Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is an entertaining but essentially superfluous continuation of the science fiction success, for the plot bears a suspicious resemblance to the story of "Terminator 2".

John Connor is now a young man living a vagabond life. He can never feel safe. And indeed the new Terminator model T-X, in the shape of a slinky young woman, gets on his trail. Fortunately his old protector, the T-800, turns up. The old model, however, struggles to cope with its opponent.

The T-X is pursuing not only John Connor but also the people chosen to become his allies in the struggle against the machines. One of them is John's old school friend Katherine Brewster. Perhaps she and John can stop Judgment Day, that is to say the machines' seizure of power. A romance between the two begins to blossom, but then drowns in all the bangs and crashes.

The film's story is rather flimsy, and it mainly takes the form of one long action-packed game of cat and mouse. One of the highlights is the car chase at the beginning, which can easily compete with the one in "The Matrix Reloaded". Another highlight is the surprising ending, which of course cries out for a sequel, even though that may bring a number of problems...