View Full Version : T3 early reviews
The Ewok
2 Jul 2003, 13:34
Are good (surprisingly)
Better, slicker, darker and more polished than the first two CNN movie dude says
Very good news. Am looking forward to this one. My cinema going trips have slowed down considerably, haven't even gone this year yet but i'll definitely catch this one.
Minkus_Swan
2 Jul 2003, 21:24
Can't wait, tempted to download it - when it's on the net.
Apparently it's more of a action packed movie then the first movies, with lots of chase and fight scenes rather then concentrating just on the story. As long as they don't change the whole series and move into a different direction, I'll be happy.;)
But with the CNN review, it seems that it's the most postive review (so far) of the movie. Try Rottentomatoes.com (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/Terminator3RiseoftheMachines-1123632/) for more reviews!
TheBloods
2 Jul 2003, 21:34
My favourite website for movie reviews, http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/master.html, gives it 3 stars out of 4.
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes, Kristanna Loken, David Andrews
Director: Jonathan Mostow
Producers: Mario Kassar, Andrew G. Vajna, Hal Lieberman, Joel B. Michaels, Colin Wilson
Screenplay: John Brancato & Michael Ferris
Cinematography: Don Burgess
Music: Marco Beltrami
U.S. Distributor: Warner Brothers
Terminator 3 is the summer movie of 2003 that hard-core action fans have been awaiting. It's not ponderous and incomplete like The Matrix Reloaded. It's not steeped in characterization and modern-day mythology like Hulk. And it's not vapid and flashy like Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle and Bad Boys 2. Instead, it's a relatively straightforward science fiction adventure film - just what movie-goers expect from a third outing with Arnold Schwarzenegger's cybernetic alter-ego.
The movie is not weighted down by plot, but it does have a recognizable storyline featuring legitimate characters and a few nice (but minor) twists. Some degree of attention is helpful - Terminator 3 is not an intellectual challenge, but neither is it vacuous. The film has plenty of action sequences, some of which are spectacular. Director Jonathan Mostow has wisely not relied too much on computer graphics for these. A fair amount of stunt work was required, and the computer components are incorporated seamlessly. Additionally, Mostow does not play the game of cutting every second or so, and the music never upstages the visuals. Terminator 3 gets the most bang for its buck by letting the camera linger on the spectacle, and allowing tension, not flashiness, to be its hallmark.
It's 10 years after Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and, in the decade since we last entered this universe, Sarah Connor has died of leukemia and her son, John (Nick Stahl), has become a recluse. Even though he and his mother supposedly averted the nuclear war that would devastate the planet and allow the machines to take over, a part of him doubts that the future is secure. That uncertainty bears fruit when an unstoppable Termanatrix, the T-X (Kristanna Loken), enters the early 21st century on a mission to kill John and one of his lieutenants, Kate Brewster (Claire Danes). Following the T-X through the portal is the reliable, obsolete T-101 (Arnold Schwarzenegger), sent to protect John and Kate. Eventually, the human targets end up on the run from the T-X. Their goal is the same as it was in Terminator 2: avert a nuclear catastrophe. But this time, the odds are even more heavily stacked against them and time is not on their side.
If you take a step back and examine Terminator 3 from a distance, it bears all the characteristics of a road movie. Strip away the action sequences and the science fiction/time travel veneer, and that's what's left. But, since the average road movie is terminally boring, Mostow provides plenty of pyrotechnics along the way. Terminator 3 is a closer cousin to Terminator 2 than it is to the original. Like the first sequel, this movie is more concerned with elevating the pulse than stimulating the mind. There was plenty of action in The Terminator, but that movie was founded on ideas and paradoxes. In Terminator 2 and Terminator 3, the thought-provoking skeleton is still in place, but a much greater importance has been placed on the visceral impact.
Arnold Schwarzenegger effortlessly slides into the role that made him a superstar. Depending on where his political aspirations take him, this could either be a comeback or farewell. Either way, this performance reminds us why, for all of his acting limitations, no one was a bigger action star during the '80s (not even Stallone). Schwarzenegger has charisma and screen presence. Watching him here, it's hard to believe that he's in his 50s. And, after several duds (the most recent of which was Collateral Damage), it's nice to see him finally back in form.
Kristanna Loken plays Terminator 3's version of Robert Patrick's Terminator 2 villain, with a few new enhancements added. Like Patrick, Loken brings an icy cool to the part. The difference is, of course, that Loken has a lot more sex appeal than Patrick. Nick Stahl replaces Edward Furlong as John Connor. Stahl is a capable actor (note his work in In the Bedroom) and more than able to make us sympathetic to John's plight. Claire Danes provides the female muscle power (essentially replacing Linda Hamilton), while injecting a little romance
Terminator 3 has a number of impressive action sequences, including one that features two crashing helicopters and another in which the T-101 and T-X go at it, one-on-one. But none is more impressive than the crane chase, where the world's largest crane goes crashing through everything in its path in an out-of-control attempt to (literally) run down John and Kate. (When Warner Brothers became skittish about budgetary issues, Schwarzenegger chipped in $1.6 million to allow the sequence to be finished.) It's hard to say which is the summer's best chase: this one or the equally spectacular one in The Matrix Reloaded.
Will there be a Terminator 4? The ending allows for one, and parts of the story have yet to be told. But, from an action standpoint, is there any way that way that a fourth picture could be anything other than a re-hash of its predecessors? And can the franchise succeed without its star (who, barring a failure to gain political office, will not be interested)? Those are questions for the future. However, considering how well Terminator 3 is likely to fare at the box office, the future won't be that far away. It has taken a long time to get Terminator 3 to the screen, and, while the production doesn't rock the action motion picture industry to its foundation, it's a credible and entertaining movie, and was worth the wait.
© 2003 James Berardinelli
Originally posted by Minkus_Swan
Apparently it's more of a action packed movie then the first movies, with lots of chase and fight scenes rather then concentrating just on the story.
Hopefully it isn't a mindless action movie, the first two were great at combining action and story thanks to the brilliance of Jim Cameron.
The reviews are good, although it looks like Mostow has taken the easy option and created a much-more action filled sequel (a la Mission Impossible 2).
Minkus_Swan
15 Jul 2003, 21:25
T3 - Just finished watching it - couldn't hold on for another 2 days. I like it to a certain degree, while the movie answers a few questions and raises quite a few more, it not up to the standard of the first 2 movies.
T3 is a movie "blockbuster" that could be so much more (and longer - surprisingly feels shorter than it is). The Action sequences were the best part of the movie - and the reason why I will see the movie again on thursday. The plot has some holes in it and of course as is the norm with every f**king hollywood movie, leaves a option for a sequel. (Which may be in doubt after T3's below average earnings in the 2nd week).
I give T3 :) :) :) out of 5 smilies. A good movie, nothing special.
Originally posted by Minkus_Swan
T3 - Just finished watching it - couldn't hold on for another 2 days. I like it to a certain degree, while the movie answers a few questions and raises quite a few more, it not up to the standard of the first 2 movies.
T3 is a movie "blockbuster" that could be so much more (and longer - surprisingly feels shorter than it is). The Action sequences were the best part of the movie - and the reason why I will see the movie again on thursday. The plot has some holes in it and of course as is the norm with every f**king hollywood movie, leaves a option for a sequel. (Which may be in doubt after T3's below average earnings in the 2nd week).
I give T3 :) :) :) out of 5 smilies. A good movie, nothing special.
Pretty much agree with that, probably rate it a little higher. I saw it on Monday night as I won free tickets through the Hun. The action scenes were extremely well done I thought, and the actual storyline better than I expected as well. All the way through the movies their was hints of T2 in it which, only minor, was pretty effective. The chick terminator was fantastic, and Arnie was a lot different from T1 and T2, but it was probably a good thing as they arent the same machine. John Connor was a bit disappointing, but hey didnt ruin the movie at all. Probably just me, I was expecting shades of Furlong and their just werent any. Dont wanna give any spoliers away, I'd give it 4 out of 5. Didnt even touch T2 though, but Mostow did a great job and I'll be seeing it again.
CarterS
17 Jul 2003, 13:23
Saw it this morning, I really liked it. I would put it up there with T2, there were a couple of lame parts ("talk to the hand", the "im back/she'll be back" lines) but overall i think Mostow handled it well. Definitely not disappointed with it, and will be seeing it again.
Darealrath
17 Jul 2003, 20:59
Is a good to very good action movie, but T2 was special, and it's not special. Great action though - i just wish Furlong was in it, would have made it that little bit better.
Minkus_Swan
17 Jul 2003, 21:44
Originally posted by blueworms
The chick terminator was fantastic
Yeah, fantastically hot! Watched it again today, I like it more than the first time I saw it (movie theatre experience always does that).
********WARNING SPOILER*******
As lame as it was, the funniest thing that I liked in the movie was that "talk to the hand" bit. I just loved the whole scene of the Terminator grabbing whatever food off the shelf and then giving a cheesy one liner. It's the 80's again! CLASSIC ARNIE! :D
******END OF SPOILER***********
Desredandwhite
17 Jul 2003, 22:55
Well, just got back from watching it (our anniversary - steak dinner followed by Terminator 3. Romantic. :D )
That was undoubtedly a brilliant comedy :D
It was my least favourite of the 3 movies, but don't get me wrong, it's not terrible. The dialogue is surprisingly decent, the plot.. well there was very little plot so that's ok. The acting was bearable.. and NO ONE can deliver a punchline like Arnold! :) ANYTIME he said anything, I was rolling about in fits of laughter. What a guy. What a geenius. a true comedy action spectacular moofie /Tony Martin
It doesn't scale the dizzy heights of T2 (still one of my favourites), but T3 is far from awful. At worst, it's mediocre. At best, it's knee-slappin' fun entertainment - which is as much as you can ask from a movie these days...
*** / ***** from me too.
thehardaway
17 Jul 2003, 23:55
Extremely disappointing, with a paper thin plot
They might as well have called it Kindergarten Cop 2, it had enough light hearted moments. The first 2 films were brilliant. I'd say 2 Fast & 2 Furious was almost better than T3, totally lame
Just got back from seeing it.
If you like your action movies with heaps of explosions, heaps of car chases, lots of violence, heaps of sepcial effects, and heaps of one-liners, then this is the movie for you.
The movie has a very simple plot, but for those familiar with the whole "story" of the end of the world in these films, it does tie up the loose ends and explains how that all happens and leaves the door open for another sequel.
All pretty harmless mindless entertainment. Enjoyed just sitting back and watching Arnie blow up stuff.
scottywiper
18 Jul 2003, 11:07
It's classic Arnie - what more do we want?
I had a ball watching it and can't ask for much more...
T2 was mindblowing when it came out, with the liquid man and such, and T3 was never going to match that in this day and age of special effects domination.
Perhaps not quite as much character development as in T2 either, but nevertheless a great action film with some good humour thrown in.
I loved it as much as I hated the overblown, pretentious, ponderous and pointless Hulk!
i cant believe people are saying T2 is a good movie!!
is was shtehouse!
the whole premise for the plot was flawed from the beginning.
On the other hand, The Terminator was , and is, a classic. Good ideas, good effect (for 1984) and a good film all round.
Mr Eagle
18 Jul 2003, 13:34
Originally posted by otaku
i cant believe people are saying T2 is a good movie!!
is was shtehouse!
the whole premise for the plot was flawed from the beginning.
Ask, and it shall be explained to you...
Originally posted by Mr Eagle
Ask, and it shall be explained to you...
ok, how the hell did the 2nd terminator get sent back in time?
evertonfc
19 Jul 2003, 00:53
Originally posted by otaku
ok, how the hell did the 2nd terminator get sent back in time?
How did Rocky keep going?
How did Happy Gilmore make that putt?
How did that runny metalic liquid run up Neo's arm?
Sometimes, with movies, you're not meant to ask 'how?', but 'why?'
How - He was sent back. Who really cares. It doesn't matter 'how' he got there.
Why - To destroy John Conner after the original Terminator failed to destroy his mother.
Geddit?
Mr Eagle
19 Jul 2003, 03:03
Originally posted by otaku
ok, how the hell did the 2nd terminator get sent back in time?
Non-linearity.
If you define the universe as linear, and perceive the events of T1-T3 as linear paradoxes (cause leads to effect which creates the initial cause), all 3 movies (yes even T1) are fundamentally flawed. This is because the "Bad" Terminators' time travel in each case would necessarily have obliterated the time/circumstance origin point from which their pursuer followed minutes later. The travelling Terminator is obviously detached from his time and therefore immune to that effect, however only the time traveller survives. In fact from this POV, only the Arnie of T1 should have ever arrived. Kyle Reese should never have existed as we knew him, ditto any of the events that sent the T-1000, TX, or the two "good" T-800s.
BUT if you accept that the universe is non-linear, and that the position across time and space of all matter is defined "simultaneously" (i.e. no cause and effect, and it's our linear perspective that is getting in the way) then theoretically anything's possible - including divergent multi-outcome universes like in the Terminator movies.
Linearity blows. I'd like to believe there's far more to the universe than that. So I choose to accept what I cannot see, because frankly life (and the movies) are much more interesting that way :)
Jeffers
19 Jul 2003, 12:43
Just saw T3 last night and it was much better than i expected. The action scenes (especially the crane scene) were unbelieveable and the ending was very interesting.....
Agreed it had alot of funny moments, however i thought it balanced out well with the story and the tension...
Claire Danes IMO was very impressive and Arnie's just a ****ing legend!