Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) Movie Review & Rant

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Review

Matt gives Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines a decidedly mixed review. He considers it weaker than the first two films, but still entertaining as a popcorn action movie—and says he’d rather watch it than the newer Terminator film he compares it to.

What Works

Matt strongly defends Nick Stahl as John Connor, praising his character’s doubts and grief, as well as his eventual acceptance of responsibility. He also enjoys Arnold Schwarzenegger’s return, Kristanna Loken’s T-X, and the film’s action.

The crane chase is his standout sequence. He applauds its escalating vehicle chaos and practical stunts, and notes that the newer film seems to borrow some of its imagery. Other moments he enjoys include Arnold firing a bazooka, the cemetery sequence with the coffin, and the T-X’s more graphic attacks.

Matt also gets a chuckle from Arnold’s deadpan “Relax, relax” and John’s frustrated “I’m wasting your time” exchange with the Terminator.

What Doesn’t Work

Matt dislikes the broad jokes, especially “talk to the hand,” the strip-club scene, and its accompanying macho music. He thinks the gag-heavy tone clashes with the grim ending.

More seriously, he objects to the reveal that Judgment Day is inevitable, arguing that it undercuts Terminator 2’s message that people can shape their fate. He finds Claire Danes adequate but not especially memorable, and considers the T-X interesting without being as iconic as the T-1000. He also can’t recall the score and mocks Arnold’s commentary track for simply describing what’s on screen.

Overall

The ending, in which Judgment Day happens and John and Kate are left to face the coming war, strikes Matt as bold—but it also makes the film’s tonal whiplash especially noticeable. He ultimately calls it an uneven, roughly 50/50 experience: flawed, but with enough performances and action set pieces to keep him watching.

People Discussed

Matt, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kristanna Loken, David Andrews, Jonathan Mostow, Marco Beltrami, J. Courtney, Christian Bale, Alan Taylor, and Brad Fiedel.