The Flipcritic

When the first two TERMINATOR films were released, the US and the USSR were in the midst of the cold war. They existed in a time when nuclear war did not seem like such a far-fetched idea. The I.T. industry was still in its infancy. Hence, the movie-going public was still somewhat oblivious to the idea of computers becoming “self-aware” and taking over human decision-making. This milieu, along with the sleek and forceful filmmaking style of James Cameron, helped make the TERMINATOR series one of the best sci-fi/action films in film history. Does T3: RISE OF THE MACHINES make a worthy addition? Yes. But only to a certain extent.

The movie begins with us finding John Connor (Nick Stahl of IN THE BEDROOM) who “lives off the grid” and feels the weight of his destiny upon him. Despite his last victory along with his mother and the previous Terminator, he still isn’t fully convinced that mankind has been saved from SkyNet, an ominous and seemingly omnipotent military computer system that was foretold to destroy man’s future (this was the Matrix before THE MATRIX). We also meet Kate Brewster (Claire Danes of MY SO CALLED LIFE), a veterinarian who shares a connection with Connor that has more depth that we first realize. This relationship becomes more and more exposed as we see the latest Terminator (Kristanna Loken) hunt her and Connor down.

As we expect, a T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenneger) is sent back from the future to protect both of them for reasons I will leave the film to reveal. He informs them that “Judgment Day” is close at hand. And predictably, we wait for the protagonists to meet in a final battle with the “Terminatrix”.

The first two TERMINATOR films were a great blend of science fiction and action. But TERMINATOR 3 is less concerned with the SF than it is with the A. There is less time here that is spent on contemplating time-travel, Asimov’s three laws of robotics, and cybernetic capability, than there was before. As compared with its predecessors, T3 is remarkably swift in its pace. It reminded me of SPEED, where the action was non-stop and highly evolved.

I try to use the word “spectacular” sparingly, since I consider it a very heavy word to use. Yet that adjective is perfect for the film’s first action set piece. If you thought the motorcycle-chasing rig scene in T2 was thrilling, this one makes it a distant memory. With the use of police cars, an ambulance, a massive construction crane, and a fire engine, T3 displays one of the most memorable car chases in film history (right up there with RONIN). THE MATRIX RELOADED tried so hard to make their chases look sleek and cold. T3 doesn’t care about gloss. It plows through the streets of Los Angeles without a care in the world, and it leaves you in awe.

After such a fantastic thrill-ride I thought it that it would be nearly impossible for the filmmakers to sustain such a level of excitement through the rest of the movie. But Jonathan Mostow (BREAKDOWN & U-571) does a good job of keeping the tensions concrete while mixing in well-timed humor. What he does lack however, is James Cameron’s sense of equanimity. Because of the film’s breakneck pace, we don’t have enough time to reflect on interesting moments (such as the use of a particle accelerator’s magnetic field), or appreciate the film’s sad ironies (when Arnold says, “We’ll meet again.”).

In making the third film, its creators have also created a lot more questions than answers. We realize that SkyNet had sent back three different Terminator versions, each at different times in history, to kill John Connor. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to have just sent back the deadliest version for each time (this of course would’ve meant that Arnold would have never appeared, but what’s done has been done)? Arnold says that Judgment Day was not stopped, but delayed (probably the reason why this film was released in 2003). The scriptwriters could have saved a lot more time by just stating that there were other Terminator parts that were kept for testing OUTSIDE of Cyberdine Systems (in TERMINATOR 2) to keep the timeline consistent (6 years too late I suppose). Of course there is the most important question of all… what is it with Terminators and leather? Terminatrix rhymes with dominatrix, and that probably explains why she dresses as such.

I did miss Sarah Connor, who was played with an exquisite badness by Linda Hamilton. Claire Danes and Nick Stahl (whom I’m happy to see find a big role) don’t quite make up for her absence, but they’ll do. Danes gives a pretty reasonable performance as required for her character. As for Stahl’s John Connor, he lacks a certain edge displayed by Edward Furlong in T2. But I guess John Connor may have done a lot of growing up ever since his previous struggle. Kristanna Loken is competent as the Terminatrix, yet as hard it may be to describe, her implacability is nowhere near as good as Robert Patrick’s (as the T-1000). He had a cold ruthlessness that was methodical and complete. Loken seems more like a mannequin on a mission (she tends to bend her head annoyingly).

It should be said that Arnold Schwarzenneger’s genius doesn’t lie in how he plays a role. It lies in his ability to choose roles that suit his strengths as well as his deficiencies. He has never been a good dramatic actor, but he has a charming humor that belies him. So what better role than the Terminator? A character that requires no human depth, but espouses terrific humor (unassumingly) because of its situations. He has the least emotions, but has the best delivery of lines (“I’m back.”). No one embodies it better, and I believe no one ever will. Other than that, NO ONE, holds a machine gun like the big guy.

It’s unfortunate that TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES can’t rise as high as its forerunners. I miss the dread, the implications, the anticipation, and the unpredictability, all of which are a notch lower in this chapter. But nonetheless, it’s funny, skillful, and damn good entertainment. What it really needs is context.

Posted by FLIPCRITIC at July 11, 2003 12:00 AM