Rating: 
Summary: Very Nicely Done
Review: With all the movies that I'd seen this summer, this one ranks right up there at the top. I thought this movie was better than the first two Terminator movies, especially the script. This movie had more funny dialogue than the first two movies. Plus there is a car chase scene in this movie that is very well done (I thought it was just as good as the one in Bad Boys II). Also you rarely see a fight scene taking place in a restroom. This is one of those few action packed movies that will keep you awake and adrenaline pumped from the beginning to the end.
Rating:
Summary: The machines have risen and the war has begun!
Review: Just when doubt had washed away many of our hopes of Arnold Schwarzenegger returning as the futuristic cyborg Terminator, his role as the imfamous human cyborg machine ushers him back into action and in many ways, redeems his career after several flops and an atrocity or two (Batman and Robin anyone?). It all happens ten years after the pivotal events of the 1991 masterpiece 'Judgement Day' when John Connor who has survived two major assassination attempts on him and is now living 'off the grid' on the streets, completely closed off from the world. Connor's life is once again put in grave danger when the machines send back a 'state of the art' cyborg disguised as an innocent woman to kill John Connor in an attempt to finish the job that was failed by the first Terminator, and the T-1000. Meanwhile, the computer network Skynet is scheduled to be put into operation and link up all of the worlds computer systems but something goes horribly wrong when a massive computer virus wrecks the networks around the world and causes machines to go beserk and also threatens to cause nuclear Armageddon to occur when the machines, who seemingly develop a mind of their own, launch nuclear destruction all over the world. Although this doesn't necessarily match the dizzying heights of 'Judgement Day', 'Rise Of The Machines' makes a great successor and this is the darkest of the three Terminator movies. The first Terminator movie, which 'Rise of the Machines' is like a prequel to, is slightly stymied by some extremely dated production especially with the futuristic battle scenes. The spaceship scenes at the beginning of the first Terminator movie looked more like a plastic toy suspended on puppet strings than a science-fiction movie shot and made for some silly popcorn material. In T3, that same spaceship looks a lot more realistic. The production style of 'Judgement Day' was a vast improvement and the movie was many years ahead of it's time. 'Rise of The Machines' is the same way although not as groundbreaking as the 'Judgement Day' one. Althought, it can apply to all three Terminator movies, 'Rise of The Machines' is very unsettling in it's storyline because it is very possible that a nuclear war could break out because of a computer glitch involving nuclear warheads technology. Because much of the defense industry relies on internet and computer networks, if the whole network goes haywire and/or stops working because of a technological malfunction or computer virus, the results could be catastrophic although maybe I might be a bit exaggerated. 'Rise Of The Machines' is a welcome addition to the Terminator series and while it may be the weakest of the three, it is still awesome and if it's to be the last one in the series, it ends the series on a good note. Buy it when it comes out on DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: A fun action ride - but lacks the depth of its` predecessors
Review: Following on from the last installment of the film series - James Cameron`s groundbreaking Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) John Connor (Nick Stahl) is now in his 20`s living off the streets of present day LA - and a female Terminator called the T-X, or Terminatrix is sent back through time to kill John and also his future spouse Kate Brewster (a somewhat miscast and wooden Clare Danes, as her sole acting requirement appears to be to look frightened and scream). As before, a T-800 unit (Arnie) is also sent back to protect John.... Where do I start? As a standalone action piece, I enjoyed this film and thought it was great fun. Perhaps my expectations were set too high though when thinking of it as a `sequel` to the other parts - the setup is almost identical to T2 for one thing with basically the same story, just with a new, upgraded Terminator. This surely smacks of laziness.
Brad Fiedel`s classic score, so synonomous with the two previous films in building up tension, is missing (though a new version of the famous theme is reprised at the end). This film got a suprisingly lax 12A rating in Britain (compared to an R in the United States). It was perhaps due to a combination of all the killings happening offscreen and the lack of a recognisable, claustrophobic score (so we can know when the T-X is coming, for example) that made this film feel different. Where was the menace?
I never really got the feeling the T-X (a hot looking Kristanna Loken, who dresses in red leather) posed any real danger which was a shame - she lacks the cruel, sadistic nature of Robert Patrick in Terminator 2, or the `hunter` quality of Arnie in the first film, and of course looks like a catwalk model. The sort of person who would pout if you stole her Macy`s card. This absence of impending doom or evil is no mean feat when you consider the main thrust of the film is about an approaching nuclear holocaust. I liked the referential humour in this film though and there were some good jokes. Witness the gentle self parody of the scene where Arnie enters a strip club on `Ladies Night` - reaches into his leather jacket to put on his famous shades, and pulls out a pair of star shaped glasses Elton John would have worn in his 70`s heyday. Priceless. There were some very good action scenes, including an unbelievable car chase that rivals a similar scene from The Matrix Reloaded, and some astounding effects. The last act, and in particular the conclusion of the film, is brilliant. I won`t spoil the ending for you, but suffice to say it is remarkably downbeat for a Hollywood film, and more importantly remains true to the spirit of The Terminator franchise. Make no mistake, Jim Cameron`s ghost haunts this film, the ending recalling what he left behind. Certainly not up to the standards of Cameron`s earlier classics in my opinion as its` less thought provoking and dark, but its` still a good film overall.
Rating: 
Summary: T3 : Rise of the thrown together sequel
Review: There are few movie series that affect the way I view the world and how I view the so called "norm" of every day life. The Terminator movies have done more for me than just entertain me for 2 hours. Needless to say, I was overjoyed to hear that the third installment of the series was in the works. But has new news of the development came out, it seemed to progress like untreated acne; only getting worse. James Cameron not having any role in the production. Seeing as he was the man responsible for the creative magic for the first two, this was a low blow. Then the fact that Linda Hamilton (aka Sarah Connor) would not be featured or the leader of the human resistance, Edward Furlong. All this bad news badly weighed down my enthusiasm. Even then, I hoped for the best and saw the movie. Dissipointed is too strong of a word, but so is impressed. The movie had great action scenes, Arnold, and the special effect magic of Stan Winston. Then the cold realizations hit you. "This plot is almost totally similiar to the second one" , "The T1000 was far more deadly than the TX", " Sarah Connor's exit from the series lacked any creativity", "I want to stab Nick Stahl".....just for example. So many elements of the plot seemed thrown together with little regard on how it would affect the films presentation. Sarah dying from leukimia? I say if you're going to kill off a major character in a series, at least give the death some logical connection to the character. All in all, the film was entertaining but that's about it. But so is watching a clown on fire.
Rating: 
Summary: What the...!?
Review: Alright, the special effects were amazing in this. However, they really, REALLY ruined the series. Terminator 1 and 2 were both incredible movies. James Cameron did an excellent job with both of them. Yet, he hands it down... and what happens? It gets "terminated". Why did they try and put a bunch of "funny" parts in this? That is completely idiotic, and really delivers a blow to the quality of the entire plot. In the first one there were NO comical scenes, and in the second... maybe one or two, but they were extremely subtle and would not make you laugh out loud. There were too many "funny" parts in the 3rd one, and they weren't even funny at that!
This joke they call the "Terminatrix" - give me a break; a supermodel? Arnold should be fighting real villains, not some broad on her rusty period. Schwarzenegger looks way too old in the face. The directing was just terrible in this. As much as Arnold is in the movie... somehow he just doesn't seem to be the lead star. More like John Connor's future wife [I forget her character's name]. The guy who played John Connor is a total nerd, and a bad actor to say the least. When they show that scene from the future where his character is an old man, where he's standing up shouting and everybody is cheering after they defeat the terminators or whatever happens, his makeup is so immensely fake looking it's hysterical. He looks exactly like himself, with grey hair and pudding splattered on his face. Corny, way too corny... astonishingly retarded at BEST. This movie was obviously made for the sole purpose of making money from gullible people. Sadly, I was one of them.
Even near the beginning when John Connor has that dream about the Terminators in the future or whatever it is... they look different than the old terminators [meaning they look STUPID in comparison]. I could've sworn that they destroyed any possible chance for somebody to carry on Dyson's work in the second installment of the trilogy... yet somehow Skynet is still built, and all these plotholes seem to fill up with BS explanations that really offer no proof of a genuinely constructed storyline. As I said, the special effects are very nice - but I certainly hope to Christ that they don't try and make another... who would play John Connor this time... the kid who played Doogie Howser? ...or maybe Johnathan Taylor Thomas? Pathetic, absolutely pathetic. This movie is horrible... spare yourself from being absolutely appaled by this piece of junk and watch something else.
Rating:
Summary: Boring.
Review: Ill-conceived, the whole thing.
Rating:
Summary: WATCH IT! THIS IS THE THING! HE'S REALLY BACK!!! YAHOO!!
Review: Well, what can I say? As many others, I thought "this movie will fail", "there's no Linda Hamilton and James Cameron", "it's a waste", and some blah, blah, blah like that. Then I went to the movies and watched! And I instantly changed my conception... IT'S AMAZING!! I don't watch an action movie like that for a long time, and just like Matrix and Lord of The Rings, I can't wait to see the fourth part of the serie! Oh, if you're asking what happened with Sarah, or how did Skynet got another chip to bring another T-800 back, it will explain, don't worry! Now I'm with great expectations about it! Go and get it, you won't regret! It's bombastic!! It's awesome!! It's Arnold!! IT'S TERMINATOR AGAIN!! THE WAIT IS OVER!! HASTA LA VISTA, BABY!!
Rating:
Summary: Arnolds funeral
Review: ...All I can say about this effort is that True Lies II had better be a whole heap better than this. I don't want ever to go to a cinema and watch an audience file out in stupified silence like I did yesterday. It was sort of clear that something was very, very wrong when a (large) bunch of teenagers filed out two thirds through, but at the actual end, when the titles came up, I swear I have never seen a more fed up bunch of folks in my life, ever. This isn't my opinion exactly. I probably WILL get the 3/4 disc special edition when it comes out, like everybody else. But I promise you that those kids DID trail out and the audience was utterly flat. Doesn't matter what I think....!
Rating: 
Summary: A very good action movie, but...
Review: It doesn't come close to either of the previous two movies.
I know comparisons can be unfair, especially when comparing this movie to IMO one of the best movies ever made (T2), but really, comparisons here are inevitable, because this movie is a sequal to those two.
And this movie is not nearly in the same level. It is not nearly as powerful, emotional or dramatic as the previous two. It doesn't have the same feel as the previous two. It looks and feels like an ordinary, pretty good and pretty entertaining, big budget summer action movie. Aside from Arnold, this movie has not any interesting, cool, or tough characters that we can care about, root for, or despise.
The new John Conner is a weak replacement of the old one. He is not as tough or as cool as the original John Conner. He just looks like an ordinary guy. There's nothing special about him. He doesn't even slightly resemble the young John Conner from T2.
Another big minus is the absence of the awesome Sarah Conner.
And... the current villain terminator is a woman which isn't very convincing as a killing machine. Not nearly as menacing, cold or invincible-looking as the AWESOME terminator from T2. One other thing that I didn't like in the movie is that some parts seem rehashed from T2. Arnold entering a nightclub naked to get clothes... looks like a rehash of the T2 scene, except they took all of the coolness from the T2 scene and made it to somekind of joke in this movie.
There is also a chase scene with a big truck... yes, we had that one in T2.
One other thing that bugged me is the sometimes lack of seriousness in the movie, like Arnold putting on the silly glasses at the beginning, a scene that looked like it's poking fun at the T2 scene. Something like that stains the legacy of the previous two movies a bit, I think. If this was any other action movie, I'd think it was funny, but this is a sequal to T2, it should at least try to live up to its predecessor. Come to think of it, the only thing this movie really has going for it is the special effects and entertaining action scenes. But this is to be expected from a 170 million dollar budget movie. When watching this movie it was really easy to tell that this movie was not made by the same people who brought us Terminator 1 and 2.
It looks like the people who made this movie just wanted to make a big, explosive and fun summer action blockbuster, and of course, cash in on the Terminator name. It doesn't look like they tried to make a worthy sequal to one of the best and most popular movies ever. Don't think that I didn't enjoy this movie, because I did. The fast-paced chase scenes and fight scenes were very entertaining. But I expected more out of a Terminator sequal. When I think about it, this is a good action movie, but as a sequal it lacks everything that made the first two so amazing.
It doesn't have an awesome and memorable final battle scene like the previous two movies. It doesn't have emotional scenes like the relationship between Sarah Conner and John Conner's future father in T1, or like the developing friendship between young John Conner and Arnold's Terminator in T2. And most noticeably, it severely lacks in drama and suspense, two major factors that made the previous two so great. To sum it all up, this is a good and entertaining movie, but as a sequal, it fails to match the ones that precedes it in quality and in feeling. It is not nearly as powerful, emotional, dramatic or captivating as the previous two. I know that despite my 4 star rating to this movie, this review doesn't seem very positive, but that's only because I couldn't help but compare this movie to the previous two. That's because the previous two are two of my all-time favorite movies and I consider them all-time classics, and I must say that as a sequal to those movies, this movie disappointed me.
BUT, I do want to stress that, when taking this movie for what it is, without any comparisons, and when judging it by average standards and not by T1 or T2 standards, it is a very good action movie, even a great one.
My recommendation for people who consider going to this movie: to the people who hasn't seen the previous Terminator movies, definitely go see this movie, you will have a blast. And after seeing it, by all means rent the previous two.
And to those who saw the previous two and hasn't seen this one yet, try to lower your expectations before going to see this movie. If you just sit back and let this movie entertain you, and not think about what this movie could have been, I think you'll have a good time.
Rating:
Summary: How To Terminate A Franchise
Review: The latest installment in the "Terminator" franchise is neither the tense thriller that the original was or the special effects tour-de-force blockbuster that the sequel was. Not only is Arnold Schwarzenegger the only returning cast member but the series creator, Cameron, is in no way involved either. On its own merits, T-3 is a loud and exciting popcorn movie but as an entry in one of the best sci-film series today, it is a borderline disaster. Twelves year after T-2, John Connor is a loner walking the Earth (ala Kane in "Kung-Fu"), refusing to deal with the past and not wanting to except his role in the future. Enter T-X (Kristen Lokken), a lady terminator that is even more advanced than the previous T-1000 model. Her mission is to eliminate Connor and his future liutenants before they can rise up and lead the resistance to victory. As is always the case, the resistance has sent a Terminator of their own back in time to protect him. Sadly, the appeal of Schwarzennegger as the Terminator is somewhat lost in this newer film. He is no longer the comical yet indestructible father-figure trying to understand human emotions. Now, he's just some one-dimensional cyborg throwing around and blowing things up like nobody's business. Once you look past the excitement and drama in this third entry, you notice how little it has to offer, story-wise. None of the characters seem to have any depth to them. Where in the last film, The Terminator grew through learning from its human counterparts, this time, it is already so many steps ahead of them. Nick Stahl's John Connor gets a few somber moments here and there but the movie never stops to really address the tragedy of the forthcoming nuclear war and why it needs to be stopped. Connor's romantic relationship with Brewster (Danes) is summed up as being "fate" via the fact that they once played "spin the bottle" together and the fact that they both happen to cross pathes so early on seems more like the result of lazy story-telling than any type of destiny. In fact, the only reason we know these two are romanticlly-linked is through Arnold telling them so. The comedy is equally weak as most attempts at humor just make the characters seem silly such as Arnold aquiring clothing from a male stripper. This sequel doesn't have any great trend-sending tagline either and instead plays on the old "I'll Be Back" quote and borrows the dated "Talk To The Hand" routine. As a beloved fan of the classic Terminator films, I found that director Mostow and writers John Brancato & Michael Ferris had literally no idea what they were doing. As is often the case by the third film in a franchise, the idea of a multi-million dollar profit machine always outweighs the intergrity of the presentation. Schwarzenegger's cyborg spends more time telling us the story than Mostow's direction does, Brad Fidel's legendary "Terminator" theme is not found in any incarnation, and the ending is so drastically horrible that I felt that they would have been better off, making no sequel at all than trying to make this one. The only thing worse than the ending itself is the opening for yet another Terminator sequel. For shame.
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