This one here goes to 11, its one louder
And so begins our review of T3-Rise of the Machines
T3: Rise of the Machines: C+
Holy Jesus, this was the LOUDEST movie I have seen in recent memory --- and it is NOT a good loud. I think you know when it's not a good loud when you're sitting in your seat and noticing that you are cringing from just the sheer volume of noise going on from the action onscreen
I think I read some review of the director's former movie U-571, that said LOUD and limp --- and ironically it's pretty much the same here. Hey buddy, loud doesn't mean good unless you're Spinal Tap --- and some would argue that they ain't good either so do the math
Plot.
Pretty much the same as T2 - Arnie is sent back to protect John Connor from assassination from a superior Terminator, or shall we say Terminatrix. Oh yeah, also world may be doomed soon by Skynet (YAWNNN)
Terminators.
Our female T-X is well, hmmm determined --- but not as menacing as either Mr. Patric or Arnie from movie uno. I think part of the lack of effectiveness is how stiff her character comes off --- also, it could have been me but you get kind of a smirk coming across sometimes in her expressionless face, totally blows the intense mood. T-X is totally supposed to be kickass but they don't really SHOW us, they tell us --- umm, I for one am getting tired of sci-fi movies that tell me about great things and don't show me --- woo, transforming hand --- wheeee, not
Ahnoold is well not much removed from 91 --- geared up in leather, and basically doing lots of badass stuff, that we've seen before. That's kind of the key to it all, we've seen it before from him. The sad part is that they make him do cliche speak to get over as humorous, but it somehow feels tired after all this time
Anddddd, action.
Lots of it. Lots of really F---ING EAR DRUM SHATTERING action. I think the point is this, they didn't really push the envelope with it, so your mind wanders --- and when your mind wanders you notice how f'n loud it is and how you are getting your ass kicked by noise and not really enjoying what is a key component of Terminator movies THE ACTION
I think that the brilliance of JC is missed this time in that he blends action really well with story arc and drama --- this time its like fireworks on the 4th of July without the orchestration. Lots of pop but no vibe.
Mind-bending Paradoxes?
Not really. Not this time. This time they basically spill the beans over and over in the dialogue, I guess they're expecting the audience to go OOH, that's deep, that's clever --- funny, never happened to me, not this time
Acting.
Cmon, this is a Terminator movie! ok ok, actually I think I missed Linda Hamilton ALOT in this one. She is really the paranoid emotional soul of the trilogy --- there was a kind of emptiness without her
Clare Danes is a hysterical bitch in this movie, talent is totally wasted. The new guy who plays John, he was in In The Bedroom, and was pretty good there --- here he's kind of lame and he doesn't really pull you in to pull for him, so the "thrill of the chase" which is an essential premise to all three movies comes up short here because well, you kinda don't find him worthy to pull for
Ahnoold is Arnold. I mean, you get the expressionless stuff again, but this time, you get this feeling that the dynamic presence of A as the T is beginning to fade a bit
Special Efx.
Umm, for what has been one of the standard bearers of the action/SF genre, we've seen it all before. And that is kind of disappointing, the legacy of moving the bar up for this series does not continue with this film
Final Analysis.
It doesn't really grab on to you as much as it stomps on your hearing capability. Towards the end, it slows down enough so that a story emerges that one remotely cares about, but by that time, I found that I was so irritated by the irritant noises of all the action that it was hard to concentrate when they were like AND HERE IS THE POINT
Another sequel?
Yes, the possibility is there for yet another sequel. In some ways, I hope it doesn't happen because this movie dragged down the other two which were really excellent in their own ways. It's like an athlete that overstays when they should retire, that's how I felt here --- unless they come up with new ideas, this franchise is officially dead and should be left alone
Did it conclude?
Yes. It came full circle, but like we said, door is way open for a sequel
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I didn't have the problem with the sound at Signature Dole that you did. What i had a problem with was the lack of soul the entire production had.
I had high hopes for this film that i waited for almost 10 years to be made. In the end I feel kinda let down. They didn't push the envelope in any way shape or form.
Arnold looked hella good and heck... I'd hit up the T3 chick and she can reverse wrap her legs around me anytime...
The whole thing just went stale and old on me. It was like eating stale cheetos... yeah it TASTES okay but the texture is just blah. Yeah the movie was okay but the entire production was blah.
Other than the really well done highway chase scene it left me kinda.... blah.
What bugged me:
- Old "Ahnold iz da Terminator" toungue in cheek "i am a robot" jokes.
- Claire Danes screaming at everything... although if it were real that is what most women would do.
- Terminatrix was so robotic, and Ahnold was so "human".
- There were no breathtaking special effects
- There was never a point in the movie where I was wondering whats gonna happen next
I hope they don't make a sequel unless they are going to tell a story that is better. This is one of those I may just pass on when it come out on DVD.