Critic Reviews
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Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines tells the simple yet compelling story of a very old piece of equipment that refuses to go away. Its name is Arnold Schwarzenegger, and, as famously promised, he's back, and at his anticharismatic best, too.
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Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
Wastes no time getting very loud and very silly and never really lets up.
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J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
A sizable quotient of the movie's target audience just wants to see stuff destroyed, and in that regard Rise of the Machines won't disappoint.
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Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News
It's not as taut or surprising as the first installment. And it's not as resonant or ambitious as the second, but Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines still manages to kick plenty of butt.
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David Edelstein, Slate
The villain comes back more times than Wile E. Coyote. I found it tiresome and witless and numbingly repetitive, but action mavens won't feel cheated.
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Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines may lack the mythic pow of the 1984 original and the visionary thrill of T2, but it's a potent popcorn movie that digs in its hooks and doesn't let go until an ending that ODs on apocalyptic hoo-ha.
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Jeffrey Lyles, Lyles' Movie Files
Doesn't have the gritty feel of 'Terminator' or the sleek cutting edge of technology look of 'Judgment Day,' but it's a decent addition to the Terminator mythos.
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Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy
There are bad sequels that still work as movies, basically. T3 doesn't even do that: it isn't a good action film, and isn't a good science fiction film.
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Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Basically one long, exciting chase scene.
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Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews
With splashy digital effects and punchy stuntwork, the solid T3 slides along enjoyably, but doesn't have the impeccable story and visual design of the previous entry.
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Rick Mele, AskMen.com
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is without a doubt the weakest entry in an otherwise beloved trilogy, but let's be honest, T3 was doomed from the very day franchise creator James Cameron decided to pass on it.
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Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed
An exciting and fun popcorn romp...
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Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
T3 has the sour, depressive vibe of an untested director submitting to a predetermined mythology not his own.
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John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...unlike the first two films, it is not the kind of action movie I might want to watch again soon. (Blu-ray Anthology)
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Bill Clark, FromTheBalcony
T3 does not have the sense of humanity that the two previous films had, but Mostow's focused direction helps get the job done.
Read all 15 critic reviews
Featured Audience Ratings
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A needless sequel that only repeats the formula of the one before, with unstoppable (and even tiring) action for those who enjoy seeing cyborgs destroying an entire city - and it is easy to notice how it ruins the continuity of the series.
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Almost a soulless robot from the future all by itself, many scenes from the first two simply reheated (with only Ah-nold's dubious charisma to deadlift this one off the ground into tolerable territory). Only this robot doesn't kill, it lulls you into a state of desultory… More
Almost a soulless robot from the future all by itself, many scenes from the first two simply reheated (with only Ah-nold's dubious charisma to deadlift this one off the ground into tolerable territory). Only this robot doesn't kill, it lulls you into a state of desultory complacency with a less than interested script. Stahl and Danes simultaneously convey excitement for being part of a franchise monster while being embarrassed reciting dreck.
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Although many people bash this movie all the more so than the crap, straight-to-dvd-quality Terminator Salvation, this movie kept the Terminator atmosphere in place, sort of. The villain, although stronger than the 2nd, wasn't as menacing and frightening as the T-1000. There are… More
Although many people bash this movie all the more so than the crap, straight-to-dvd-quality Terminator Salvation, this movie kept the Terminator atmosphere in place, sort of. The villain, although stronger than the 2nd, wasn't as menacing and frightening as the T-1000. There are a bunch of small gripes (And I mean a bunch) that end up making this movie a much worse movie that the first 2 Terminators, but at least it ain't Terminator Gayvation.
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John Connor has reached adulthood and is once more pursued by a murderous robotic assassin as he tries to prevent Skynet from starting the war that means the near extinction of mankind. The Terminator films, like the Alien franchise before them, were always going to suffer in… More
John Connor has reached adulthood and is once more pursued by a murderous robotic assassin as he tries to prevent Skynet from starting the war that means the near extinction of mankind. The Terminator films, like the Alien franchise before them, were always going to suffer in comparison to the two hugely influential originals. Basically Terminator 3 is not in the same league as the previous films and feels far more like a generic cash in that not only fails to expand on the concepts but also seems rather pointless in general. The self referential and ham-fisted humour in particular is a serious mistake making the film look like a parody of itself and the gimmicky casting of Kristanna Loken was never going to provide the presence and menace of Schwarzenegger or even Robert Patrick. But if you can forget its pedigree, T3 is actually a very entertaining sci-fi action film in its own right; true, it hasn't any of the inspiration or originality of the previous films but the special effects are excellent and set pieces work extremely well. The level of destruction outshines even that of T2 during the thrilling crane truck chase and the ending is genuinely surprising and interesting. Not a bad sequel by any means but it was never going to measure up to its heritage of seminal sci-fi.
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Much better, in my opinion, than JUDGMENT DAY, but RISE OF THE MACHINES is the third entry in the series and has still yet to reach or top THE TERMINATOR.
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No James Cameron, no good movie. Hurt the franchise a bit in my opinion.
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For some strange reason, I do not hate this third entry, considering that James Cameron was not involved in the project. I quite enjoyed this film. Of course it's nothing compared to masterful second film, but it still manages to deliver something cool and interesting to the… More
For some strange reason, I do not hate this third entry, considering that James Cameron was not involved in the project. I quite enjoyed this film. Of course it's nothing compared to masterful second film, but it still manages to deliver something cool and interesting to the screen. Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines follows an older John Conner as the T-101 must protect him from the more powerful T-X who is sent back through time to kill John Conner and Kate Brewster. The plot is fairly simple like every other Terminator film, but this one even more so. I thought the story could have been slightly improved and some of action sequences could have been done better. Rise Of The Machine is a prime example of a third entry thats shortly running out of ideas. Sure the film delivers on what you'd expect. But theres plenty of things that could have been improved on. For one thing, I'm surprised that James Cameron didn't make it, and if he did, I'm sure it would've been better. The films story feels strained at times. The plot feels like it's trying to outdo the second film, as it tries to bigger and badder than the second. Unfortunately, this third entry, though good doesn't even come close to the masterful T2, which is probably one of the greatest action films ever made. I can appreciate the effort that went into this film, but like every diehard Terminator fan, I think this film is average popcorn entertainment that tries way too hard at outdoing the second film. Enjoy it for pure entertainment value, but don't expect a solid action film like Terminator 2:Judgement Day. Action packed and fun, but flawed nonetheless.
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Not bad but It was a dissapointment
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T3 is amusing but nowhere close to the quality of the first two films in the trilogy.
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im noticing a pattern with these films
terminator pretty good
terminator 2 best action film ever made
terminator 3 not as good as the first but still pretty good
terminator salvation action is the only good thing about it
this film has some spectacular action scenes to watch and… More
im noticing a pattern with these films
terminator pretty good
terminator 2 best action film ever made
terminator 3 not as good as the first but still pretty good
terminator salvation action is the only good thing about it
this film has some spectacular action scenes to watch and i bet it would be incredible to see in IMAX and 3-D. this film is definitely the only good film in the terminator series not directed by James Cameron, who may i add is my favorite director. He just has the perfect touch with his films, if film making was his garden than he would have the green thumb. is it the best action movie ever made no, is it the best sci-fi movie ever made no, but it is a great addition to the terminator series, now if only we can get a green-light on who's going to be making the 5th terminator film (of course, im praying for Cameron.)
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not horrible but not good. C
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If you haven't seen the first two movies, first off, let me welcome you to planet Earth!!! lol
terminator 3 is a good action flick but in my opinion not as good as T 2,it doesnt seem to have the same impact as 1 and 2, but great special affects though.
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Jonathan Mostow is no James Cameron. While Mostow has a great eye for visual effects and creates some truly spectacular action sequences he is really missing the human touch that Cameron brought to his two Terminator films. "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" has got to be… More
Jonathan Mostow is no James Cameron. While Mostow has a great eye for visual effects and creates some truly spectacular action sequences he is really missing the human touch that Cameron brought to his two Terminator films. "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" has got to be one of the most unnecessary sequels ever made, but for pure action and nothing more, it will satisfy.
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It is in no way in the same caliber of the first two, but I like it as a pure action movie. Arnold Schwarzenegger makes any movie he's in at least enjoyable on some level, even if it's just to watch him destroy things and look really cool. This is still a necessary part in… More
It is in no way in the same caliber of the first two, but I like it as a pure action movie. Arnold Schwarzenegger makes any movie he's in at least enjoyable on some level, even if it's just to watch him destroy things and look really cool. This is still a necessary part in the Terminator franchise, bringing upon the inevitable Judgment Day. They took some risks and changes in style with this one, some worked and others didn't. I think inadequate casting really hurt this movie the most, no one besides Arnold looked like they belonged.
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Okay, I must say that the first two movies were way better than this one. This could have been better.
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This was still a good movie but definately the weakest in the series!
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eh
I had read a handful of reviews prior to seeing this one so I was mentally prepared for a major suckfest. It's not nearly as bad as I expected it to be. Maybe that's the key - low expectations!
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Awesome sequel that surpasses the original and comes close to the classic T2. Tons of exciting action and a good story to follow along that never leaves you wishing for more....except for a sequel with Schwarzenegger. Get back into acting and quit politics, Arnie!
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A disappointing cash in that doesn't feel like a proper continuation due to the different cast.
Read all 20 featured audience ratings
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