"Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" Talkback (Spoilers)

[The Clown Prince]

The Machines Will Rise

"Desire is irrelevant. I am a MACHINE!" - The Terminator
"We'll meet again someday." - The Terminator​

Release Date: July 2, 2003
Director: Jonathan Mostow
Screenwriter: Tedi Sarafian, John Brancato, Michael Ferris
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Kristanna Loken, Claire Danes, Alana Curry, Timothy Dowling, Mark Famiglietti, Mark Hicks, Jerry Katell, Brian Sites

Plot Summary: A decade has passed since John Connor (Stahl) helped prevent Judgment Day and save mankind from mass destruction. Now 25, Connor lives "off the grid" - no home, no credit cards, no cell phone and no job. No record of his existence. No way he can be traced by Skynet - the highly developed network of machines that once tried to kill him and wage war on humanity. Until... out of the shadows of the future steps the T-X (Loken), Skynet's most sophisticated cyborg killing machine yet. Sent back through time to complete the job left unfinished by her predecessor, the T-1000, this machine is as relentless as her human guise is beautiful. Now Connor's only hope for survival is the Terminator (Schwarzenegger), his mysterious former assassin. Together, they must triumph over the technologically superior T-X and forestall the looming threat of Judgment Day...or face the apocalypse and the fall of civilization as we know it.

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• Related Threads
• "The Terminator" talkback
• "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" talkback

Comments?

The Clown Prince

 

[czyznyck99]

Well, that was different. Considering I am now old enough to actually get this movie.

I was mostly unimpressed with the acting, Nick Stahl was very hesistent as John Connor. Arnold tried to0 hard to be funny. Claire Danes was okay, and the T-X was no different for me than the T-1000. Seriously, if she wasn't such a babe, I wouldn't have paid attention at all. Now I know where most of that 170 million dollar budget went to. ILM graphics and tearing up most of LA. That car chase scene was great, much like Matrix 2.

Unfortunately, also like Matrix 2, the only good stuff of the movie didn't happen until the last 20 minutes. When the T-101 had to actually question what little humanity was in his skin, and when they decided to go forth with the destruction of most of the planet. That alone begs a sequel, but taking the current rate, that could be another 10 years. 2 stars.

Later.

 

[Tobias]

If the movie makes back all 170+ million, we'll see a sequel within three to five years now that WB's got it.

I liked it, but it was nowhere as good as T2. I had a problem with Stahl as John, mainly because I hate, I hate, I HATE it when they replace the original actor. It never feels right.

I liked the way they explained Sarah Connor's absence. It happened in a way I wouldn't expect in a movie like this. I'd have figured she'd go out in some kind of fiery blaze of glory (Well, technically she did, but not until AFTER she died).

I give T3 2 1/2 stars.

 

[langden alger]

this was on par stunts, action and special effects wise with t2. and of coarse then some as far as fx goes...and i think the routine how to get some clothes" formula was tackled even better and much more humerous in this edition....as far as characters in general though, this one fell flat. i cared alot more about the t2 characters then i did for claire danes and the gang in this one...heck even dyson's death had me a bit teary in t2. the terminator himself was great as always, but thats as far as it goes for me really...i absolutley loved linda hamilton's sarah and was missing her so much as i watched the film. regardless, the tx was beyond hot. now i know why those machines were rising!


btw: one question that i've been thinking of regarding all of the terminator movies. how exactly did the human resistance find out about skynet's intital plan to go back in time and counter it? hacking into the system to get info? it was probably covered in the first movie but it's been a while since i watched it again and don't remember if it was explained.

 

[Tobias]

I always figured the humans had a way to hack into the system to find out what the robots are doing.

 

[Wing Zero]

Honestly, it was decent. At least the entire movie didn't seem like it would completely tank. The actors: Arnold was great, except for some of his lines but that's not his fault. The rest of them though, were pretty much average. None of them really gave me any emotional attachments, they just.....existed. The ending was actually pretty good, a nice twist. The comedic parts seriously killed the movie for me, I mean during the chase scene they hit that blue, white, and red toy thingy which broke up the tension for the entire chase. Also during the chase scene, some type of music score was sorely needed there, it felt rather empty without ANY background music. I also think a little more focus should have been made on Arnold, he almost seemed like a backseat character...almost. Defnitely don't like the new time travel representation

To me, there were too many daytime scenes and that is why I think the first part of the film felt much more terminator like than the second half. I also like some of the reminiscent Terminator 1/2 scenes, such as when Arnold goes to get his clothes, and when he gets on the cop bike and does the little standing 180, like he did in the first film with his red motorcycle. Also reminiscent of the first movie was when T-X was crawling around with half of its body, pretty cool. The only thing I wish about Arnold is that when his system was corrupted, he would start to act like he did in the first Terminator and maybe have him hunt John Connor for just a little.

Overall, Terminator 3 was nowhere near as bad a sequel as it could have been. Less comedy, more night time scenes and possibly longer length to help develop the characters could've made it better, but the director did a good job compared to what he had to live upto. Oh and one more thing, this movie made me miss Brad Fidel.

Rating: 3 and 1/2 stars

 

[Hatter]

Hmm. Well.
Obviously it wasn't as good as the two previous installments... they were really Cameron's brainchild.
But does it stand on its own? Yes.

This film almost seems like a "What If?" to me, a tribute to the Terminator films. That's why I'm a bit more lenient with it. If Cameron had made this, I would have been sorely dissapointed. But this was a competent, fun outing from people who did their best without Cameron's crucial point of view.

It definitely could have used another good 20 minutes, though. More character development with Claire Danes' character, John Connor, and even the T-X. Sorry, but I just can't be afraid of someone so damn hot. The T-1000 gave me nightmares for years. The T1-14s were cooler than her.
It could have definitely used much more gore. There was barely any blood spilled. The arm through the chest was nice, but I guess the T-X's design doesn't really lend itself to exquisite violence like the T-1000 did.
And don't get me started on Brad Fiedel's absence. Terminator is all about synth and percussion.
I was also dissapointed at the lack of an opening credits w/ Terminator theme. It's iconic, for God's sake... you have to start the movie with it!

Despite all my complaints, the last 45 minutes or so were quite fantastic. From when they leave the RV site, Terminator's revelation of John's death, Skynet taking over... (what Terminator fan hasn't longed to see that?)
I loved the tension. Their futre was really up in the air... will they actually stop Skynet? I liked the death of the two Terminators. It was a gamble taking them out before the climax, but it payed off. And what a climax... I was tearing up. How heartbreaking! It just blew me away. Those eerily beautiful shots of Judgement Day...

I probably won't see it again in theatres, but I'll definitely pick up the DVD. (Hopefully we'll get some sort of Terminator Trilogy 3-pack.)

 

[Hades]

while not as great as T2, 'Terminator 3' is still a great action movie. i feel the same way about having the original actors replaced, but i had read somewhere that the actor for John from T2 is addicted to drugs now and couldn't possibly act, at least not well.

i was suprised how much humor there was in this movie, its lighter than the previous two. i didn't expect the ending either, i though there would be a great twist with even more action to follow. ah well. i do wish there had been more human scenes, like from T2. would have been nice if John began to teach this Terminator how to be more human.

 

[Silent Bob]

I probably won't see it again in theatres, but I'll definitely pick up the DVD. (Hopefully we'll get some sort of Terminator Trilogy 3-pack.)

Don't bet on that, Hatter. MGM owns the rights to the first Terminator, Artisan has the rights for the second, and WB has the domestic rights for Terminator 3. There's a chance the three studios could come together for a three pack, but it's a slim chance. There's already talk that Terminator 3 will be released on DVD on November 18th, in a possible two disc set (no snapper!).

I throw in my comments for Terminator 3 in a little while. I need to see it again, first.

 

[ZorBrak]

Personally, I'm gonna kinda go against everything said here. I thought it was GREAT. An excellent new installment, great action, great plot twists, and the very few comedy scenes it had were actually pretty funny...dunno why people had to feel those took the movie down a bar, they wern't all that out of mood. The acting was it's weakest spot, Nick Stahl needs to work on that for T4 (You know they'll be AT LEAST one more), however Arnie and the super fine, super HOT Kristanna Loken was excellent for the role. Very few women looking the way she does could have pulled off that role so well. I'm a die hard fan and to me, this film gave the whole franchise a whole new dimension. I personally think it topped T2 but it was just a little too short...Oh an the ending, was EXCELLENT. *****

 

[JDuncan]

This film more than exceeded my expectations. I was afraid it would be another "Batman & Robin" or "Rollerball (2002)". The decision to not interfere or dramatically alter the story was the best one to make. The action scenes were incredible, especially the highway scene. Thats how yous spend a 200 million dollar budget. I loved how they brought back the psychiatrist, and that he finally saw a terminator in action. One odd thing I noticed... the were no brothers in the movie. The first one had the police chief, and the second one, of course, had Miles Dyson. I don't think there was one black speaking part. I didn't think a 55 year-old Schwarzenegger would work as the Terminator again, but he did. They must've done some computer face effects because he looked younger than he did in T2. Another problem I had, and this isn't even the movie's fault, was that the trailer gave so much away. They gave away like 80% of the movie, until when John made the Terminator not kill him, and thats just wrong. I think it was a bad decision to abandon the Terminator theme (during the movie) and Feidel; the movie just seemed to be missing something without its signature percussion riff that added so much to the first two movies. Ahnold didn't kill anyone again, which still pisses me off. He's a Terminator, he should at least Terminate a few people, but I guess the T-X's cold blooded, T1-like executions made up for it. I think the T-X worked, but it's demise could have been more inventive (though there's no way they could've topped the vat of molten steel). The Judgment Day sequence was probably my biggest problem with the movie. They should've done something similar to Sarah's nightmare in T2, they should've made it disturbing as hell, taken the R-rating as far as they could. They should've showed the true horror of all those explosions, up close, not from an omniscient perspective. The "Skynet is software" revelation was easily the biggest story risk they took, but it does make sense and I think it worked. I thought that the acting was fine; I though Stahl made a great Reese-like John Connor, and Claire Danes turned in a servicable performance. Kristanna Loken was hot, of course and was adequately menacing, but not quite as chilling as the T-1000 or Ahnold from the first movie.

Of course it wasn't as good as the first two, it couldn't have possibly been. James Cameron was the heart of those movies, and this one, thankfully, wasn't trying to replicate them. I think this one's a fine complement to the first two, not their equal, but it was a fun ride, and the action sequences were amazing. I can't wait for T4, which is already in pre-pro.

4 stars

EDIT:If Legally Blond 2 grosses more than this movie this weekend, there is something very wrong with our country.

 

[Auggie Doggie]

Here is my preview review, as I call it. (I will post my full-version review when I actually get to SEE the film.)

For one thing, the whole Sarah Conners situation is truely grim. She's dead. That means her intelligent choice of words while narrating will be gone (though I think that was probably Linda Hamilton's great talent). Instead, we get a stupid pipsweak playing John doing the narrations for this flick (which is one explanation of why I may not be looking forward to seeing T3, but it could work if written intelligently).

EDIT: I read at Screen It that there is going to be a new girl in John's life who replaces Sarah. This movie is getting more interesting...

What makes me attracted to this, on the other hand, is (well doy) Kristanna Loken as T-X, the even better visual effects and that we get to see Judgement Day itself (though that may disturb me [EDIT-I read that the only thing scary could be how John and Kate try to outrun a nuclear armageddon, and it said the blasts are seen from great distances. The only time skulls appear is at the bottom of a body of water, with a few of them belonging to Terminators, according to Screen It.]). And the plot concerning the Connors and Skynet from T2...I'll post that later.

 

[Mike Spartz]

Pros:
-Both the Terminators, T-800 and TX, were sweet. Arnold looked a lot better than I expected and he was really in shape for his age. I thought his terminator would move slowly and look more wrinkled, neither was the case. He still moved and acted as he did in T1 and T2. Also, arnolds terminator has a lot of funny one liners in this one. TX was fabulaous and my favourite character of the movie. Loken played her so well and she was so menacing that she stole my heart. She was the movies scene stealer in my opinion, a total kick ass babe that really lived up to her name. I loved watching her kick arnolds ass throughtout the movie and I cheered and smiled whenever she appeared on sreen.

-The basic theme, the core idea of the story, was well thought out.I won't spoil it here but I will say that I loved the ending, it was a total twist that I didn't really expect.

-The performace by Claire Danes was superb. Being an actress that is not usually in these roles, I thought she did a great job with what she had.

-The comedy in this movie really made it fun. For example,

Spoiler

When TX is pulled over by a cop, she seduces him by infalting her boobies. When the t-800 first arrives he gets his clothes from a gay male stripper and then proceeds to wear his sunglasses, except the shades are shaped live stars and it looks very funny when he puts him on.

-finally, the action sequences and special effects, while not as impressive as in T1 or T2, still packs a punch. There is not action sequence in the film, the car chase, that is really entertaining.


Cons:
-most of the plot was crap. I didn't like how Moscow, the director, explained the transition from T2 to this film. The pot was largely confusing and fill of holes. Questions like "how did Skynet start making robots again?" and "why did the terminator come back" were vaguely and unclearly answered. I left the theatre with a basic understanding of what happened in the film but a lot of question went unanswered.

-Maybe it was because of its fast pace, but I felt that the movie was too short and conseqently I didn't feel the same emotional impact with the central characters as I did in the last two films.

-John Conner was protrayed weakly in this film. Nick Shal, who I loved in 1993's Man without a face, tried his best to play this character in this film but ultimately he failed. At times I felt that he lacked the confidence of Furlong in T2, that he couldn't play the rebel in John as Eddie could. He was heisitant and seemed out of place in a otherwise excellent cast. To his credit he tried his best and his Conner wasn't horrible it was just very mediocore. Also, he had some of the films corniest dialogue.

-Tx's death scene was cheap! I won't spoil it, I'll just say that it was really cliche and predictable.

Overall Reaction
Overall, this was a soild film. While not as good as T2 or even T1, T3 stands on its own as a great popcorn flick. It's full of non stop action and has a lot more humor than the previous two did. T3 is non stop action and fun and this will make it an excellent summer blockbuster.

3.5 stars out of 5

 

[The Clown Prince]

In a recent interview with Johnathan Mostow, he had said that if a Terminator 4 never happens, then they had wanted a movie that would be a great bookend to the series. So at the end of this movie, we get to see the inevitable Judgement Day. Bascially making it so the viewer can let what ever happens in the machine war be up to themselves. We saw enough and heard enough of the machine war in all 3 films that we the viewer could decide for ourselves what happens. It's been said in all three films that the humans do win the war. However, seeing it on the screen would be a real treat. I hope that if T4 does happen, then hopefully WB, the writers, director, and actors will let part 4 be the end and have an actual ending to this story. We're getting it for the Matrix films, and we're getting it for the LOTR films. Why not the Terminator series? BTW, Matrix is WB and so is LOTR. Hopefully they'll use their own movies as examples to cap off a great franchise.

As for the movie itself, being as super hyped for this thing as I was, I wasn't disapointed. It took some getting used to have Nick Stahl as John Connor. Whatever problems Edward Furlong is/was having, he was really missed as John Connor. Mostow had said he needed an actor that could play a John who had gone through everything that he did. So much had happened to the character that he wanted a great actor. And he found that in Stahl. I liked Stahl, and did think he was good, but put me in the majority who hates it when studios recast major parts. To further elaborate on Furlong's problems, Mostow said he would neither confirm nor deny that Furlong was having them, and wouldn't say if that's what affected the studio and his decision not to cast him.

The one liners were good and most worked. I'm not sure about the "talk to the hand" line, but it only makes sense. The gay stripper said that to him. Terminators do learn. The humor overall followed some of the theme in T2, though there was a lot more of it.

One of the original things that had gotten scrapped in the early writing stages was the idea to send two protector Terminators back since the TX was so powerful that it was thought it was needed to have two to battle her. And this is where the Vin Diesel rumor came in last year as filming was getting underway. But obviously that gave up that idea. Something like that would have had to make the movie longer, something that I wish was the case in this. It needed to be longer, BUT the length it actually was was satisfying.

The TX was great. From the begining they wanted a female terminator, something that I wasn't to sure about at first, but I understood why. They simply wanted to do something different, something that hadn't been done yet. Her nude scene was tastefully done. They didn't turn it into a blatant boob showing off fest.

The stunts and action were great. Something I really liked was that they wanted to rely on stunts more than CG. CG was used, I know, but a lot of the stuff that they did was real. Something I wish other directors would figure out. Stan Winston had said that to pull off Arnolds have human, half robot look at the very end, they used a combo of CG and make up. Honestly, I couldn't tell what was CG on Arnold. His face was mostly robot, but it looked pretty real. Thumbs up there.

The cemetery shoot out scene, while short, was pretty cool. I LOVE that Dr. Silverman had a cameo and got to see Arnold again. Big grin from me there. Too bad he probably didn't survive the Nukes to show up again.

And Sarah Connor's character was handled with care and was tastefully done. I liked how John said that she wanted to live to see the date that Judgement Day was supposed to happen. And right out of T2 was here being prepared, not totally sure that it was over, she had a cache of weapons stored away in her coffin. Just like the underground arsenal in T2.

I kinda wanted to see more of the actual TX robot, but whatta gonna do. And of course, the ending to the movie. GREAT ending. Seeing Judgement Day happen was really creepy and kinda scary. I was glad to see the creators of this decided to take a chance, a gamble and go this route. After all, it's what most people thought what made this series interesting. As Arnold said, you only postponed Judgement Day, it is inevitable. It can't be stopped. That was pretty freaky hearing that.

I did miss an opening credit sequence with Terminator theme, but at least we got it at the end credits. Damn, I really wish they went with Brad Fiedel. I still haven't found an article that says why they didn't go with him.

With all the plot twists (favorite being that this Arnold killed the future John, played on his child hood experience with the other Terminator, was captured and reprogramed) and big continuity nods to the other films, overall, a great movie that I HOPE, I HOPE makes it's money back. I can see WB being more happy if it made it all back here in the states, rather than counting on it's world wide box office to get it back. Because I REALLY wanna see a T4. Let's hope Arnold doesn't decide to run for govenor.

The Clown Prince

 

[John6777]

I GOt It

I loved this movie so much. I don't know how anyone could not like it. Terminator 2 was alot better but this one was def good. You can tell the difference in directors. This one was more bright but overall i give this movie a 4/5 Stars. I assume they found the hand in T2 which would explain how they came back. I also get that T1 and T2 was all suppose to happen to lead up to this moment which i won't spoil. The Ending was great even though i knew where they were going cause Arnold said it earlier. The Comedy was a def lift. Everyone in the theatre was laughing. I think Comedy is what the other 2 missed and now it has it.

Overall: 4/5 Stars

 

[Chris Sanders MSX]

I loved this movie so much. I don't know how anyone could not like it. Terminator 2 was alot better but this one was def good. You can tell the difference in directors. This one was more bright but overall i give this movie a 4/5 Stars. I assume they found the hand in T2 which would explain how they came back. I also get that T1 and T2 was all suppose to happen to lead up to this moment which i won't spoil. The Ending was great even though i knew where they were going cause Arnold said it earlier. The Comedy was a def lift. Everyone in the theatre was laughing. I think Comedy is what the other 2 missed and now it has it.

Overall: 4/5 Stars

I can't write anything much. This says what I feel except I give it a 5/5 because I wasn't bored for a SECOND. This movie was absolutely awesome and while I would of loved to see the war happen on screen, It'll be well worth the wait if they make a fourth film. The action was great, especially the fight in the bathroom. And the comedy ? Who could ask for anything better in an action movie. It made you chuckle without taking you out of the film.

I wish people didn't take things so seriously because this film was such a joy, and I saw the Itallian Job last week as well as The Hulk last week and that's saying alot. I'm just going to say if you like action and Arnold Swachenenager's butt..for some reason. You'll love this film. If you also like who ever the girl is that plays the new Termanator's butt too, you'll get a kick outa this film.

I re-discovered that you don't have to be a good actor to play a Termenator just say things slowly and they are funny. Who knew saying "Move" or "Get down" could make an entire audience bust out in laughter. If you already have seen the movie then you know... Stealing Clothes from Gay Strippers is fun.

 

[kid_flash]

I already wrote a giant review for this last night, so I don't really feel like typing it out again...but it was good. Really...really good. T3 is in so many ways just a better movie than T2 (I'm sorry, but John Connor, and more often than should be the T-101, pissed me off to no end in T2). I recommend this more than any movie currently playing in theaters (you've seen The Matrix anyway).

 

[Jade_GL]

Great flick. Just the type of thing that a summer blockbuster should be and it worked well with the two previous installments.

I am so glad that it ended the way it did. It was like someone actually had the, you know, to show that Judgement Day happens. No postponing, nop stopping it, just accepting it and surviving. I really enjoyed that twist to the end and I think it made for a better scifi ending and a better ending overall than what I was expecting halfway through, a huge explosion happy end fest where everything just goes back to normal. So kudos for making the ending such a twist.

Also, the action sequences were awesome. I was impressed by the special effects, the creativity, and the fun of it all. Sure, it was tense, but I enjoyed the funny moments as well. I think that it worked, Sure, some lines seemed a bit forced, but Arnold's a dang robot in the flick. I don't want him to sound natural, I want him to sound like a robot. And the TX, the Terminator Chikc as I will call her, was great. I thought that Loken did a really nice job playing a killing machine.

I think that it is a nice ending to the series. Sure they could make a new movie, but this one seems like it would be a great place to leave it. It left open the future, much like the 2 did from my memory (I saw it two years ago I think) and I think it leaves a lot to the viewers imagination.

I think, all in all, it was a good all around flick with a great twist at the end and enough action to keep my BF and I entertained throughout. I think it's a 4/5 stars, maybe more.

 

[Jess Matthews]

I can't really write a review now, it's kind of late. But I'll just sum it up.

Characters: Not as good as Cameron's movies, though it was good. Just not as good as the flawless characterization he did for T1 and T2, and you're not as invested in them as much.

Story: Pretty good. Ending was left very open, and a lot of people were like, "okay". I was simply stunned that they had the balls to pull off the big event that drives all the Terminator movies. I actually can't think of any complaints here at all. Dialogue is, in my mind, a thousand percent better than T2. I'm talking about those lines that Furlong got saddled with.

The central theme is a good one... is the future fixed, or is it fluid? You see the beginnings of John Connor's ascent to leadership. It's a great story to tell and I think they pulled it off well. The ending, yeah... it's kind of weird, and there just really HAS to be a Terminator 4 for it to work, but it makes you think. The writing here is a lot smarter than I expected it to be, and it's probably better than Matrix Reloaded. MUCH better than Matrix Reloaded, personally, because it's smart without throwing a Philosophy book at you.

Acting: and speaking of Furlong, I'm glad he's gone. He's one of the reasons I don't like T2 as much as T1.... his acting in spots is just PAINFUL. I thought Stahl was EXCELLENT as John Connor, and Clare Danes did a good job as Kate Brewster. Schwarzenegger really did have fun with his role and this is an interesting new version of the T-800. Although, again, his role wasn't as deep as it was in T2, but obviously not as shallow as it was in T1.

Action: If you think Matrix Reloaded holds a CANDLE to this, you need help. Seriously. you need serious professional help because this has some balls-out action sequences. I won't spoil, but one scene in particular had me going "holy crap!" They really nailed the tension in this, something thjat I thought was a little lacking in T2.

So, how does it rate? I'm trying to think of it as a separate entry from T1 and T2. It has its flaws, and even has things that it does better than those two. But I'm definitely thinking of T3 as its own thing right now. T1 and T2 were one saga... the rise of Sarah and John Connor... T3 is a totally different saga with a totally different director. Mostow really did a good job here and I hope he comes back for T4. 4/5 stars.

 

[Weatherman]

Terminator Three: You Will Belive a Crane can Fly



Not much much to be said about the visuals or story that hasn't been said already, but I do want to throw out my thiughts on John Conner and the ending. I'm not sure if anyone else noticed, but John Conner really grew up as a character throughout the course of the story. He went of a loser with no conection to anything important to a reluctant but still will hero. Every time he and Kate got attacked he got more and more protective of her. I liked seeing that he didn't just act like a complete wimp and accepted that he had to do.

And that extends to the ending when he answered the hails on the microphone. Perfectly sets up how he became the leader of the resistance. There was also a definate erie beauty to the end of the world as we know it. "The battle is just begining". We can only hope those words are true. T4 can not come fast enough. 4.5 stars