Great Film: Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Following in the footsteps of James Cameron
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines deals with another robot sent in the
past
to make the future better. It's a concept that should've been applied
when
they began working on this third installment. The film had a lot to
surpass
and following in James Cameron's footsteps is not an easy task to do.
Fortunately, Jonathan Mostow does a good job recreating the mood of the
previous two films. Unfortunately, the problem lies in the structure of
the
film. What could've been one of the most important films out of the three
made so far (so far, considering 'he' might be back) is instead what seems
to be the weakest one of all, too short and not developped
enough.
As said before, while Mostow succeeded in giving this film a bit of a
James
Cameron vibe, the foundation on which the it was built is somewhat weak.
Visually, it's close to Cameron's Terminators but on paper, it's a
different
story... literally. The writing gives the impression of a story thrown
together for a quick cash-in at the box-office. Disappointing considering
it was written by the same people who brought us the Hitchcock-esque 'The
Game'. T3: Rise of the Machines suffers from bad structure and therfore
is
really more like a film cut in two parts. If the second half really gives
us an insight of that the future holds for the characters, the first is
filled with too much action and comedic relief. Terminator was always
more
than just an action film, it had a story that kept the other movies of the
franchise balanced. In this case, the viewer is bombarded with car chases
and confrontations right from the start which unfortunately means the
omission to include any real interactions (other than fights) between the
main characters. The dialogue is kept to a strict minimum throughout the
first half (referring to meaningful dialogue that is) and the viewer is
left
with a sense of emptiness. It's as though they decided to throw
everything
they had right at the start and afterwards the audience is left with
barely
anything to chew on.
Another weakness is the comedic relief. When viewing a movie like T3:
Rise
of the Machines, no one expects to be laughing every few minutes. If the
jokes are meant to be entertaining, they instead distract the viewer from
what the purpose of a character like the Terminator has. If the character
is not supposed to understand the feelings that a human might go through,
he
shouldn't have to be a running gag either. That's something James Cameron
understood while filming T2: Judgment Day. While those kinds of scenes
were
left on the cutting room floor by Cameron, they remained in T3: Rise of
the
Machines. Maybe it's because James Cameron had enough material to work
with
therefore being able to take the liberty of doing just that. Running at a
mere 109 Minutes, this latest installment fails to deliver barely enough
juicy material to keep the people's interest awake.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is not all that bad though. While the
first half is nothing more than a B-movie filled with cheap gags and too
much action, the second half is where the movie really begins. At this
point, it gets into a good pace where action shares the scene (no pun
intended) with a slower, more dramatic feel. That's why the movie is so
weak, it is unbalanced. T2: Judgment Day kept the ball rolling and took
the
time to tell a story. It's not normal that anyone should wait over 40-45
Minutes to find out what happened to the second most important character
of
all the Terminator films, Sarah Connor. Instead of filling the beginning
with their entire arsenal of special effects, they should have dispersed
them throughout the film, in between the scenes that occupies the second
half, a second half where characters like John Connor (Nick Stahl) and
Kate
Brewster (Claire Danes) finally have a chance to evolve. Even Arnold
Schwarzenegger is unable to give 3 dimensions to his character. If the
character is supposed to be another version of the one seen in T2:
Judgment
Day, it instead ressembles more the one portrayed in the first Terminator
film, a killer on a mission. Never once is there a chance for the viewer
to
believe in this Terminator character. In the end, he appears just as cold
and uninteresting, very much like the steel it was built
on.
Would've T3: Rise of the Machines been a better movie with James Cameron
on
board... probably. James Cameron, besides being a good director, knew the
characters like no one else. For sure, the film would have been shot
based
on a better structure and filmed more evenly. As mentionned earlier, the
movie is about going into the past to make the future better. That's
something they should've paid more attention to, taking more notice of the
franchise past to make a better future or in this case, delivering a
better
present. In the end, Terminator falls into the stereotype of all the
other
action films it follows. Not the type of movie that really drives you to
watch the first two if you're new to the franchise.
Rating: ***
Nothing more than a B-movie with a big budget. Could've been
better.
(The second half really is what saved this film. Hopefully if there is
going to be another installment, they will learn from their mistake and
balance the story more, James Cameron style).
Cast
- Roadhouse Bouncer played by M.c. Gainey
- Terminator played by Arnold Schwarzenegger
- T-X played by Kristanna Loken
- Robert Brewster played by David Andrews
- Kate Brewster played by Claire Danes
- Chief Engineer played by Chopper Bernet
- John Connor played by Nick Stahl
