"Uh'll be back." - Another Terminator for Arnie

[BlobVanDam]

I really enjoyed T3. I'm not sure why it gets so much flak. It didn't do anything really novel with the franchise but it was a lot of fun and the ending really sold it. I think some people don't like it because it basically pulls the rug out from under the end of T2, which is a fair criticism, but I try to take each film as its own entity.

That's exactly the point, T3 basically pissed all over T2, which in my opinion effectively ended the story. That, plus the fact that T3 was basically an (inferior) remake of T2 didn't help it much.

That said, T3 wasn't THAT bad. At least it wasn't the waste of time that Salvation was.

The horrible casting was one of my major problems with the movie too. Nick Stahl was just horrible.

These points all put me against T3 from the start, and they're valid points. The fact it wasn't the "real" John Connor to me, and the fact the replacement actor wasn't all that great made it feel like it wasn't a real Terminator sequel, and the fact it makes T2 feel like it was for nothing (although you could say the same for T2, I suppose), makes it feel like it's not doing justice to the franchise.
But I can overlook these points and just enjoy it for what it is alone, rather than comparing it to what came before it. It's still only fairly average, but I'm past calling it a travesty now.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

He was better than Christan Bale, who, while making an excellent Batman, stank as John Connor.

Bale made me hate John Connor, which I did not think would be an easy feat.

Ed Furlong made me hate John Connor.

Come on, he was a kid. And less obnoxious than most kids in movies.

 

[davejames]

Yeah I tend to think T3 is underrated too. It may not come close to the quality of the first two, but it was still fun seeing Arnold in the role again, and the action was really well directed. It's just a shame they couldn't use Furlong.

Frankly, considering the best stories have already been told now, I think the best you ever COULD do with another sequel is something along the lines of T3-- just another fun, action-packed romp where we got to see Arnold do his thing for two hours. By this point, after 4 movies and a TV show, the threat of armageddon and having the "machines take over" has lost too much of it's impact. It's become tired and predictable, at least for me.

 

[Myasishchev]

He was better than Christan Bale, who, while making an excellent Batman, stank as John Connor.

Bale made me hate John Connor, which I did not think would be an easy feat.

If John appears in T5 I would certainly prefer Stahl to Bale in the role. Of course I would also prefer Eddie Furlong, Thomas Decker or even Andy Dick in the role to Christian Bale. He was a fine Batman but he was ass as John Connor.

Ok, if they cast Andy Dick opposite Schwarzenegger, I would see this thing opening day, twice.

 

[Gaith]

You wouldn't have any trouble finding good seats, neither.

 

[RAMA]

I think T3 is better than T2...which is overblown and overrated. I just like the twists at the end and the more complicated philosophical view.

RAMA

 

[Davros]

Bale made me hate John Connor, which I did not think would be an easy feat.

Ed Furlong made me hate John Connor.

Come on, he was a kid. And less obnoxious than most kids in movies.

True, I should blame the idiot who wrote in all of those sappy bonding moments between him and the Terminator.

 

[Greylock Crescent]

I don't understand this. He was essentially the same character. Well, more Batman than Bruce Wayne, but still. Same intensity. Same cadence in his YELLING.

There is an idea of a Christian Bale; some kind of abstraction. But there is no real actor: only an entity, something illusory.

 

[Obiwanshinobi]

Sounds like something Patrick Bateman would say...Is that a quote from American Psycho sans the Christian Bale part?

 

[Admiral James Kirk]

I think T3 is better than T2...which is overblown and overrated. I just like the twists at the end and the more complicated philosophical view.

RAMA

I wish they could take the first half of T2 (which was fantastic) and graft the second half of T3 on to it. They would have a damn near perfect Terminator movie. T2 just went totally off the tracks when Cameron delivered that sloppy happy ending that was totally contrary to his own mythos. It reeked of a director creating a false ending to avoid being pressured into doing another sequel and yet keep others from doing sequels without him.

T3 IMO was a wonderful continuation of the original Terminator. I loved how the Terminator was what he was in the original movie, a grim, unremorseful killer. It was really cool seeing this thing that was built to obliterate the enemy forced to protect its mortal enemy and kill no one. It chafed at its new programming but had no choice but to follow it to the mortal end. I find that far more satisfying than the Uncle Bob Kindergarten Kop Terminator learning the value of human life and other After School Special type feel-good subjects.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Sounds like a challenging fan-edit project. Might be worthy, but only if actually done well.

 

[Sephiroth]

Jim Cameron turned a hard "R", Hard sci-fi film and turned it into a family movie.
If T-3 wasn't rushed through production to get it in theatres before Arnold's governor bid I don't think it would have gotten the negative reception that it did.
I liked salvation more for it's locations than anything else, and I think the franchise books were a million times better than the film.


TSCC was brilliant but flawed. It was damaged by the writer strike and alot of the criticism about it's pacing actually comes more from FOX running it every other Monday evening, which doesn't help viewer perception with a heavy arc-oriented show. Watch it again on DVD and STFU about the terminator of the week, its a Terminator TV show. That said the show is an interesting premise, it was pretty well written, especially the second half of the second season, where it felt the writers were getting into stride, and if they do make another Terminator movie I hope they extend an Invitation to Garrett Dillahunt or Summer Glau to be Terminators, I think they did a pretty good job.

 

[Aragorn]

Terminator 3 was a slightly above average movie that retread a lot of the same ground T2 covered (which basically covered the same ground as T1 only with a bigger budget) and had two things going for it: actual physical action sequences that were shot on location and and ending that involved the end of civilization as we know it.

I wish they would've been bolder in other aspects of the script rather than covering such familiar territory. I mean, something as simple as Arnold Terminator protecting John is actually sent from Skynet and Kristanna Terminator killing all the humans is actually sent from the resistance -- because somehow John ends up playing a major part in causing Judgment Day -- would be something different. The movie also hurt from not having Linda Hamilton.

 

[Deckerd]

I don't understand this. He was essentially the same character. Well, more Batman than Bruce Wayne, but still. Same intensity. Same cadence in his YELLING.

There is an idea of a Christian Bale; some kind of abstraction. But there is no real actor: only an entity, something illusory.

I think most people would agree that Bale's Wayne/Batman was a complex, brooding character and very well done indeed. Bale's Connor was a petulant prick. It has to be direction, since he's such a good actor he can do whatever he's told to do.

 

[Capt_Pickirk]

Bale made me hate John Connor, which I did not think would be an easy feat.

If John appears in T5 I would certainly prefer Stahl to Bale in the role. Of course I would also prefer Eddie Furlong, Thomas Decker or even Andy Dick in the role to Christian Bale. He was a fine Batman but he was ass as John Connor.

Ok, if they cast Andy Dick opposite Schwarzenegger, I would see this thing opening day, twice.

Andy Dick would be the best John Connor, EVER

 

[JarodRussell]

True, I should blame the idiot who wrote in all of those sappy bonding moments between him and the Terminator.

But that was kind of the point, wasn't it?

 

[barnaclelapse]

I don't understand this. He was essentially the same character. Well, more Batman than Bruce Wayne, but still. Same intensity. Same cadence in his YELLING.

True, and that's why I think he's just "Okay" as Batman. In "Terminator: Salvation" the shtick had gotten old, and I don't think the personality traits he lent to Batman were necessarily appropriate for John Conner.

I've said this before, bu I still think the best thing about "Salvatation" overall was the amazing trailer set to NIN's "The Day The Whole World Went Away."

I'm inclined to agree that T5 should just go for broke and try to be as much fun as possible. With a better cast in place that could very easily be done.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I've said this before, bu I still think the best thing about "Salvatation" overall was the amazing trailer set to NIN's "The Day The Whole World Went Away."

I have to agree. I enjoyed that much more than the actual film.

 

[Obiwanshinobi]

I don't understand this. He was essentially the same character. Well, more Batman than Bruce Wayne, but still. Same intensity. Same cadence in his YELLING.

There is an idea of a Christian Bale; some kind of abstraction. But there is no real actor: only an entity, something illusory.

I think most people would agree that Bale's Wayne/Batman was a complex, brooding character and very well done indeed. Bale's Connor was a petulant prick. It has to be direction, since he's such a good actor he can do whatever he's told to do.

I can only imagine the rehearsal sessions with McG.

McG: Ok Christian. I mean John. I want you to tap into your Empire of the Sun character. I want you to feel alone, scared, but keep the intensity! Like Batman!

Bale: Batman? But what about..

McG: Yes! Batman! I'm Batman!

 

[Pingfah]

I won't be seeing this movie.

I'm lying. I will see it on day one probably.