 Arnold Schwarzenegger puts on his trademark shades and leather jacket to return as a time-traveling T-101 Terminator in this smash hit directed by Jonathan Mostow. He's back to protect future Earth Resistance leader John Connor (Nick Stahl)...and an unwary veterinarian (Claire Danes) who's stunned to learn her destiny is linked with Connor. An awesome new foe is programmed to terminate them - a state-of-the-art T-X (Kristanna Loken) who's smarter and stronger than a T-101. With dazzling effects, bravura thrills and a story that boldly spins into the unexpected, this is an event spectacle to see and see again. Storyline: More than 10 years after 'Terminator 2', John Connor now exists only as a drifter - living 'off the grid', so no more Terminators from the future can hunt him down. Unfortunately, SkyNet does send another one back - and this one is called the T-X, even more powerful & advanced than the dreaded T-1000. However, another CSM-101 Terminator is also sent back to protect John against the T-X. Now, Skynet is patiently assuming control of civilian computer systems, under the guise of a computer virus. John has also met his future wife, Kate Brewster, whose father - a U.S. Air Force General - is in charge of the military computer systems & is leery of up linking SkyNet. However, when the SkyNet virus infects the U.S military computers & leaves the country open to attack, the machines begin their horrific takeover. Soon a nuclear war will result - and the war against the machines will begin. Can the outdated CSM-101 Terminator eliminate the highly advanced T-X - or will a darker future await ... Written by Derek O'Cain Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, May 19, 2011 -- Skynet has become self-aware. Instead of Rise of the Machines, perhaps Director Jonathan Mostow's (U571) entry into the Terminator franchise should have been called Terminator 3: Inevitable, as in a sequel in the franchise that spawned one of the best and most successful small Science Fiction films of all time and one of the biggest and baddest Summer movies ever made was inevitable. More to the point of this film and the franchise, however, it's clear that inevitability plays a critical factor in the fictional future (and past and present) world of The Terminator. Sure, "there is no fate but what we make for ourselves," but fate is merely a fancier word for "inevitable," for fate may be shaped and determined and prophesied, but whatever fate has in store is ultimately the "inevitable." In the Terminator universe, fate -- the inevitable -- is the nuclear exchange initiated by Skynet that brings about, yes, the Rise of the Machines. For all the flak that Rise of the Machines has received, Mostow's film captures the very essence of the Terminator franchise perhaps better than any other picture in the series. It might lack the raw vision of the original or the absolute big-movie bonanza spit and polish and fun factor of the sequel, but Rise of the Machines serves as a meat-and-potatoes sort of entry in the franchise that merely sets the table for the rest of the films in the series, both the two that came before it and those that will come after it. Ain't time travel fun? Once again, a Terminator has been sent back in time to eliminate future resistance fighters in man's war against the machines in a post-apocalyptic hell ravaged by nuclear war. Amongst her targets -- yes, the latest Terminator arrives in the shapely figure of beautiful young woman (Kristanna Loken) -- is Kate Brewster (Claire Danes), daughter of an Air Force bigwig who's about to unwittingly unleash Skynet on the world. Kate is also the future first Lieutenant of human resistance leader John Connor (Nick Stahl) who's been living off the grid since his mother's death, working odd jobs and wondering if past adventures have altered his fate and saved mankind. John inadvertently -- or is it fate -- winds up breaking into an animal clinic where Kate works when he comes in need of medical supplies. The two are ambushed by the Terminatrix but are rescued by a captured and reprogrammed model T-800 Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) sent back in time to once again protect John, and this time, Kate, too, from elimination. As they evade the seemingly unstoppable Terminatrix, a model even further advanced from the deadly T-1000, the Terminator brings John and Kate up to speed on their future together in the resistance. When they believe they see an opening to stop the "inevitable" commencement of Judgment Day, they scramble to pull the plug on Skynet despite long odds and the Termintor's specific programming and Kate's father's insistence on guaranteeing the safety of John and Kate above all else. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines may be little more than a long build-up to its ever-wonderful bold finale, but what a fun little build-up it is. Though the film serves a purpose as a bridge of sorts within the Terminator universe, the picture is primarily a loud Summer Action flick that's the very definition of "big." Director Jonathan Mostow rarely allows the film to go more than a few minutes without a major action scene, and the remaining minutes are filled by plugging in holes within the Terminator timeline, paying respect to the series's roots through the implementation of little subtle looks and lines that fans will be quick to catch, or having a little bit of fun to offset the seriousness of the picture and the adrenaline of the action with some much-needed and, surprisingly, zippy and enjoyable one-liners. However, it's action that's the film's big seller, and "robust" aptly describes it. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is everything fans could want in terms of mindless entertainment; it's slick, well-conceived, and strongly executed. The scope of the action befits the Terminator name and the strength of the dueling cybernetic characters who transform their environment into weapons of mass destruction that kill pretty much everything but the primary characters. Mostow proves a worthy helmsman for a picture of this size, not only one-upping the previous entries in terms of sheer scope of action but refusing to settle for anything less than one of cinema's most daring finales that is definitely this film's claim to fame, a critical element in the franchise, and a bold statement that challenges traditional Hollywood structure while reinforcing the series's primary theme of inevitability. For the sheer pleasure that is the film's ending -- and, no, it's not wrong to "cherish" a finale such as this; that's the beauty of cinema and art in general, the ability to relish in something that would elicit the opposite response in real life -- it would not work without a quality script, delicate direction, and a few convincing performances that all not only treat the series's history and established lore with respect but establish Rise of the Machines as a necessary cog in Terminator history. James Cameron's fingerprints are all over Rise of the Machines, even if he's associated with the film only in the capacity as the series's creator. Maybe Mostow's film isn't quite as tight, smart, or instantly classic as Cameron's films, but as far as its place in the franchise, there's no question that Rise of the Machines is a welcome and necessary addition. Granted, it certainly takes the ending to make the picture worthwhile -- there's really not a lot going on other than a few revelations and plenty of action before it -- but that final act really solidifies the franchise as something more tangible, and actually witnessing the start of the war rather than merely hearing about is not only a treat for fans but the realization of series's cornerstone theme. That the film doesn't sacrifice the integrity of the franchise is its best asset, followed closely by a few good performances that sell the greater picture. Schwarzenegger is, of course, terrific once again in his signature role; he's somehow not quite as menacing in this film as in either of the first two installments, looking a little older and moving a little slower but still playing the part like he was born for it. Stahl and Danes are good, if not a little whiny; Stahl is definitely the weakest of the on-screen incarnations of John Connor, but by the end Stahl has audiences believing him to be a viable leader of the resistance. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is the weakest entry in the series, but that's more an observation than a criticism. It's certainly the most "independent" of the (now four) pictures in the series in that it plays, for the most part, more as a Summer spectacular Action movie than it does a Terminator film, but at least Mostow's picture hits all the necessary notes that were required of it, and hits them hard to the point that Rise of the Machines should go down as a movie with one of the best endings in Hollywood history. Sure the film could have been better and sure it takes a few liberties, but as a combination Summer Action movie and a film playing the part of a bridge that brings the past and future installments together, it would be difficult to imagine anything all that much better than this. Warner's Blu-ray release of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines fixes the 1080p/1080i glitch and delivers a good overall video presentation. Unfortunately, the disc retains the same (albeit high quality) lossy soundtrack, but it also retains the exhaustive array of extra content. Recommended. [CSW] -3.1- Good, but not worthy of the Terminator franchise. However, I did like the ending a lot as it's the only real improvement to the whole story and an open door for a sequel. [A3.5-V3.5] VC-1 - DBox-/10 Cast Notes: Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator), Nick Stahl (John Connor), Claire Danes (Kate Brewster), Kristanna Loken (T-X), David Andrews (Robert Brewster), Mark Famiglietti (Scott Petersen), Earl Boen (Dr. Peter Silberman), Moira Harris (Betsy), Chopper Bernet (Chief Engineer), Christopher Lawford (Brewster's Aide [as Chris Lawford]), Carolyn Hennesy (Rich Woman), Jay Acovone (Cop - Westside Street), M.C. Gainey (Roadhouse Bouncer), Susan Merson (Roadhouse Clubgoer #1), Elizabeth Morehead (Roadhouse Clubgoer #1). IMDb Rating (09/17/10): 6.6/10 from 107,667 users
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
