I'm Back!!!. Review on Terminator 3 Movie

In The Terminator we saw a vision of a future world dominated by machines, one of them being the murderous Terminator-from-the-Future T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) & Sarah Connor‘s (Linda Hamilton) fight for survival.

In Terminator 2 T-800 became the protector of Sarah’s young kid John (Edward Furlong), who is the future leader in humans resistance to the robot ambush.

In Terminator 3, we have T3 (a resurrection of the out-dated T-800 model) returning after 10 years to save John “Aw shucks, why me?” Connor (Nick Stahl) from getting killed by a deadly gorgeous cyborg, Terminatrix [T-X] (Kristanna Loken),a state-of-the-art technological assassin who can assume the shape of anyone she touches, a high-tech machine that has its own built-in weapons systems [her prosthetic arm is a outsized gun!] & her brain is equipped with highly sophisticated computerized tracking devices. Failing in their prior attempt to kill John, this new virtually indestructible machine has been chosen to do the needful; her only mission is to destroy John & all his future lieutenants. She has a list of 22 American targets who stand in the way of Judgment Day when the machines will take over the Earth.

In T2 John’s other protector was his mother Sarah, a woman with a ferocious determinism & iron will, who is missing in T3 & has been replaced with John’s old classmate, Kate Brewster (Claire Danes), who is also destined to be his future partner.

In the beginning, we meet a distraught Conner who now lives his life “off the grid” without a identity or any connection with the people around. Having been told that he would one day save the world John lives his life not knowing whether he has it in him to fulfill this destiny. He suffers from nightmares & is filled with dread. A freak accident ends up with John meeting his friend Kate & soon he is hunted down by T-X but just as she is about to get to John, a speeding vehicle slams T-X into a building! Enter T3, who in keeping with his own program is here to protect John Connor. Thus begins a no-rules & everything is fair in war between T3 & T-X as each tries to outdo the other; in saving or killing John Connor. Meanwhile John & Kate are forced into a race against time as they are required to take some quick action to stop the clock ticking towards the doomsday....

Don’t blink!

A chase scene where in a large mobile crane T-X attempts to demolish T3, wiping out everything in her path: even a hi-tech building! A typical mass destruction scene yet it seems so new & original that leaves the viewer totally in awe. This scene also reminds of the highway scene in ''The Matrix Reloaded'', which is comparison is not as impressive! The T3 scene excels in its action.

Listen Hard!

The scene where Kate & John actually interrogate T3 & it is here that we learn of what the future holds [also that there would surely be a Terminator 4!!!!]

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The film/Performances:

The obvious goal of making this film [or for that matter any sequels] is to cash in on the success of the franchise. This is not an easy task as with each new film the expectations of the audience rises, wanting to watch something that is different & better than the original. The other fact here is that unlike Terminator & T2 which were directed by James Cameron, this sci-fi extravaganza has been made by Jonathan Mostow, who has done a incredible job in continuing the story, which answers many questions & also adds new twists to the plot.

With a lot of technical dazzle, extreme & spectacular action scenes Mostow succeeds in injecting the much expected tension in the atmosphere. He has made the film with equal passion & finesse as Cameron did with the previous two Terminators. Aptly supported with a decent script by John D. Brancato & Michael Ferris, Don Burgess' amazing cinematography, Mostow‘s Terminator is a slick, well crafted exciting science-fiction thriller that not only pumps up our adrenaline, it also gets our brains ticking!

Back with a bang with his black leather, motorcycles, shotguns & of course his cool sunglasses, is Arnold Schwarzenegger looking fabulous as ever & even after 10 years he retains his appeal as the iconic Terminator! In this film he also gets to talk a lot, explaining the what’s & why’s of both the previous parts & also giving off details of the future happenings. Whether he is the mean machine beating T-X mercilessly or displaying his curt humor [watch him in the scene where he says ''Talk to the hand.'']…. Arnie Rocks!

Kristanna Loken as the ruthless T-X has done exactly what is expected of her; look as someone who could beat the s**t out of Arnie! Even though she is not required to talk much, with her steely glare & model looks, Loken is very impressive.

Nick Stahl as the doomed John Connor is plain disappointing, he looks so lost & misfit for the role. On the other hand, Claire Danes has fared well, filling in for the emotional element [Both these characters have been in the previous part & maybe in the future Terminator movie too, I wish they would replace someone in role of Connor].

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My word:

This attack/rule of machines on the human race is one such idea that is going to pondered over forever & would be the subject of many future movies as we always love to watch/know what we don't understand or expect to happen. Even as T3 seems to be familiar & the viewer knows that ultimately it'll be Arnie or John who would win, its interesting to watch this fight of good vs evil.

And no, Arnie doesn‘t go “Hasta la vista, baby.” in this one coz there is gonna be a T4 & he is coming definitely back!!!