Without James Cameron at the helm, it's almost scary to think what could've become of the Terminator franchise. Terminator 3 is by no means the epic thrill ride with a keen eye for storytelling that T2 was, but it manages to be one of the single greatest all-out action flicks ever to come out of Hollywood. This is simply a great popcorn flick.
There’s little is here to advance the Terminator storyline. Where prior sequels set up a timeline of computers taking over the world, future leaders, and a human resistance, T3 is allowed to acknowledge all of this briefly for the sake of keeping things moving. From the opening moments, it's nearly non-stop action throughout the entire 100 minutes.
Remember the trench/chase scene from the second film? Forget it. It has nothing on an unforgettable car/crane chase sequence a half-hour into this one, a full showcase of special effects wizardry. There is a much heavier reliance on CGI in this edition, a given since Terminator 2 set a standard for the style. There are those scenes where it's painfully obvious, yet for a movie filled with so many awe-inspiring shots, this is a small inconveinence.
A few surprises are given to keep the dialogue moving, but until the shocking revelations at the end of this film, there's hardly anything that will stun fans of the series. For a film that amounts to barely more than an epic chase sequence, the emotional impact of the closing moments and final visuals are unforgettable. Something apparently works on the viewer's subconscious.
Extensive comedy is included, possibly to lighten the blow of the finale. At times, it’s almost making fun of itself, camping it up to make the overblown action scenes seem plausible. It fits in with this third film of the series.
Article comments
1 - Dynamo of Eternia
"As for now, it’s time for Terminator 2 in HD."
If I am not mistaken, I think the first 2 Terminator movies were released on Blu-Ray.
It stinks having them in a different format than the 3rd movie, but they are in HD, unless I am completely mistaken.
2 - Matt Paprocki
You're right. They're MGM releases. I meant HD-DVD releases, and somehow screwed that up. It's wishful thinking anyway.