Page 1 of Terminator III (spoilers`ll probably turn up eventually)

Finally got to see it...

Bad things.

No James Cameron
No Linda Hamilton (Terminator without Sarah Connor is like Alien without Ripley)
The trade mark music is gone until the end credits.

Kristanna Loken is fit, but is totally naff as the TX, and I can`t forget that she was in the dire Mortal Kombat TV series.

Nick Stahl (John Connor) looks like Dr Bashir from DS9. He and Clare Danes are supposed to carry the movie but can`t.
It`s rated 12A (whose stupid idea was that) thus
Way too much humour. Toned down violence, the anthropomorphising of the T101 (Arnie) something I disliked about T2 is taken to extremes in III. Tin Man from Wizard of Oz. All the action takes place in daylight, far too summery and upbeat for a Terminator flick. Just doesn`t have that cyberpunk style established in the first two films.Cute little prototype terminators, (great for merchandising)

Good Things.

Did I mention Kristanna Loken is fit? Hubba Hubba :D
It`s mercifully short. The action set pieces are tremendous. The effects are just as good. The chase sequence is absolutely stunning, and blows Matrix Reloaded away. Not reliant on obvious CGI, and not so long that you`ll fall asleep.

The ending justifies the Terminator nametag and is worth waiting for through all the crap that I mentioned above.

In summary, Die hard Terminator fans`ll hate it. It`s good popcorn fodder though and if like me you go expecting it to be absolute pants, you`ll probably be pleasantly surprised. But this should be the last of the Terminator movies, lest they make an equivalent to Robocop III

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Jitendar Canth

Quote:
"Bored now"

Site Reviewer at DVD Reviewer

You beat me to it, so I`ll just re-post my original post that I created ;)

Just saw this today. Ok, as an action film it is brilliant, but as a Terminator film it is not a patch on the first two.

But those worrying about the 12A (as I was) shouldn`t, as it is quite strong. Four "F*cks" and some gore. A kid started crying at one point and his Dad took him out straight away never to come back. For once a considerate parent. I think the BBFC might get some complaints as this is the strongest 12A I have ever seen.

But I enjoyed it, and will watch it again this Sunday. I`ve not had much sleep as I have just come off nightshift (thus the bad spelling), so I may have let things drift over me. But there isn`t much to ponder, as it is mainly is all action.

I was surprised at the humour, as it is really funny, almost a parody of the other ones. Still, I enjoyed it. Although Brad Fiedel should have done the music, because Marco Beltrami sucks

Anyone else seen it yet? (and if you have seen it in America, can you compare the UK and US versions just to make sure it is not cut here.... please )

Well, I`m just going to agree with the pair of you.

Not a patch on the other two. But I saw this fully expecting to really hate it, and was pleasantly surprised. At just over an hour and a half, it is a perfect length for a film that is lacking in a good story and decent actors. If it was any longer the action would have grown tiresome I`m sure.

The ending was great though (if a little obvious), and sadly leaves the door wide open for T4. :(

If you want an enjoyable bit of action hokum, go see it. If you want to see a Terminator movie, stay at home and watch the first and second ones instead.

Just remembered a couple of nitpicking little plot holes.

In T1 and 2, The Terminator had a nuclear power cell with a 100 year lifespan.
But for a plot point in T3, he has two fuel cells (environmentally friendly or what?)

John Connor said that he first met the Terminator when he was 13. (I thought he was 10 in T2) But I guess you can`t have two ten year olds making out.(Plot Point in T3)

How come the Terminator had memories of alternate futures?
From his point of view, he should`nt know that Judgement Day had been postponed?

Bloody time travel! :p

Oh And Chewie,

Quote:
A kid started crying at one point and his Dad took him out straight away never to come back.

At what point did the little tyke burst into tears?

I`m thinking when the TX gave the cop a hand in his car on the way to the cemetary

===========================
Jitendar Canth

Quote:
"Bored now"

Site Reviewer at DVD Reviewer

Right, T2 is my fave film ever, and having just seen the film they`ve totally ruined the franchise. Here is what I hated about the film:

PLOT HOLES!!!!! It might`ve helped if the scriptwriters would have WATCHED T2 before they cocked everything up. Eg. T3 John Connor "The terminator tried to kill me when I was 13" at the beginning of T2 sarah connor says that the original terminator tried to kill her when john wasn`t born, in 1984. John being 13 would make it at least 1997, which according to T3, Sarah Connor had been diagnosed with leukimia (sp?) 3 yrs previously, and died in 1997. Well done T3!

Also, why say Miles Dyson of cyberdyne was the man most responsible for skynet, when in T3 it says Robert Brewster is the man in charge of the whole operation? Arnie in T2 is a T800 model 101, in this 1, arnie states he is a 101, but not the same terminator that came back before. Wouldn`t that mean that he was actually a T800 not a 101? (800 is the model, as in T1000) and if Arnie is the same model, how come his vison has suddenly changed a bit?Also Kate Brewsters part in this never mentioned in T2 etc. They obviously just wrote this story in, making up parts as they went along, without using most of the backstory.

Why make Arnie into some kind of kiddies action hero that comes out with funny lines? The humour feels forced, not like T2. With all the comedy bits (esp the sunglasses and talk to the hand) it feels more like a spoof movie.

Where was the music? All throughout the major action scenes there was just sound fx. Where was the great adrenaline pumping brad fiedel score from T2 that featured so prominently in every action scene? Nowhere to be found, I only really noticed the end credits.

Didnt "feel" like a terminator movie, I know it was a different director, but couldn`t mostow have tried for the same feel and direction as the rest of the series? Why so much slow motion? Just felt like an action movie rather than the special feel of the Terminator movies.

Acting was crap enough said.

It seems to me this is just an obvious cash in, and shouldnt have been made in my opinion. It`s ruined the franchise and a 12a rating is the worst thing! Although I must agree that it is by far the worst 12a I`ve seen, and would have been more suited to a 15 rating. All in all, apart from the action scenes and the ending, this sucked ass. Sorry to moan 4 ages, I just cant stand when film companies release sequels many years after the last installment as an obvious quick cheap cash in, with little effort put in. I am sure that Indiana Jones 4 will also be rubbish, as this and the new star wars movies have been.

Just a joke though, if when Arnie shut himself down, do you think he had to run scandisk when he restarted?

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Quote:
"At what point did the little tyke burst into tears?"

SPOILER

Didn`t quite make it to the bit you mentioned (wish they did though ;) ). It was at the Terminator "self surgery" bit where he removes the damaged power cell. I think it must have been the cutting and then ripping off of the skin 8)

And JohnnyTV, you shouldn`t let this film ruin the other two for you. Just remember, Cameron wasn`t involved, so it isn`t really "canon", if you take my meaning ;)

Quote:
I just cant stand when film companies release sequels many years after the last installment as an obvious quick cheap cash in

With a budget of $175m (not including marketing campaign) T3 wasn`t cheap.

Anyway, I want to see it again, so that can`t be a bad thing.

Don`t be so bloody negative.
Yes there is plot holes but did you actually watch the film or sit there with a pen and paper writing down all that was wrong?
What film would you have rather seen then?
Take the film for what it is ,A Very decent action flick!!!!

I havn`t seen T3 yet but does anyone know how the
T-1000 went back in time in T2. In The 1st Terminator film Kyle says only things covered in living tissue can go back through time but the T-1000 has no living tissue

Another thing I liked about the T-X is the way she was given more to do than the other Terminators, although I still don`t think she came off as advanced as the T-1000. Although she was hot 8) I can`t get over my machine phobia, you know, that image of a sausage being shredded in a meat grinder. Vicious vagina indeed :p

What were we talking about?
Oh yes, the crane chase is more exciting than the Matrix Reloaded chase, which surprised me. And I read that the chase in Bad Boys 2 is supposed to be the best of the summer.

Also, T3 felt a lot more like a proper action film, with the action and story blended in quite nicely, rather than these modern films with set pieces as the main focus and a shoddy story built round them.

I can`t wait to see it again.

Although:

Quote:
Talk to the hand!

Maybe that wasn`t the best idea (although I did laugh ;) )

I really enjoyed it.

Terminator 2 has to be my favourite film, and was really happy with the way things were left off at the end of that film - so when I learned of Terminator 3 being made, it annoyed me because I couldnt think of any logical explanation for it at all (to me, it seemed as though absolutely everything was left tidied up nicely with no need for a sequel at the end of T2 - all that hard work for nothing etc). Annoyance became greater when there was news of no James Cameron, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong and that the baddie was to be a female.

But all plot holes etc aside (and to me, reasoning for a 3rd film seems plausable enough compared to many sequels apart from the purpose of making more money) I found the film entertaining and engrossing enough and surprisingly, satisfying.

Some things confuzzled me at first but after a while thinking about them, became a bit more clearer. For instance, I thought the T-1000 was a far superior killing machine than the T-X - but then he had only been sent back to kill John Connor, whereas the T-X seems to have a hitlist of over 20 people and then (I think?) begin the rise of the machines with her fancy blue finger - something I doubt the T-1000 could do if it were sent back.

Im wondering if a T3 would ever have been possible if James Cameron used the alternative ending of Sarah Connor in old age make-up etc...

At the end of T2, I was happy at that being it - finished - not interested in a 3rd film. However, at the end of T3, I would like there to be a T4 to try and expand on some of the new ideas and visions created in T3... and also, most of all, of Connor etc sending a T101 back in time, of John meeting Reece Kyle (in T2, when John says "I wish I met my real father" and Arnie replies "you will") etc...

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER BELOW***

One thing I didnt like (which was unavoidable I suppose) is that Arnie is just not the same as he was in T2 - to me anyway. Sure, he was reprogrammed by John in T2 to be able to learn about human life and how we really exist etc, and this gave him at least some sort of characterisation - I felt sad to see him go at the end of T2 - however, at the end of T3, his demise has nowhere near the same amount of emotional impact. I cant put my finger on it, maybe someone with more brains than me will put it more clearer if you get my meaning. As I said though, i doubt it`d be easy (or plausable) for him to be the same character. Ok... I`m confusing myself now....

Forgive me for waffling... Ive been on nightshift for ages and forever and I`m still trying to come round to my normal sense of thinking!

This item was edited on Friday, 1st August 2003, 19:09