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| Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines | ||
| Review by Ross Anthony | ||
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Since he'd written and directed the first two Terminators, I asked James Cameron his thoughts on T3. He quickly responded, "I'm not involved in T3." (Click here for that interview). He went on to say, "I'm just not that ... Ahhh, I mean, I told the story." 
T2 being one of my all-time favorite movies,
Cameron's apparent disinterest in T3 certainly
lowered my expectations of the film. A Terminator
without Cameron (one of the best filmmakers of our
time), I anticipated would be like Rocky without Sly
Stallone. In this mindset, I sat down in the front
row of the fabulous Arclight Theater at Sunset and
Vine in Hollywood for the press screening. My only
quip, "I don't know if it'll be good, but it'll
certainly be big." A few more of Cameron's comments
rolled in my head, "I mean, the reason here to make
the film is to cash in on the success of the
franchise. I think films should be made from an
organic place of 'I have a specific story to tell now
I'm gonna figure out who's ready to pay for that.'"
The cinema darkens and T3 takes command of the screen
with brazen confidence, finesse, strength, and humor.
While T3 indulges in some contrivances and
experiences some internal contradictions, it's
charging roller-coaster pace, seat-shaking special
effects and dead-on sense of seriousness and humor
clearly dominate. I was pleasantly surprised and duly
impressed. Jonathan Mostow has taken good care of
Cameron's baby, showing both respect and homage to
the characters and trends. The film roars out of the
gates with absolutely thunderous chase scenes (that
crane-truck sequence aptly deserves applause). Though
the second half endures a slight decline in
action/excitement, it still strongly engages. Not so
complex, nor as sprawling as T2 (which I'd give an
A+), T3 still tears up the screen and climaxes with a
quietly daring conclusion. BTW, T1 - 1984. T2 - 1991.
T3 - 2003. |
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Grade..........................A |
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Copyright © 2003. Ross Anthony, currently based in Los Angeles, has scripted and shot documentaries, music videos, and shorts in 35 countries across North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. For more reviews visit: RossAnthony.com |
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Last Modified:
Wednesday, 20-May-2009 09:41:55 PDT