rage against the machines: short review of T3 with spoilers
We sat through eight commercials and eight previews before T3 even started. The previews, I don't mind; sometimes they are better than the movie. But commercials? Since when did movie theaters resemble basic television?
I thought I would get to see the Punisher preview, but no. I got to see instead Viggo whatshisname riding a horse and Angelina Jolie riding, err...raiding, tombs. One bright spot was the preview for Bad Boys 2, only because Henry Rollins was in the clip they showed. He's looking not so bad these days.
So, T3. It's just like you pictured it would be, really. Lots of booms and bangs and crashes and cool special effects and Arnold's attempts at wry humor. The story was almost predictable, the acting was just good enough to not be bad and the chick playing the evil machine person was so robotic, it became unnerving at one point. She certainly has a future ahead of her playing sexy droids.
Basically, I did not mind spending the money for two hours of escapism in an air-conditioned theater on a very hot and humid Saturday afternoon. Which means I enjoyed the movie.
Oh, and unlike some critics, I found no metaphorical allusions to George Bush, Donald Rumsfeld or America as Evil Empire.
WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW!
I though it took balls to have that kind of ending. In most movies like this, judgment day is always averted by the heroes, who are usually shown in the last scene sweat but smiling, as the world goes on behind them.
One of the things we discussed afterwards was the possible scenario in which John Connor himself or Arnold would go back in time and just prevent SkyNet from ever being made. Of course, there wouldn't be a movie, then.
Ok, then they could come back and prevent Clare Danes' father from pressing the button to make the system kick into drive, but that wouldn't work because SkyNet had become so self-aware that it would just turn itself on.
We did see the door open for a T4, where we would finally get to see the future world in which John Connor is saving humanity.
Comments
I noticed that the 8 commercials I had to sit through were called "prefeature entertainment".
Posted by: Ravenwood | July 5, 2003 11:14 PM
As far as sequels go, I saw the door opened for three or four more movies.
Posted by: Ravenwood | July 5, 2003 11:17 PM
The Punisher teaser is available at http://www.apple.com/trailers/artisan/the_punisher/teaser/ - it should be the same exact one you would otherwise have seen.
Posted by: Mike | July 6, 2003 12:12 AM
Have't seen it, but from previews/commercials, the dry one-liners seem particularly obvious and put-on. And Arnold's acting is starting to more and more resemble that of Regiie Jackson playing a hypnotized... um, Reggie Jackson trying to kill Queen Elizabeth in Naked Gun.
Posted by: Russell | July 6, 2003 01:53 AM
You know, I would actually like to see what it is that John Conner does to make himself so worthy of saving in each movie...
Posted by: Christine | July 6, 2003 02:02 AM
I saw fertile ground for at least 2-3 more sequels...
if the chase scene with the crane and the firetruck doesn't get best chase scene at the MTV Movie Awards next year, I hate to see the chase scene that does...
The only metaphorical angle I saw was one from a military perspective that I've already been thinking about... related to technology dependence... and all of the Terminator movies/Skynet could be a sidebar to what I've been thinking of... I'm going to try to write a piece on it soon.
Posted by: Jeff Quinton | July 6, 2003 02:20 AM
That was definitely the best (albeit longest) chase scene I've seen in a long time.
Posted by: Michele | July 6, 2003 06:52 AM
Er, actually, I think Arnold's SUPPOSED to look like the hypnotized Reggie in that role.
Posted by: Ricky | July 6, 2003 07:03 PM