERYONE now!)

Okay enough ranting, time to eat some pizza!

-Dennis

 

[Tino]

Seth

It seems as though you have cooled to T3 since I spoke to you and you basically feel the same way I do about it now. Excitement wore off, eh?

Oh and BTW Dennis, the really funny thing is the story in T3 was soooo much weaker than T2!....




.....(to me)

 

[John Geelan]

Anyone seeing big crowds at this movie yet? I've read that this film cost $170 million to make, so it will need a big opening week to recover that kind of money.

As i've said before, I couldn't get even near a theater on opening day or the next for LOTR's or The Matrix Reloaded but was able to walk right into T3 and sit right in the middle seat in the 3rd row for a 11AM showing of T3 on Opening Day.
I even went into another theater (because of a projector mishap) and that theater had no crowd at all.

 

[Holadem]

I absolutely LOVED this one, this is the first movie I am going to see twice this year. I find that tremendous respect was paid to the material, while there was enough novelty to make this one fresh.

Standard action movie? The Terminators are like no other action movies I have seen. The basic plot of humans running away from a reckless killing machine, with the help of another one is is fascinating to me. The action set piece in this one are gigantic. That initial chase with the crane was deadly, though I somewhat agree that we needed more of a buildup.

I couldn't wait for the hand to hand fight between the two, and I wasn't disappointed. The recklessness of the machines will never cease to send a chill down my spine.

The one aspect that bothered me a bit is that Arnold is a little more "human" in this one, with a semblance of emotions like impatience, or exasperation. Slight upgrade I guess, not a big deal.

I loved the humor, all the complaints had made me fear it would be over the top.

The music was also better than I had feared. Nothing special, but it does a good job of evoking it's predecessors. The absence of music during the crane scene was different, but not detrimental, I liked it.

Loken was terrific. I was impressed by her subtle, yet very expressive acting . I hope her career takes off after this one, as I firmly believe that she has the potential to be a good actress in more conventional roles.

I only hope this one makes a fuck-load of money but I must say the room was only half full :frowning:.

:star::star::star:1/2, very likely to be a 4 in the next couple of days.

This Mostow guy has earned my respect. Yes, there are many scenes that you just KNOW Cameron would have elevated to greatness (as much as I am raving about this movie, not many scenes or shots stick to my mind as extremely cool), but this was the next best thing.

Reloaded, X2, T3, if Pirates and LXG are as good, this will go down as one of the greatest summers in recent memory.

--
Holadem

 

[david stark]

I've just been to see it and I'm pretty dissapointed. I mean it started well, but then it just never went anywhere. It was just 2 hours (well almost) of nodding and winking back to it's predeccesors.

Comparing it back, T1 was pretty original at the time with a killer and a protector going back in time.... then the 2nd one introduced the protector being a robot as well and the terminator being a brand new liquid metal robot. T3, erm nothing. the same protector as in t2, the terminator was just an extension of the liquid metal one.

I enjoyed watching it, but I really couldn't care less if T4 comes around or not now.

 

[Quentin]

Well...apparently I went into this film with far lower expectations than I imagined, because I swear it is FAR better and FAR smarter than most here are giving it credit for. I think time will be kinder to this film and repeated viewings will bring out its strengths.

First of all, while I absolutely LOVE T2...there is a LOAD of moments and action gags that either mirror T1 or out-right copy it, but with a WAY bigger budget. So, T2 defenders out there need to re-watch it. The entire climactic chase/battle borrows HEAVILY from the climactic chase/battle of T1.

That said, there is a BOAT LOAD of new scenes/things/gags in T3. Let's take a look:

1)The T-X is a female
2)Whose arms convert into a multitude of badass weapons
3)Who is more heavily armored than anything we've ever seen
4)Who uses nanotechnology to control machines
5)Who is designed to kill terminators.
6)She is killing John's lieutenants
7)One of which is a woman who will be John's wife
8)Who programmed this T1
9)Who assassinates John in the future.
10)And, she'll have his children
11)And her dad controls skynet
12)And they are destined to meet, cuz they met before
13)The night before T2 happened.
14)Her moments/scenes with John (should count as 3 or 4 new things) like the "basement" convos and the stuff about his destiny are all new. Sure, they should have been BETTER, but they're new.
15)John threatens to kill himself.
16)Kate and John contemplate suicide by C4
17)Kate "changes" and becomes a tough survivor, wasting the flying robot.
18)The T1 goes evil and fights it off (I would have liked the film to run with this longer).
19)And, the biggest change of all...THE ENDING!! The end alone sets this film more apart from the other two than they are different. T1 and T2 have more in common just in theme/story than this film...just because of the ballsy ending of this film.

So...there are your differences. This film is obviously NOT a copy of T2. It does NOT suffer from sequelitis. Yet, I do admit, it copies too much:
1)The bar scene was a lame copy. I'll admit it.

2)Big truck chasing pickup with HOUSE on back? No. You can't claim this as a copy unless you cop to T2 ripping off the big truck chasing small truck ending from T1. Just because a big truck chases a small truck does NOT mean it's a copy. T3's big chase starts with a car accident (shocker), moves to the remote cars chasing the truck, to the crane coming in and causing more mayhem than I've ever seen, to Arnie on a bike, to Arnie from the crane, to Arnie on the Fire Engine, to the big "hook" finale that absolutely rules. This is an original and fun chase that only has the word "truck" in common with anything from T2. You might as well claim that the Matrix:Reloaded chase copied T2.

Her dad didn't build Skynet. He runs it. In T2, he doesn't save them with his dying breath, he blows it to hell AFTER he dies. This guy saved his daughter, AND not in a way I bet you were expecting...

So...sure, there is some copying, but NO MORE THAN IN T2. Some of it works (the "You're terminated" fight), some of it doesn't. But, combined with the new stuff... particularly the end, I think this film is a worthy 3rd chapter. It moves, it's smart (could/should have been smarter, I admit), and it twists the theme around well.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I loved T3, and that surprised me. I expected to hate it, but the good buzz was right.

And about the truck bouncing, I think that the TX was standing to the side of Claire Danes, so the truck didn't bounce over her but instead just barely ran over her right arm. I looked closely when I saw this scene and that's what I remember.

Overall, I liked it. I thought it was good action and it seemed like a good chunk of it was done with real actors instead of CGI (even though I know that's not true). The Terminator on Terminator action (not THAT kind of action, that would be weird) was pretty damn cool and a lot of stuff blew up.

And I think the TX was a great villain. Compared to T2, this film was less style mixed with substance and they didn't flesh out the "bad" Terminator as much, but I still thought it to be a good continuation of the series and a great summer action flick.

 

[Patrick Sun]

How did this T-101 know to look by flipping down the visor for the keys to the truck? Lucky guess?

 

[Holadem]

One of the main complaints seems to be that not much is new. Well, I would rather see a newcomer to a franchise be cautious with the material than try to do something radical with it and totally fuck it up.

--
Holadem

 

[Quentin]

Same problem as with the 000 casualties thing. They screwed up.