When Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machine begins, John Connor (ably
played by Nick Stahl) is a grown man who is living the life of an anonymous
drifter in Southern
California, which is just how he likes it. Emotionally scarred by his
experiences as a boy in Terminator 2, and figuring that the future war has
finally been prevented, Connor has pretty much given up on the world, as well as
himself. In another part of So Cal, Kate Brewster (Claire Danes), a nervous
bride-to-be, is busy making arrangements for her wedding. Meanwhile, in a bunker
several hundred miles away, Kate's father, Air Force General Robert Brewster
(David Andrews), is overseeing the final touches on a powerful new computer
program called Skynet.
It's not long before those famous crackling spheres once again teleport two
cybernetic warriors from the future into our present day. Arnold Schwarzenegger
returns as a Terminator who is sent back once more to protect John Connor and a
his future lieutenants in the Resistance, who are being stalked by a newer, more
advanced Terminator model, known as the T-X. Played with icy intensity by
Kristanna Loken, the T-X is more than a match for Arnold. Able to control other
machines, the T-X is also armed with a nasty plasma gun (which sprouts from her
right arm) and other assorted weapons. She is an effective combination of
Arnold's T-101 and T2's T-1000 in her design.
When I first heard of this film, I had to admit to being skeptical, especially
since writer/director James Cameron, the original Terminator creator, wasn't
involved. But under the assured direction of Jonathan Mostow, T3 is a lean, mean
action film that quite literally cuts right to the chase. The action sequence
where the T-X chases our heroes through the streets of LA with a large crane is
so well executed that it's exhilarating to watch. The cutting is fast-paced and
perfect; no shot ever lingers long enough for us to ogle the special effects,
instead we are caught up in the excitement of the moment. The same can be said
for T3's other action scenes, especially a one on one battle between Arnold and
Kristanna in the Skynet lab, where they pound on each other by using whatever's
at hand, which results in the entire building being spectacularly smashed up all
around them.
For a man in his fifties, Arnold still looks good in his best movie role outside
of Conan. And Claire Danes is great as a young woman who is at
first overwhelmed, and then rises to meet the seemingly insurmountable challenge
that greets her (which makes sense, since she is the daughter of a general,
after all). And the challenge that John, Kate and Arnie face is no less than the
very beginning of the future war itself. The seeds of that bleak era, from the
Hunter-Killer aircraft to the great silver tanks that tread on the bones of the
dead, all now exist. No longer figments of a nightmare, these machines finally
do rise up to seize control of the future. And yet, despite this bleak situation,
T3 still manages to be the most hopeful film of the Terminator series.
The DVD is well stocked with various special features in addition to the movie.
There are two commentary tracks with the stars and the director. A second disc
contains behind the scenes documentaries, as well as outtakes, and a funny
scene--which was wisely excised from the film--that shows the origins of the
Terminator line of cyborgs and why they all speak with an Austrian accent.
Terminator 3 is not only a worthy addition to the series; it actually raises the
bar to a new high. --SF
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