Several more takes on T3: RISE OF THE MACHINES!

Hey folks, Harry here with 3 additional looks at T3: RISE OF THE MACHINES from the Exhibitor Screening in Los Angeles. All three are positive, all 3 have a few little nitpicks, but overall enjoy the film from an aspect of... "It's a good Terminator movie" to "It's the best" to "It's really cool" sort of vibes ya know? The way they seem to be jizzing about TX - I don't know... in the trailers she just doesn't really do all that much for me. We'll have to see when it hits, eh?

Dear Harry,             

THE BIGGEST MOVIE BUFF OF ALL TIME A.K.A. FOB707 here, with a review of "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,"  which I caught a few weeks ago. Now as you people know, this is A TERMINATOR MOVIE, with it's original star "Ahnuld," returning to play The Terminator. You also may know that James Cameron isn't directing this movie, and that Edward "Pussy Whipped" Furlong and Linda Hamilton are not returning to the best roles they ever had. I'll just tell you geeks out there this: STOP BITCHING! IT'S A GOOD THING FURLONG AND HAMILTON ARE NOT RETURNING! As for Cameron's absence, I'll get to that in a bit.

IN THIS REVIEW:

I WILL CRITIQUE THE CAST, DIRECTOR,  AND THE FILM ITSELF.

Film Itself Goes first:

Wow...wowee wow wow...and another wow. This film...is way cool! Sorry for saying way cool, but that's just it! This film rocked the socks..."darn it another stupid phrase," off of the audience! By saying that, I'm implying that this film is good. In fact, it's three inches beyond good. {although some of you may not know what that means} I myself along with a few million others, have been waiting for Terminator 3 to hit the screen since the end credits of T-2 stopped rolling. All right...I'll just say this: Terminator 3 is a good movie that deserves our money! When you compare it to T-2 and The Terminator...well...you just can't. I mean, this is a totally different film from the first two. The first two seemed like two chapters in a well written J.R.R. Tolkien Book. Yet, T-3: Rise... seemed like a chapter in a completely different Tolkien Book. To make it easier; T-1 and T-2 seemed like chapters in a book for instance: "The Fellowship of the Ring," while T-3 seemed like a chapter of "The TWo Towers."

Anyway, aside from the comparisons of the three movies, there is a ton of action in T-3, the type that doesn't bore you or make you laugh out loud at the sheer unrealistic aspects about it. This is the type of action that has you on the edge of your seat {literally} and that has you wanting more of it, even when you don't know what will happen next. The scene that stood out in T-3 was the car chase in the middle, which has Arnie hanging on for dear life on the end of a crane controlled by The Villain of the piece; The Terminatrix. There are also "surprises" in the film that you wouldn't be expecting, surprises that surpass the "surprise" factor of those in X-2. Now at this point, you may be bitching and asking yourself, is this guy on something? Well, the fact of the matter is...no. I just thouroughly enjoyed this film. The story, oh my gosh, how could I forget to write the story in:

Here it is: John Connor, has managed to isolate himself from the world; he has no home, no cell phones, no job {no he's not a hobo} and no home {poor guy}. Why has he done this you may ask? Well... so that those a holes from Skynet won't be able to track him down and place a big bullet in his head THAT'S WHY! But alas...The Terminatrix; a new Terminator {bad guy type} with the ability to take control of other machines {including T-8000}, regenerate her body just like T-1000, as well as other crazy abilities, has been sent back in time to kill Connor. At this point, the film kicks into high gear, and The T-8000 is sent back in time as well in order to protect John Connor from being off'ed by The TX {Terminatrix.} The rest is guns, blood, people dying, plenty of Claire Danes {not in a sexual sense though} and Arnie doing what he does best: Shooting from big guns.

The ending to Terminator 3, will leave you wanting more...as there definetly is room for more... hint hint. Possibly a T-4 will be released soon? There certainly is room for one more.

All right, now onto the cast/characters:

AHNULD/T-800 TERMINATOR: Remember how stupid he looked at first in The Terminator, and remember how scary he looked later on in that film? Remember how cool he looked in T-2? Ah...who really cares what you remember. T-3 doesn't expect you to remember, because in this film, we see a totally different T-8000, one that isn't The type that you've all been fearing: a sensitive Terminator, or an A.I. type robot. The T-800 in this film is best described as being relentless as the T-1000, and as heroic as Michael Biehn's character from The Terminator. Whenever T-800 is pummeling the Terminatrix with his bare hands, or just with a machine gun or a rocket launcher, he always looks and acts better than you would expect him to be.

Don't worry fanboys, this is definetly not the Terminator from the previous entries that you've come to love, but this is a new Terminator/T-800 that you will come to love.

NICK STAHL/JOHN CONNOR: WHY THE O.J. DIDN'T FURLONG COME BACK? BEATS ME, BUT WHO CARES? That guy wasn't as good as everyone says he was in T-2: Judgement Day. Nick Stahl, is in a fourteen year old way of speaking: WAY BETTER THAN EDWARD FURLONG DUDE! You know how Furlong displayed a sense of innocence as well as a desire to become a warrior? Nick Stahl takes all that to the next level... "sorry, that's kind of cliched,"  but he does. Remember how Stahl was so innocent in "IN the Bedroom?" He displays none of that here. Instead, we get a hardened "Linda Hamilton/Sarah Connor" type of John Connor. He's ready for anything, and yet, you can tell he's got this scaredy cat feeling hidden up inside of him. When he's on the run from the TX, you can sense the worry inside of him without him saying a word. IN a sense, Stahl practically carried the movie whenever TX wasn't on the screen. and TX, well...I'll get to her in a bit. SO, see the movie for Stahl's version of John Connor, no wait, JUST SEE THE MOVIE FOR NICK STAHL.

CLAIRE DANES/KATE MILLER: CLAIRE DANES IS TALENTED. SEXUALLY? INDEEDY DEEDY. Acting wise...HELL YES. Does she make a good action hero? Hmm... I'll get to that part in a minute. Is she any good in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines? Hmm...I'll get to that part after the action appeal part. Is she at all attractive in T-3? Hmm...I'll leave that to up for you to decide. Is she the new Linda Hamilton? I'll get to that part after the "is she any good in T-3?" part. Okay, so yes...Claire Danes does make a good action hero, and no. It really depends on what your definition of action hero is? IS she the type of Charlie's Angel hero or is she the type of Lt. Ellen Ripley from Alien? The answer is the second choice. She does what she has to...but not in kick ass-blood and gutts style. She's not the macho type of action figure, she acts impulsively, and yet, she retains her cool, as she doesn't scream too much or cry at the wrong parts. Actually, I don't remember if she cried or not...I don't think she cried at all, although there were times were you would think she was. Is she any good in Terminator 3? Yes. She and Nick Stahl are a team, and she's the better half. To see Claire Danes smoke the TX with a flame thrower...ah... lovely. However, no matter how good Danes is in T-3, she is not AS good as Linda Hamilton from The Terminator and T-2. That isn't a bad thing though, what Danes doesn't have... Kristanna Loken makes up for...speaking of Loken.

KRISTANNA LOKEN/THE TERMINATRIX: All hail the Queen...Latifah? Hell no! Let's just jump around naked... because the new queen of mean, actually I don't remember when we've had a queen of mean...ah yes..it was Sarah Michelle Gellar in Cruel Intentions, but still, the new Queen of Mean has to be Kirstanna Loken as The Terminatrix. Judging from what you've seen in the previews; she looks like a lesbian with a mechnical arm waiting to take out Ahnuld. Well, I wish she were a lesbian Terminator, but what we get is good enough {not in a bad sense of course.} Sure, she may just be "the villain" of the movie, but isn't that important at all? Of course not, but Kirstanna makes the TX so...imposing... so sexy...so, Robert Patrick -expect without the penis and flat chest. Remember how scary Arnold was in The Terminator? Remember how nothing could stop him...{up until the end of course}? Remember how bad ass Robert Patrick was as T-1000? Remember how stupid Bush was when he...well...just combine all of those elements together and you'll get The Terminatrix. She's mean, she's ruthless, she's sadistic {actually no, but who cares?} she's fast as hell, and she's like "Deathstryke" from X-2, only sexier and not as criminally underused. In fact, TX isn't underused at all. And her scenes won't bore you, nor will they make you laugh out loud at the shere "phony-ness" of them. She may look like a biker with a barbie doll's body, but I assure you...she is. She's hot... HOT! HOT! HOT! Look out for her...well...you'll just have to watch "IT." And when I say watch "IT,"  I mean, watch out for "THOSE." Sorry ladies if you find this offensive, but we're men.

THE REST OF THE CAST: does a fine job. Expect for David Andrews who plays Robert Brewster; they should've cast someone that you actually would care about...instead of some disposable actor like Andrews. Andrews reminds me of...Cyclops in X-Men. You don't care about him, you don't like him, and you don't care about what happens to him.

Now onto the director: Mostow...Jonathan Mostow.

JONATHAN MOSTOW; what can I say, other than, thank you for not screwing this movie up! Thank you for giving us your vision of Terminator 3, because honestly, I think Cameron had gone a little too far with his so called technique of "story telling while blowing up stuff," back when he did True Lies. Mostow has not only managed to craft up a good movie, but an enjoyable one as well. This isn't just robots smashing each other, it's a tale of three friends, two human; the third not human.

If you thought Halle Berry's acceptance speech at the 2002 Oscars was sentimental, wait till you see some of the stuff Johnny comes up with in this film. This film is really sentimental all because of Jonathan Mostow...little Johnny...J Mostow...J.M....little boy...little Johnn- nevermind. Sure, U-571 was filled with uber Jon Bon Jovi that made you shudder, but I assure you, Jonathan Mostow DOES NOT, I repeat, DOES NOT screw this up! What does that mean exactly? Well, it means you better get your butt over to the theatre July 2 and watch T-3! As for Cameron's absence, who gives a flying duck if he's not here or not?!  Am I the only that didn't enjoy "True Lies." Although that dance with Jamie Lee Curtis was very nice. Okay, so this isn't "True Lies," but still, T-2 wasn't all that great as T-1 was WAYY better. Sorry fan-boys, but it's true, T-1 was a better movie. So why is Cameron's absence greeted with such ease? Easy, because T-3 makes you forget about Cameron, because T-3 is a good enough "stand alone" film.

Here are some additional notes on T-3:       

The special effects are not ground breaking, but are used in a way that make you laugh with delight and satisfaction.       

Yes, there will be a Terminator 4.       

Yes, someone does get naked in the film.

IF YOU USE THIS, PLEASE REFER TO ME AS FOB707.

Then you have this honking review that discusses problems and likes, but overall is really in favor of the film and enjoyed it quite a bit. Here ya go...