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There are cops, gangsters, karate teachers, lovers, bikers, and bartenders. The action sequences are varied and bizarre like the one where the three killers whip out a karate school full of students. Or when one of the killers fights his way out of a police station. Or the three of them take on bikers in a roadside cafe.

There is a hero. A guy who gets his hand cut off in the karate school and goes after the killers. There is even a psycho style ending. Too bad this obviously lower budget film didn't have any stars in it. If it had Travolta and Willis we could have had "Pulp Fiction" 20 years sooner.

I went into T-3 perhaps not expecting a lot, but I was hoping that my 174 million dollar budget would perhaps deliver a punch that would top the last two installments. It seemed possible considering the lineup, with Arnold at the helm and a creative special effects team backing it. And it did that, too. Unfortunately, the amount of effects and bringing Arnold back into the fray for another round were two of the problems the movie suffered from and that took away from throwing me over the top.

This isn't to say that the house wasn't brought down in parts with those effects, because some of those wonders were amazing to behold. Watching all the little pieces of destruction, the carnage upon carnage, was interesting - at first. I actually liked the amount of sheer destruction and cold-blooded killing that happened, some of those scenes MASSIVE entertaining, but then the storyline started trying to work me back to Skynet and I kept thinking that I've already been here and done that. In fact, I had watched it quite a few times and was assured that Skynet would be brought down. And then it started looking a lot like T-2 again, the thing chasing perhaps a LOT better looking but still an upgrade, and I kept noticing little flaws here and there. Yes, in some parts the effects were REALLY noticeable, not burying themselves smoothly enough. Some places actually looked blurred, with the size of the body being flung a little off or the digital blur not exactly human or machine enough, making you think of one word. Cheap. In a 172 million dollar film, I shouldn't ever think that. Still, some other stuff - the use of a crane and some of those lovely Terminator models coming to life - made up for that.

The second flaw was Arnold and his delivery. While nobody would say that he is expected to give a stellar job as the Terminator, I expect certain things. No emotions would be one, no yelling instead of taking his all-too-lovingly murderous time is another, and he did both of these a little herein. He didn't exactly seem motivated, like he knew his money was in the bag and that he didn't have to work for it, and that was somewhat annoying. The moves weren't done as well this time around, almost as if he was jogging through the motions and not putting his all into the film, and I found myself annoyed and looking to the back-up actors/actresses. A Terminator movie and I found myself drifting because of the Terminator! That honestly took a lot away from my experience and was a shame, too. Its a good thing the rest of the cast pulled it back from the edge.

I suppose it depends on what you want out of this film. If you want the redundant heartbeat recaptured for you, letting you experience T-2 with a darker ending, then this would be something you would like. If you can ignore some of Arnold in it, letting the little glitches in the persona get by you, then its all the better. As much as I complain about it and point out the negative aspects, I still see the result as something to watch a few times, noting the newer machines and the wholesale death being rained upon the stage. Honestly, its hard for me to tire of that effect.

Also, the Sgt. Candy scene, the only deleted piece besides the gag reel, did actually make me laugh and gave the T-1 models a little backstory. So, there was something here besides a lot of mayhem.

Things could have been awful. You have a 58-year old man playing the exact same character he played nearly 20 years ago. The absence of James Cameron could have really destroyed this movie.

However, the cast is excellent. Arnold was in excellent shape for this movie, and he definitely was born to play the T-101. Nick Stahl does a fantastic job as the new John Connor, and Claire Danes is solid as usual. The T-X is perfect as well, played by Kristanna Lokken. The movie ends the only way it really could end, yet it is somewhat surprising. The special effects are spectacular, the sound mix is incredible, and the transfer is perfect. This is one of those DVD's you should use to show off your system.

I highly recommend T3.

I went into T-3 perhaps not expecting a lot, but I was hoping that my 174 million dollar budget would perhaps deliver a punch that would top the last two installments. It seemed possible considering the lineup, with Arnold at the helm and a creative special effects team backing it. And it did that, too. Unfortunately, the amount of effects and bringing Arnold back into the fray for another round were two of the problems the movie suffered from and that took away from throwing me over the top.

This isn't to say that the house wasn't brought down in parts with those effects, because some of those wonders were amazing to behold. Watching all the little pieces of destruction, the carnage upon carnage, was interesting - at first. I actually liked the amount of sheer destruction and cold-blooded killing that happened, some of those scenes MASSIVE entertaining, but then the storyline started trying to work me back to Skynet and I kept thinking that I've already been here and done that. In fact, I had watched it quite a few times and was assured that Skynet would be brought down. And then it started looking a lot like T-2 again, the thing chasing perhaps a LOT better looking but still an upgrade, and I kept noticing little flaws here and there. Yes, in some parts the effects were REALLY noticeable, not burying themselves smoothly enough. Some places actually looked blurred, with the size of the body being flung a little off or the digital blur not exactly human or machine enough, making you think of one word. Cheap. In a 172 million dollar film, I shouldn't ever think that. Still, some other stuff - the use of a crane and some of those lovely Terminator models coming to life - made up for that.

The second flaw was Arnold and his delivery. While nobody would say that he is expected to give a stellar job as the Terminator, I expect certain things. No emotions would be one, no yelling instead of taking his all-too-lovingly murderous time is another, and he did both of these a little herein. He didn't exactly seem motivated, like he knew his money was in the bag and that he didn't have to work for it, and that was somewhat annoying. The moves weren't done as well this time around, almost as if he was jogging through the motions and not putting his all into the film, and I found myself annoyed and looking to the back-up actors/actresses. A Terminator movie and I found myself drifting because of the Terminator! That honestly took a lot away from my experience and was a shame, too. Its a good thing the rest of the cast pulled it back from the edge.

I suppose it depends on what you want out of this film. If you want the redundant heartbeat recaptured for you, letting you experience T-2 with a darker ending, then this would be something you would like. If you can ignore some of Arnold in it, letting the little glitches in the persona get by you, then its all the better. As much as I complain about it and point out the negative aspects, I still see the result as something to watch a few times, noting the newer machines and the wholesale death being rained upon the stage. Honestly, its hard for me to tire of that effect.

Also, the Sgt. Candy scene, the only deleted piece besides the gag reel, did actually make me laugh and gave the T-1 models a little backstory. So, there was something here besides a lot of mayhem.

Things could have been awful. You have a 58-year old man playing the exact same character he played nearly 20 years ago. The absence of James Cameron could have really destroyed this movie.

However, the cast is excellent. Arnold was in excellent shape for this movie, and he definitely was born to play the T-101. Nick Stahl does a fantastic job as the new John Connor, and Claire Danes is solid as usual. The T-X is perfect as well, played by Kristanna Lokken. The movie ends the only way it really could end, yet it is somewhat surprising. The special effects are spectacular, the sound mix is incredible, and the transfer is perfect. This is one of those DVD's you should use to show off your system.

I highly recommend T3.

I went into T-3 perhaps not expecting a lot, but I was hoping that my 174 million dollar budget would perhaps deliver a punch that would top the last two installments. It seemed possible considering the lineup, with Arnold at the helm and a creative special effects team backing it. And it did that, too. Unfortunately, the amount of effects and bringing Arnold back into the fray for another round were two of the problems the movie suffered from and that took away from throwing me over the top.

This isn't to say that the house wasn't brought down in parts with those effects, because some of those wonders were amazing to behold. Watching all the little pieces of destruction, the carnage upon carnage, was interesting - at first. I actually liked the amount of sheer destruction and cold-blooded killing that happened, some of those scenes MASSIVE entertaining, but then the storyline started trying to work me back to Skynet and I kept thinking that I've already been here and done that. In fact, I had watched it quite a few times and was assured that Skynet would be brought down. And then it started looking a lot like T-2 again, the thing chasing perhaps a LOT better looking but still an upgrade, and I kept noticing little flaws here and there. Yes, in some parts the effects were REALLY noticeable, not burying themselves smoothly enough. Some places actually looked blurred, with the size of the body being flung a little off or the digital blur not exactly human or machine enough, making you think of one word. Cheap. In a 172 million dollar film, I shouldn't ever think that. Still, some other stuff - the use of a crane and some of those lovely Terminator models coming to life - made up for that.

The second flaw was Arnold and his delivery. While nobody would say that he is expected to give a stellar job as the Terminator, I expect certain things. No emotions would be one, no yelling instead of taking his all-too-lovingly murderous time is another, and he did both of these a little herein. He didn't exactly seem motivated, like he knew his money was in the bag and that he didn't have to work for it, and that was somewhat annoying. The moves weren't done as well this time around, almost as if he was jogging through the motions and not putting his all into the film, and I found myself annoyed and looking to the back-up actors/actresses. A Terminator movie and I found myself drifting because of the Terminator! That honestly took a lot away from my experience and was a shame, too. Its a good thing the rest of the cast pulled it back from the edge.

I suppose it depends on what you want out of this film. If you want the redundant heartbeat recaptured for you, letting you experience T-2 with a darker ending, then this would be something you would like. If you can ignore some of Arnold in it, letting the little glitches in the persona get by you, then its all the better. As much as I complain about it and point out the negative aspects, I still see the result as something to watch a few times, noting the newer machines and the wholesale death being rained upon the stage. Honestly, its hard for me to tire of that effect.

Also, the Sgt. Candy scene, the only deleted piece besides the gag reel, did actually make me laugh and gave the T-1 models a little backstory. So, there was something here besides a lot of mayhem.

Things could have been awful. You have a 58-year old man playing the exact same character he played nearly 20 years ago. The absence of James Cameron could have really destroyed this movie.

However, the cast is excellent. Arnold was in excellent shape for this movie, and he definitely was born to play the T-101. Nick Stahl does a fantastic job as the new John Connor, and Claire Danes is solid as usual. The T-X is perfect as well, played by Kristanna Lokken. The movie ends the only way it really could end, yet it is somewhat surprising. The special effects are spectacular, the sound mix is incredible, and the transfer is perfect. This is one of those DVD's you should use to show off your system.

I highly recommend T3.