Excitement isn’t usually a word I would use to describe the way I usually feel when venturing into the fluorescent surroundings of a multiplex. My natural cynicism, means I am almost always convinced that whatever film I am going to see is either going to be an extended commercial for flashy mobile phones, bomb defusing watches, bulletproof samsonites , or alternatively a modern money spinning rehash of an old idea.
Terminator 3: rise of the machines, was a different story altogether. Such thoughts appeared to be buried beneath deep ripples of excitement.
Most thought it was just a pipe dream, and the cynic in me might suggest that perhaps, a pipe dream is all it should have been. Was resurrecting the T-800 for bags and bags of cash really justified? The dollar signs obviously were not flashing in Camerons eyes as he did not undertake the task of directing this second sequel. Instead Jonathan Mostow decides to conduct the rather lucrative showdown . Arnie didn’t seem to have any problems in resuming his role as the T-800, the good version of course, potential governors of California can't go executing potential threats to security, surely that is not the way republicans do things. So what more could Skynet have in store?
Well, John Connor has just found out that today is judgement day, and all the destruction he was involved in 12 years earlier were all big waste of time. Or were they? I really don’t know, too much time travelling and cause and effect to handle, I’m beginning to go cross eyed. Meaning I will just accept what they say and move on. So today is Judgement Day, John Connor (Nick Stahl) is an outsider, a loner, a man without an identity who just speeds around on his bike. If on the other hand he had decided to drive a car then perhaps none of this would have happened. He certainly would never have injured himself meaning he would never have had to go to a vets for some painkillers. Had he not been at the vets then he would never have bumped into his future wife (played by Clare Danes) or the advanced Terminator sent back to assassinate them and other prominent figures in the future resistance. Those god damn deer’s, always stepping out into the road and messing up your day!.
Now some might wonder why John Connor was acting like a thoughtful young man and swerved to avoid the deer rather then a hardened soldier of fortune like his mother trained him to be, she would have hit the dear, hacked it to bits and kept its head as a trophy. These questions don’t get answered, instead there are a lot of coincidences as loose ends are tied up and John Connor assisted once again by his beloved T-800(Schwarzenegger) and his future spouse try to outrun the far superior Terminatrix or TX( Kristanna Loken). A deadly terminator, designed to terminate other terminators. A hybrid between the T-800 and the T-1000, but a damn site better looking than both. Her new weapons throw a little extra spice into the usual and highly lovable Terminator chase theme. She can control other vehicles and can morph parts of her body into super destructive weapons, technology that would have those guys on robot wars creaming their pants.
And so the TX sets about her mission which involves killing any possible threat to the future of Skynet which is due to take control and wipe out 3 billion humans later in the day . The T-800, as usual knows what is good for him and legs it taking O’Connor with him. A chase ensues which leads to masses of destruction but relatively little death as both Terminators attempt to fulfil their mission objectives. Of course one of them is disappointed by the end, but I don’t want to ruin it for you as this film is definitely worth seeing.
Although fans of the serious storyline involved in the first may be a little upset about the lack of continuity in some areas, especially the exploitation of the t-800 for comedy value. Most, however, will not be disappointed by the way that conclusions are provided and loose ends are eventually tied up, especially if they understand how all this time travelling works, which I suspect is common knowledge for die hard sci-fi fans . But above all I urge people to see this because it continues on the Terminator tradition . The film has an eighties feel about it which will bring back that warm nostalgia for most of those who appreciate the first two films. The premise is basically the same in every Terminator film with the implications differing a little, having said this it is a premise that we have grown to love and appreciate. Below all the sci-fi complexity is a simple chase movie that can be enjoyed by everyone, you have to appreciate the scale and the trouble they have gone to, millions of dollars to provide you with a couple of hours of sensory bashing that leaves you feeling kind of giddy. Its good to see Arnie back in the role that made him famous, in 1984 he was probably the coolest bad guy around, now he isn’t taken at all seriously, I myself am as guilty as everybody else, of course I mock him, remember ‘Jingle all the Way’ .
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Despite this, I grew up on a diet of Arnie and there is still something wonderfully comforting about knowing that once he flexes those muscles everything will be all right.
‘Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines’ isn’t as serious as The Terminator and it isn’t as spooky as the Terminator 2: Judgement day. The amazingly sexy, even erotic TX was no where near as creepy as the T-1000 and didn’t even appear to be as dangerous. However, nostalgia works both ways, as well as making me fond of the idea of another Terminator movie, it also makes the first two appear even more masterful. Of course they had their own irritations, notably the not so smooth special effects in The Terminator and the cringe inducing young John Connor played by Edward furlong in T2.
Nostalgia aside though I do believe that this Terminator sequel is not as greater achievement as the last two, those films were considered groundbreaking. In a cinematic climate where the matrix has raised the bar Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is never going to be considered too spectacular. But then again does this matter? One might wonder what can be expected when it is given a 12a certificate, should I get all irate about dumbing down for greater profits?
The answer for me is no, and this is simply because I enjoyed it, I felt young again, I felt the excitement when Arnie demanded a complete strangers clothes and then crushed his fingers when he refused , when a huge explosion erupted from the result of a single car crashing and when two helicopters crashed just minutes after each other. It reminds me of school again, you have those bits that you can talk about, and where you could catch out those who hadn’t really seen it- "do you remember that bit when…?".
Im sure there was lots of product placement and I am pretty sure that it was all about money and that’s why there will be a Terminator 4. But I dont really care, I had decided to leave my cynicism at home and I felt better for it.
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