Movie · 2003 · Action, Thriller, Science Fiction · 1h 49m · R · English
Curator score: 1.6/10 (663.6K ratings)
The Machines Will Rise.
Overview
It's been 10 years since John Connor saved Earth from Judgment Day, and he's now living under the radar, steering clear of using anything Skynet can trace. That is, until he encounters T-X, a robotic assassin ordered to finish what T-1000 started. Good thing Connor's former nemesis, the Terminator, is back to aid the now-adult Connor … just like he promised.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.6/10
IMDb: 6.3/10
Letterboxd: 2.73/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 70%
Metacritic: 66
TMDB: 6.2/10
Director
Jonathan Mostow
Production
Intermedia Films, IMF Internationale Medien und Film 3 & Produktions, C2 Pictures, Mostow/Lieberman Productions
Cast
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes, Kristanna Loken, Earl Boen, David Andrews, Carolyn Hennesy, Jay Acovone, Mark Famiglietti, Moira Sinise, Chopper Bernet, Christopher Lawford, M.C. Gainey, Susan Merson, Elizabeth Morehead, Billy D. Lucas, Brian Sites, Alana Curry, Larry McCormick, Robert Alonzo
Curator Review
Verdict
A decent, often entertaining sequel that works more as a loud, glossy action movie than as a worthy continuation of the first two Terminator films. The set pieces are strong, the apocalyptic ending lands, and Schwarzenegger still gives the movie a center of gravity, but it leans heavily on repetition and loses some of the menace and precision that made the franchise famous.
Best for
Viewers who want big studio sci-fi action with practical destruction and chase scenes
Fans of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s deadpan action persona
People who are okay with a lighter, more disposable sequel if the spectacle is solid
Audiences curious about a darker, fatalistic franchise ending
Skip if
You want the tight writing and suspense of the original Terminator films
You’re hoping for a genuinely fresh reinvention of the series
CG-heavy early-2000s action aesthetics bother you
You dislike sequels that feel like polished retreads
Overview
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is the rare sequel that knows exactly what it is: a bigger, noisier, less elegant version of a much better franchise. It doesn’t come close to the first two films in tension or invention, but it does deliver a steady stream of destruction, pursuit, and grimly comic Arnold one-liners.
Worth noting
The movie’s best asset is its action construction. Jonathan Mostow stages the vehicle mayhem with real momentum, and the crane-truck sequence is a standout. There’s also a bleak streak running under the surface that gives the ending some bite, even if the film spends much of its runtime recycling familiar beats.
Bottom line
As a continuation of the saga, it’s frustratingly derivative. As a mid-tier blockbuster from the era, it’s watchable and occasionally very fun, especially if you’re in the mood for a franchise machine running on muscle memory rather than inspiration.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Matt Singer (3★) · 1861 likes
Watched with group filmmaker commentary; didn’t learn much but it was worth it for Schwarzenegger’s comment“This scene with the enlargement of the breasts was fantastic,” which is the most Arnold Schwarzenegger thing Arnold Schwarzenegger ever said.
James (Schaffrillas) (3★) · 1254 likes
Surprisingly watchable? It's derivative as hell, the attempts at more iconic Arnold one-liners are cringy, the villain feels less threatening than the previous one, the CGI is noticeably worse than the installment that released 12 years prior, the ending is kind of annoying...but I kinda had fun regardless? Whatever, I'm sure it only gets worse from here.
Josh Lewis (3★) · 441 likes
the vehicular mayhem action in this is unreal thanks to Breakdown director jonathan mostow (the crane truck especially holy shit), the bit where the t-x punches her fist through the cops chest to take over the steering wheel is the stuff i go to a Terminator movie for and the ending is bleak as hell—the very act of building nuclear fallout shelters speaks for itself. if this franchise has to go the way of generic actioner it could do much worse than this.
matt lynch (3★) · 408 likes
That this isn't a particularly good TERMINATOR movie doesn't stop it from being a generally solid action movie. I like the daytime LA union-shoot vibe, the violence is pretty constant, and I'm happy to see a career carpenter like Mostow get a sandbox like this one over, say, a hacky-but-competent mimic like Len Wiseman (this being a bit better than but just as pointless as, I think, LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD). The main centerpiece, a construction-crane car chase set… more That this isn't a particularly good TERMINATOR movie doesn't stop it from being a generally solid action movie. I like the daytime LA union-shoot vibe, the violence is pretty constant, and I'm happy to see a career carpenter like Mostow get a sandbox like this one over, say, a hacky-but-competent mimic like Len Wiseman (this being a bit better than but just as pointless as, I think, LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD). The main centerpiece, a construction-crane car chase set… more
1997 · Action, Crime, Science Fiction · 2h 19m · R · Curator 6.2/10 (728.5K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, MGM Plus
Operatic, absurd, and highly watchable action cinema with a heightened sense of spectacle.