Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

After nearly twelve years, a third installment was finally made. While certainly inferior, it had so many obstacles to overcome legally and financially that we're lucky we even got a film at all — and in the end; at least they did the best they could. Arnold looks like he hasn't aged a bit since "T2" and that alone must've been a lot of work. There's an obvious void with the absence of Cameron and Hamilton, and Nick Stahl is a poor recast of Furlong. The T-1000 is replaced with T-X (Loken), a female terminator that is dangerous and sexy, but she can't live up to Robert Patrick's nearly invincible villain. The story is well-written, with a decent attempt at explaining away any holes left in "The Terminator", but it fails to recognize important plot points from "T2". The self-awareness of the filmmakers knowing it's an inferior film makes "T3" an entertaining, fun and even humorous journey. The special effects live up to "T2" and the story's outcome is unpredictable. It's sometimes darker than the first two, sometimes lighter; at some points better, at other points inferior. Earl Boen (Dr. Silberman) is the only other actor, besides Schwarzenegger, to reprise a role.