I’m one of the few who got to see a preview of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, even before the US Theatrical release. My excitement knew no bounds, and I could hardly wait to see the latest instalment of the Terminator series. I was genuinely excited!
Twenty minutes into the film, and my genuine excitement turned into major disappointment. The on screen shenanigans of Arnold and company were not just difficult to digest, but downright boring (James Cameron, where art thou).
The Plot
The plot is cliched (Cyborg from the Future on a mission to Terminate the Saviour). There’s no new angle or twist to the inevitable Human/Machine conflict. The Director tries to paint a Doomsday scenario, where the machines unleash a Virus and use the Internet (how dumb is that) to take control of every ’’machine’’, including the world’s nuclear arsenal. The Machines have risen and they’re in control, puh-lease.
The Cast
Arnold Schwarzenneger promised in T1 & T2, ’’I’ll be back’’, but after T3, you’ll be praying he doesn’t make a comeback in T4, 5, 6. . . His role as a re-programmed, nice-guy Cyborg (with a heavy Austrian accent) isn’t much different from T2. Arnie’s dialogues are cliched and un-inventive to say the least (She’ll be back). The grown-up John Connor (I forget the actors name) is downright mediocre. Claire Daines as Brewster is unimpressive. The only saving grace is TX. Kristanna Loken as the (almost) indestructible Terminatrix sprints thru the movie with amazing grace and finesse. She’s dressed to kill (pun intended) in Red Leather, ’’assasinates’’ her easy targets in cold-blood and has a penchant for Fast Cars.
The Special Effects
The effects fail to dazzle. We’re subjected to another truck-chase (not again), umpteen bullets penetrate the Cyborg’s metal body, the re-generation of the Cyborg from molten metal evokes nothing but a huge YAWN.
The Verdict
I’d give T3 a pass, if it wasn’t for the Terminatrix’s awesome butt! Worth a dekko.