Terminator 3: La rebelión de las máquinas

I truly don't get the hate for this movie, unless you're one of those types that goes to comicon and asks questions about insanely obscure trivia to flaunt your vast knowledge of the T universe or writes erotic terminator fan-fiction from your mom's basement.

It's the least of the three terminators, yes. But the least in a series of such high quality and entertainment value that to suggest this is one of the worst sequels ever is just plain hyperbolic stupidity. One of the things I keep seeing mentioned is the less serious parts. What is wrong with some humor? It was hardly even close to enough to call it a comedy and none of it was bad enough to induce groans. T2, and even T1, had humorous bits but I don't hear complaints about them. I don't know what people were expecting. They act like this is the Phantom Menace of the Terminator franchise. Please.

It's got solid action (including one of the best destructive car chase sequences ever imho), it's exciting, it's got decent acting and effects. Get over your butthurt fanboy gripes and just enjoy it.

I didn't go to see this movie with very high expectations, because it has gotten such varied and sometimes disparaging reviews this forum. However, since I am an aspiring screenwriter and true cinema fan rather than simply a moviegoer, I decided to give this movie the benefit of the doubt. At the very least, I could end up writing a scathing attack on it.

Instead, I have found that I enjoyed the movie as I watched it, saw some flaws, but have discovered that the more I think about it, the more I want to give it a higher rating than I initially did (7). The film's two major dramatic flaws, in my opinion, are: (1) An over-the-top chase scene that comes way too early in the script without sufficient build-up in suspense leading up to it; (2) A little too much campy humor recycled from the first two Terminator movies.

The good outweighs the bad by a large margin. (1) The screenplay has some intriguing plot subtleties that grow on me after awhile, the most notable of which is the actual nature of the safe place. It could be the way it is for several possible reasons, some strategically favoring SkyNet, some the humans. Any of them could be spun into a major plot element for a sequel. The rest you'll just have to find yourself. (2) The character development of both John Connor and Kate Brewster is elegant, believable and moving, and also opens possibilities for future character development. (3) The plot is an interesting variation of the "Reluctant Hero" theme, which is a classic in literature and drama and always will be. John Connor is a hero who is almost an anti-hero. True, they could have sharpened his ambivalence a little (sacrificing some chase footage for it would have been an excellent trade, in my opinion). (4) The Terminatrix is a very good villain: She's young, she's sexy, and she's chillingly soulless. She is actually too smoothly sexy and physically perfect, but that makes sense when you consider that she has been created and programmed by other machines who, lacking the real-world experience of humans, can only base her appearance and humanoid behavior on their knowledge of human stereotypes.

That last leads me to some thoughts about Arnie's character. He is clearly getting a little too old for a reprise of his customary youthful, physically perfect role in any sequel. If he is brought back in a sequel - and I hope he is - a good, imaginative screenwriter could really work with his advancing age and loss of physical perfection. Since he is programmed by humans with real human experience, he could be brought back as a deceptively older and less physically powerful character, but more psychologically sophisticated (more like a true human with a soul), and his deceptive physical appearance combined with his greater psychological sophistication could be his aces in the hole when his strength and nonhuman cyborg qualities are insufficient. In other words, he could be shaped into an amazing supporting hero in any sequel. Maybe I could write his role!

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is often criticized by fans as being not in the same tone as its predecessors. While I agree with that statement in many ways, I think Jonathan Mostow made an honest effort to bookend the series.

Storyline: The story is probably one of the things I take issue with most. It brings up new questions on the nature of time travel within the Terminator universe, as well as bringing new plot holes (something the previous films also had). Some of these flubs could've been corrected with a little research, but I digress.

The story tends to be a retread of Terminator 2, which hurts it a lot. But Mostow tries to draw attention away from this with some awesome action sequences. The storyline, in this respect, takes it up a notch with scenes such as the restroom fight and crane scene.

Acting: I think the acting is one of the best things in this film. Mostow did an excellent job in casting. Rather than going for actors known for their work in action films, the director instead used performers known for their talent in dramatic roles. Nick Stahl and Claire Danes both portray their characters with depth and humanity. Stahl does an especially good role in showing the paranoia and uncertainty of the future.

And, as always, Arnold Schwarzenegger does a great job as the Terminator. His lack of social interaction provides many humorous moments throughout the film, while also giving him a drill instructor approach when dealing with the John Connor character.

Lastly, there is Kristanna Loken as the T-X. While not as intimidating as the T-1000, I didn't expect this to be the case. Robert Patrick played a character with no face and every face, which can only work once if at all. That being said, Loken does a decent job in the role, providing a very cold performance for an equally cold character.

Visual/Special Effects: The visuals of Terminator 3 are pretty good. The liquid metal effects are still as great as they were in 1991 along with some of the CG animated endoskeletons in the Future War sequence.

My only qualms with the visuals is that there is a lack of blue tint that was prevalent in James Cameron's previous films, but this is more a matter of taste than anything.

Musical Score: Brad Fiedel's dark and mechanical theme is absent from the film until the credits arrive, which is something that bothered me. Not only that, but T3's rendition of the theme isn't as powerful as it is in its predecessors.

However, Marco Beltrami does manage to increase the tension of scenes with his score, though little else. This aspect, like the storyline, could of been improved.

Conclusion: Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines wasn't a necessary sequel, but a decent one. I don't believe this installment ruined the series as much as, say, Alien^3. This film will no doubt continue to be one that either fans love or hate.

I happen to love it.

I liked it when I saw it as a 13 year old boy and I still like it as an adult. Yes, it's not better than T2. No one expected it to be. And yet it has a coherent story that is the logical continuation of the second movie. I hope that more Terminator fans will now appreciate it after the recent awful sequels like Genisys (with the spelling error) and Dark Fate which destroyed the franchise. And as much as some people want to hate this movie, at least it didn't fail at the box office. By the way, Kristanna Loken is an impressive terminator. Roast me.

Just as the title says, I truly dont understand why people hate this movie a lot, I think its fine and still really entertaining. Yes, from the 3 movies up to this point this one is the weakest, but that doesnt mean its bad. Yes, there are some moments in the story that feel weird, there are actually some plotpoints that are never adressed, it parodies itself a little bit too much, and etc. But the action is still pretty cool, the story while having its bunch of mistakes, its still very entertaining. I do hope more people appreciate it with the time.