January 1, 2003 -- “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” is a rousing adventure film that really doesn't pretend to be anything more than a popcorn movie. It succeeds at this goal better than “The Matrix Reloaded” or “Hulk,” movies that took themselves a bit too seriously. It doesn't have much of a brain, but it has some serious muscle. Is it a worthy successor to the first two “Terminator” films? Of course not, but you weren't really expecting it to be that good, were you? After all, überdirector James Cameron is not aboard this time around.

Reprising his role from the last two films is the venerable action hero, Arnold Schwarzenegger as the cyborg from the future with no-nonsense attitude and a computerized brain full of funny one-liners. Instead of Edward Furlong (what ever happened to him?), we have Nick Stahl of “In the Bedroom” playing the role of future hero John Connor. Also gone is Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor. Claire Danes of “The Hours” stars as love interest Kate Brewster. Returning from the first two films is Earl Boen reprising his role as psychiatrist Dr. Peter Silberman. Boen has a funny scene in a cemetery of all places. Boen, who has done mostly voice work in recent years, coincidentally once appeared in another apocalyptic thriller, the little-known “Miracle Mile.”

There is a good deal of humor in the movie, along with mass destruction and a number of murders. A good chunk of Los Angeles, two major military installations and lots of vehicles are destroyed in this movie, and that's all before the apocalypse. The movie has one of the best car chase sequences I've ever seen. Well, there aren't too many cars in the chase. Mainly, there are larger vehicles, like a large mobile crane, which makes a pursuing fire truck look small by comparison. Along the way, many cars are destroyed, and a number of buildings receive major damage as well. The sustained intensity of this car chase is impressive. There are also a lot of gun battles. The use of various rocket-propelled weapons is also extensive.

In addition to all the action scenes of the film, it also manages to develop a few characters and throw in some plot twists, too. The character of John Conner is an interesting one. The pressure of having to become the future savior of the world lies heavy on him. He is a basket case at the beginning of the film, living as a drug-using outlaw on the fringes of society. The relationship between Conner and Kate Brewster evolves slowly during the film. Stahl and Danes are both very effective in their roles in this film. They both create interesting characters. Stahl, who looks like a young Alexander Siddig, is a real revelation here. Schwarzenegger easily adopts the persona of the cyborg again in this film. He is a little less noble and a little more funny this time around. His physical presence is as powerful as ever, lending much authority to this role. Suitably scary is former model Kristanna Loken, who plays advanced cyborg T-X, sent from the future to kill John Conner before he has a chance to become a hero and save the human race from killer machines. I don't know if Loken can act, but she doesn't need to for this role.

Inevitably, comparisons must be drawn to the two previous films in this series. While the third film is more action-filled than the first two films, the characters and the plot are not as interesting. The first two films had intricate plots which took full advantage of the mind-twisting possibilities of time travel. They also had strong romances or strong personal relationships. The third film opts instead for a mind-boggling example of coincidence. It does have a couple of plot twists which are effective, but not all that impressive. The romance in the third film is also fairly tepid. Philosophically, the second film was more of a free will movie, while the third movie argues that certain future events are inevitable. I prefer the free will argument myself, but the third film's determinism is not particularly bothersome to me, perhaps because of its lighter, self-mocking, action-oriented bent. This film rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in video and/or DVD format, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2003 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

Robert Roten can be reached via e-mail at .