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I’d like to say my expectations were kept at bay, but inside my Arnold voice was saying, “Come on, don’t bullshit me!” and I had to admit that I was pumped beyond belief wanting this to be an awesome movie. Even now I just can’t believe that there is a new Terminator movie in theaters—how incredible is that fact alone?! T2 was such a cool movie that it cemented my Arnold fandom for life, and it remains my favorite movie of all time. It wrote the rulebook on how action movies should be done well, thanks in large part to James Cameron’s directing style and vision. Now there’s T3 but no Cameron—and I had thought at one point that if there’s no Cameron, it’s better to not do a T3 at all, but thankfully I was wrong. Jonathon Mostow was the single perfect choice to replace Cameron. First off, he’s a relative newcomer so he’s still hungry to prove himself. Second, his previous movies Breakdown and U-571 both share a great visual style that is not unlike Cameron’s, and scenes that are very intense and suspenseful, like the depth charge scene in U-571. And perhaps most importantly, he doesn’t sacrifice good characters and story. He continues in this tradition with T3, which does have intense action, an intriguing story, and great characters.
So COME ON, REVIEW IT ALREADY!
OK! First I’ll talk about the action sequences. They are without a doubt the best of any movie this year. I’m not going to trash Reloaded because I actually liked the action in that movie too, but comparing the video game look of Reloaded’s action to T3’s, the effects are much more seamless in T3 and the action has a real feel to it that blows the Matrix away. The best example is of course, the car chase scene in T3—WOW! This is the scene that Arnold had to personally fund $6 million in order for them to do it the way they wanted, meaning mostly with real physical stunts and effects. When Arnold is hanging off the crane and smashes through the whole side of a building, they really did that (not with the real Arnold, of course). It’s a chase scene that’s perfectly orchestrated and builds up gradually and when the semi flips over at the end, it literally took my breath away. Then the graveyard shootout gives us another iconic Arnold moment when he comes out with the huge coffin on his shoulder and the mini-gun. It’s a that point when you know Arnold is truly back! Yes it does bear a very close resemblance to the scene at Cyberdyne in T2 where Arnold keeps the cops at bay, but the fact that he’s toting a couple tons on his shoulder just makes that forgiveable. The last major action scene is Arnold’s bathroom brawl with the TX, which is also amazingly done. It really feels like two machines are going at it, because the effects and sounds are done so well. Then in the final action bit at the end, the TX’s and T-101’s subsequent helicopter entrances are again incredibly realistictly done, and it is so cool how you can completely see through Arnold’s endoskeleton skull.
This is a good spot to mention the great work done by robot and FX genius Stan Winston on this movie. He of course did makeup and practical effects for the first 2 Terminators as well, and he has outdone himself again! His team created an actual fully working robot for this movie, the T-1, which looks incredible as the very first Terminator model. They are only featured in one scene really, and I wish there could’ve been a little more done with them in the movie, like one being sent on a specific mission or something, but I got to see two of these robots in action at the premiere and it actually made me a little nervous, wondering if life would imitate art. How far away are we from robots bring mass produced for military use? Anyway, Stan is a god of FX work, back to the movie.
THE CAST
With so many major cast members not returning, I admit I was extremely nervous about how well I would accept the new ones. Let me say my worries were in vain! Nick Stahl was the perfect choice to play John Connor at this stage in his life. He simply IS John Connor and you never question that. Now that I’ve seen the movie (several times), I am actually glad that Eddie Furlong is in rehab and didn’t return, as I am sure he wouldn’t have been as good. Nick Stahl just brought a new level to the role, where John knows his life is purposeless unless Judgment Day happens, but he would do anything to prevent it, because he doesn’t want any part of his destiny as the savior of mankind. His acting skills are great, the way he pauses and changes expressions so you can see what’s going on inside. He also still has a quirky, sarcastic side to him that lightens the character a little, like when he tells the Terminator to tell Kate who he is, or the line “I’m going to have to teach you everything all over!” Next to Arnold, Stahl’s performance made this movie.
Speaking of Arnold… he is back- what else can you say! He’s back in shape, he’s back in action, and he’s back in the role only he could play so well. That said, the Terminator character, while technically speaking is different and has no memory of his 2 previous adventures, definitely plays out a little more toungue-in-cheek this time around. I do not think this is a bad thing, in fact I love these moments, they are part of what makes this movie so fun to watch. Cameron chose not to make the Terminator character too comical by taking out the “smiling” scene from the theatrical release of T2, so I’m sure he thinks these comedic moments are blaspheming his franchise, and some purist fans might feel the same way—not me. The beat where he puts on the star shades, then smashes them with his foot (playing off the crushing motif of the other movies) is hilarious. It points out the fact that for some reason, the Terminator always finds clothes and shades that not only fit, but look badass too. Then he has to get new shades later at the convenience store, which is also funny when he’s tossing everything in the basket and sees the sunglass rack. Arnold even makes “Talk to the hand” funny without sounding too corny. But my favorite light moment in the whole movie is when the T-101 slices his chest, removes the power cell, and tosses it out the window, resulting in a mini-nuclear explosion which he dismisses, saying “When ruptured, my power cell becomes unstable, relax.” Then hearing Kate’s kicking and screaming in the back of the truck, he turns and forcefully says, “RELAX!” This moment had me rolling over from laughter well into the next scene. It’s hard to explain why it’s so funny, I think it’s just the fact that Arnold breaks character slightly by showing frustration with Kate’s whining, even though it’s certainly called for with that huge mushroom cloud in the background! These moments work well because in all of them the T-101 is still stoic and completely oblivious to the humor. But Arnold is not all laughs, and still plays some good dramatic moments as well, like when he grabs John by the throat and says “You’re right. You’re not the one I want.” His best dramatic line is without a doubt, “Desire is irrelevant. I am a machine.” It gives me goosebumps each time I hear it. Kudos to the many scriptwriters for coming up with that and Arnold’s perfect delivery. I am torn though, because while I love that line, I can't stand the scene it is in! I have always hated it in movies where someone's mind is being controlled to do something they normally wouldn't do (usually kill someone) and the victim is pleading with them to fight against the evil mind power because the true person inside wouldn't do it. IT IS CLICHE AND CHEESY! It was even in The Naked Gun which satired the cheesiness of this device. It wouldn't be sooo bad too if Arnold hadn't already done it in End of Days when he is possesed by the Devil at the end, but I much prefer that to a Terminator having to fight from within to not kill John, as if he had feelings for John or cared enough to fight it. He said himself in the movie that he succesfully terminated John in the future, so why would he have problems doing it now if the T-X reprogrammed him? And why is pounding a car part of his shut-down procedure? And since when is slow strangling the most effective terminating method? I know, it works best for dramatic purposes, but this whole scene could've been done so much better, like if the T-101 had acted normal at first, making John think he was fine, then getting him in a choke hold or using his metal hand to GIVE HIM THAT SCAR! Keep the desire line and John's "YOU are about to FAIL that MISSION!" which I also love, but lose the inner struggle part and have John figure out how to shut him down somehow, and this movie would've been nearly flawless.
The T-X, played by newcomer Kristanna Loken, is also a welcome addition to the Terminator series. She is cold, single-purposed, and an unstoppable killing machine, and she plays the part taking some cues from Robert Patrick’s chilling performance as the T-1000 but adds her own sexy style to it. You hardly hear her talk at all, in fact she has less lines than Arnold did in the original Terminator, but she substitutes looks and body movements and turns out great. She has a way she turns her head at an angle whenever she is analyzing or remotely activating something that is just plain creepy! She definitely seems more advanced than the T-1000, especially since firing guns at the T-1000 would at least slow him down, but she doesn’t even flinch except at the biggest rocket launcher. I do wish that she got to come a little closer to killing John, as I never felt that John was in serious danger, and it would’ve been cool for her to have a moment like the T-1000 does in T2 where he pins Sarah with his finger and threatens her. I was hoping that something would cause the scar on John’s face that we see both in T2’s older John and Stahl’s older John in T3. I want to know what causes that scar dammit!
Claire Danes was also a good choice for Kate Brewster. She does a great job of not just portraying the scared girl but someone who actually is smart and pulls her own weight even in this crazy circumstance she’s dropped into. Plus, she smiles nice! The actor who plays her father and the man who has the ability to launch Skynet or shut it down is also great in the few scenes he has. Like Miles Dyson, he is a loving father and good intentioned person who is trying to do the right thing, but has government higher ups bending his arm to put Skynet online because they see no other choice. I wish we’d gotten to see a little more of him to flesh out his character better, and I was disappointed when he seemed to give in to pressure so quickly in the end even though he clearly was against giving Skynet control. The only actor I was really disappointed with was the guy who plays Kate’s fiancé. With all the other great performances this guy seems like a B-movie reject. Granted, his role is very small and doesn’t develop at all before his untimely death, but he could’ve at least tried to act like he cared for Kate so we could’ve felt her pain later. He also played the T-X version of himself a little too maniacal which wasn’t consistent with Kristanna Loken’s performance. The last character worth mentioning is Dr. Silberman's return. I was excited when I heard he was in it, because he's the only one besides Arnold who has been in all 3 movies. How disappointed I was when I saw they reduced him to a bit walk-on part that is played purely for comedy and feels sloppily tacked on. Since when would there be a phychiatrist right there at the scene of a hostage shootout? He was such a good character in both T1 and T2, just the slimy know-it-all guy you love to hate, there was such potential for his return all wasted. It would've been great if he was played seriously, and coming to the realization that everything Sarah said is true actually decides to help Kate escape from the police, finally redeeming himself for what he did to Sarah. I chuckled the first time I saw his scene- "It'd take years to get over it..." was kind of funny, but the more I see it, I just think of how pointless and cheap it is. Earl Bowen is a great actor, he deserved better material.
THE SCORE & SOUND DESIGN
A good score can really add a lot to a movie, making you feel more emotion, more suspense, and more satisfaction at the end. There was a lot of controversy about Brad Fiedel not returning to do this one, as he did the amazing work on T1 and T2, topped with the fact that Marco Beltrami, who did T3, talked about not using Fiedel’s theme at all at one point. I’ve already reviewed the T3 score separately, so I won’t repeat here, but just let me say that it works perfectly in the context of the movie and does all the things a great score should. I think the orchestration is a welcome change from the pure electronic scores that Fiedel did. John Connor’s theme is very stirring and makes you feel his inner struggle against his destiny even more. The action cues are intense too and make all the stunts and effects even cooler, and make you jump at the right moment too! Anyway, I love this music, and the obligatory theme is there too in the credits, but the new stuff is just as good. I don’t know how other critics can say the score was weak and generic—their CPU’s are corrupted or something.
The sound design in general was incredible work, blending the dialogue, sound effects, and score perfectly. My favorite sound is when the TX swings the crane over and it’s dragging power and phone lines down and you hear the twanging and snapping of the wires. The one sound effect that I felt was overused was the “CLANG” sound that you hear whenever either Terminator is knocked into something, even when it’s not something metal that would resonate like that, like the Fire Truck windshield. It might be OK if it changed, but it’s the same CLANG every time, pulled from the generic Terminator clang file. One other nitpicky sound thing is when the lady brings her dog into the Vet Clinic, and Kate says “It sounds like a hairball,” as far as I can tell, there’s no dog hacking sound there, so Kate must be hearing things. Just those couple things keep this excellent soundtrack from being Oscar-caliber like T2.
THE ENDING (WARNING—SPOILERS INCLUDED!)
Oh man, they nailed this one! The ending to this movie is one reason I love it so much. They could’ve sold out and stuck on a happy victorious ending averting Judgment Day once again, but no, they went for the darker, riskier finish that leaves you with an ominous feeling of the war that is beginning, but also a heroic sense of John stepping up to finally fulfill his destiny. It was a deliciously done bait-and-switch, the way John assumes Kate’s father is telling them where the Skynet mainframe is, but he’s really just ensuring their survival from the impending doom. Some people have said the ending is a let down and a cop-out cliffhanger for T4 (if there is one) but I would argue that the best endings always leave things unresolved and uncertain, so they cause the audience to do more thinking and theorizing on what’s next, just like the other 2 Terminators do. Don’t get me wrong, after seeing this movie, I really am rooting for a T4 because I would love to see the war against the machines in detail now, but it’s not the end of the world if they don’t (nice pun, yes?). There are also some very interesting seeds planted during T3: the T-101 says that John and Kate’s kids will become important, that John is killed before he was sent back, and that he is the one who killed him! How’s that for the best mindf--- yet?
In summation of this lengthy review, I absolutely love T3 overall, it is a very worthy chapter in the Terminator saga. It advances the storyline in a logical way that works, barring any disgruntled time-travel theorists out there, and also importantly, it's a helluva ride and fun movie to watch! In fact, I would say it's the most fun of any Terminator movie. However, T2 still remains my personal favorite, because James Cameron does have that extra special touch for subtle character moments and giving an epic scope and feel to his movies. T1 was revolutionary for action movies, but it focused on the characters of Reese and Sarah and their growing love for each other. T2 was all about John and Sarah's mother/son relationship and also the Terminator becoming John's father figure. T3 is mainly about older John's inner struggle with life, and a little about his relationship with Kate, which does develop nicely, but you don't feel quite as much for them as you do for the characters in the first two movies. But again, T3 is "Excellent" and I look forward to seeing it many many more times before it leaves the theaters! Before T3 came out, a lot was made of its "short" running time of 1:49. I think this running time is fine, after all, it's a few mintues longer than the original Terminator. Yes, some extra fleshing out of characters would've been nice, but also might've bogged down what is quite a taught and perfectly paced movie. Besides, there's always deleted scenes on DVD!
So the final question is, if a T4 is made, does Warner Bros. attempt to recruit James Cameron again or leave the reigns in Mostow’s hands? Well, even if they tried to get Cameron, I can say without a doubt that he would refuse. According to a BBC interview, he has seen T3 and actually does like it, even though part of him wanted it to fail. But still, I doubt he would come back to it after someone else has touched his baby. That being said, I don’t even care if Cameron never comes back. Mostow and company did such a fine job with T3, I think he should get first crack at directing T4. He has beaten all odds and all those internet flamers to make a movie that not only us hard core fans like, but the general public seems to like it too, and he's given the Terminator franchise a whole new life. The other day, I was at Blockbuster and saw two kids, probably 12 or 13, looking in wonder at the official T3 magazine, chatting about how cool it looks and the coming video game and all those kinds of things, and I could tell that a new generation of Terminator and Arnold fans is on the rise. I remembered myself at that age, looking with similar awe at the T2 magazine, and smiled, knowing that those kids are future Gillinators in the making.
END TRANSMISSION OF GILLINATOR’S T3 REVIEW_