By Reid Cargan
Arnold Schwarzenegger was right, he would be back, it only took him 12 years. The movies that Schwarzenegger is arguably best known for, came back for its third installment, “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.”
Almost two decades since the original premiered in 1984, this 2003 summer blockbuster proved to be a sign of the times with its special effects. “Terminator” initially made a big mark in Hollywood with the sequel “T2: Judgment Day.” That movie totally set the bar for special effects in action films. That is until a movie came along by the name of “The Matrix.”
After watching “The Matrix: Reloaded” merely moths ago, I can clearly see the mind-boggling similarities between “T3” and “The Matrix: Reloaded.” Since The Matrix premiered first, “T3” looked helplessly like the copycat in many scenes. Both movies had an elaborate car chase as well as multiple fights with superhumanly strong characters.
This movie was also vintage Schwarzenegger. Pay the man all he wants ($30 million for this picture to be exact) to spurt out those unmistakable one-liners, which come even more fast and furious than before. Even though the one-liners are excellent sources of comedy, this movie got a little too cute in that department. In one scene Schwarzenegger, looking for his typical black threads to wear, gets a hand shoved in his face by a male stripper with the stripper commanding, “Talk to the hand.” So, later on in the film when Schwarzenegger was asked if he was going to pay for the food he was stealing from the gas station, he puts up his bulky gloved hand and mutters (you guessed it): “Talk to the hand.”
This movie had an enormous change in the supporting cast. Aside from Schwarzenegger, all the other key players were newcomers to the trilogy. Original director James Cameron was not on board to direct this one, it was instead taken over by Jonathan Mostow, whose only notable film to date has been “U-571.” Cameron’s absence only guaranteed that former wife and “Terminator” co-star Linda Hamilton would also not be in this movie. Another integral role is the part of John Conner, the misguided youth who is destined to save the world from a robot invasion. This part was played by Edward Furlong in “T2”, but he was later fired from any future contributions due to legal problems. Nick Stahl is now the “new” John Conner and he certainly played the role admirably. Also continuing her comeback to the big screen is “Romeo and Juliet” star Claire Danes, who plays John Conner’s partner in crime, so to speak, Kate Brewster. Every Terminator movie wouldn’t be a thriller without the token rogue cyborg out to kill the future hero Conner.
Holding true to the new theme of “girl power” action stars, this movie introduced an unknown female, her name: Kristanna Loken. Playing the Terminatrix, (there’s that Matrix sound again) the stern faced beauty looked like a seasoned vet out there, not cracking a smile once and also using Schwarzenegger’s head as a battering ram in one particular scene.
In the end, the movie was quite average, however it did reveal a lot more into the mystery surrounding Judgment Day and why Schwarzenegger is back even though he gave himself a lava bath at the end of “T2.” This flick was ended as sort of a cliffhanger, which leaves the audience wondering: “Will he be back?”
