Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machine (2003)

This is the only installment where the iconic score does not play during the opening scene.

James Cameron did not direct this film, Jonathan Mostow did. One thing many have in mind is that this film lacked the thrills and gem of the previous two movies. Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) is absent; Dr. Silbermann plays a cameo; John Connor (Nick Stahl) is a vagrant, living in destitution due to fear of being located even though he assures himself that Judgment Day is a reality-cum-myth.

It was assured that they stopped Judgment Day. However, in this year computers around the world, civilian and military, have been compromised. Nobody can live their lives as normal because televisions, cash dispensers, and even scanners are defective. John's nightmare is about to come true, thus his disconnection from the main grid: no address, no home, no vision, no friends or family of his own. It turns out that John was in the eight grade when he disappeared, meaning he was at least thirteen in the year 1997.

I think this movie is worth it because a female terminator has been sent back in time to undertake an assignment. A little trivium here is that this is the only movie in the series where T-800 appears in the past after his adversary. With that aside, it is an eye candy to see a female in the nude before a male shows up. But one thing still makes no sense: just like the last movie, this movie still does not compensate for the plot hole regarding the time field: if the time field could sustain non-living tissue as well as living tissue, why would the subjects still travel in the nude? However regarding the female, that discrepancy can be ignored.

 Many will notice that this film goes to certain extremes to ensure that it attracts a younger audience, even with seedy innuendos coming from the female terminator, called a Terminatrix (which sounds like a portmanteau of Terminator and Dominatrix). Even the introduction of T-800 is a lot cheesier since his last entrance in the previous movie, Terminator 2. He makes his appearance at a less convenient time: at a ladies' night in a certain pub. Now that has to be the most embarrassing timing for a machine who has not even grasped human emotions yet. This is accompanied with very detailed scans of what to wear, even of what is visually inappropriate for a man! This is PG-13/12A material? This is kind of clunky and bewildering since the last two movies are R/15 material.

The Terminatrix (abbreviated to T-X) is a fusion of a T-101 and a T-1000. She can manipulate other machines with nanotechnology and possesses an arsenal of electric cannons, a flamethrower, cutting and stabbing weapons. She has several targets on her list, including one Katherine Brewster (Claire Danes). Several murders are undertaken by her, yet no calls were made to the police since the network is under siege. And if she can use electric cannons, I do not see why she would resort to a conventional firearm.

One other issue to withstand for the first half-hour of this film is Katherine's constant howling and barking. She has been "kidnapped" and shows little cooperation. If that's irritating enough, then it might be a good time to cover your ears. She makes Sarah Connor sound tamer by comparison. Speaking of her, she happens to recognize John Connor, even after almost a decade! In fact, coincidences are so rife in this movie that it was harder to notice them in the last two movies.

 I would not forget the tradition of car chases. The car chases in the last two movies were tamer compared to this. Here it is ultimate overkill: one van, several police cars, a crane and even a fire truck are dragged into this orgy of destruction and endangerment of human lives. One second of it is either unintentionally hilarious or grossly heinous because had a child been involved, that would have been controversial. This chase was also also adopted into The Matrix: Reloaded, which was released the same year. The main difference is that that took place halfway into the movie on a highway, while here it happens after almost half an hour, This is where the pacing is sporadic. And you may also find some shots are carbon copies of the last time T-1000 took over a semi to pursue young John Connor.

Machines are rising and taking orders from a self-aware program. John Connor is more than determined to prevent Judgment Day, even if he has been repeatedly told that it was just postponed and is inevitable. No matter what, the fate of humanity has been sealed. A nuclear war is unleashed and the world is at the mercy of the same machines they created to protect. While the nightmare is being realized, we have to sit through endless exposition and long car journeys. Director Jonathan Mostow directs a sequel for a younger generation who might as well search for the earlier installments that spawned it all and solidified James Cameron's position as one of the critically acclaimed directors of Hollywood.