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Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

Play trailer 2:20 Poster for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines R 2003 1h 50m Sci-Fi Action Play Trailer Watchlist
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70% Tomatometer 203 Reviews 46% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
Now 25, Connor (Nick Stahl) lives with no record of his existence -- no way he can be traced by Skynet. Out of the shadows of the future steps the T-X (Kristanna Loken), Skynet's most sophisticated cyborg killing machine yet. Now Connor's only hope for survival is the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger), his mysterious former assassin. Together, they must triumph over the technologically superior T-X and forestall the looming threat of Judgment Day.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Although Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines never reaches the heights of the second movie, it is a welcome addition to the Terminator franchise.

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Critics Reviews

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Wendy Ide The Times (UK) 07/22/2022
A steely [Kristanna Loken]... makes the T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) look positively creaky. Go to Full Review
David Ansen Newsweek 03/13/2018
Perhaps wisely, Mostow doesn't try to outdo James Cameron. His sequel has a B-movie spirit--swift, punchy, tongue often in cheek. ...at its screeching, wall-breaking best, "T3" achieves heavy-metal slapstick. Go to Full Review
Nell Minow Common Sense Media 12/28/2010
4/5
Basically one long, exciting chase scene. Go to Full Review
Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review 09/19/2023
2.5/4
Mostow directs without concern for his own ideas, and instead considers What Would Cameron Do? In turn, we wonder the same thing. The result isn’t poor direction, just clearly not that of a singular voice. Go to Full Review
David Walsh World Socialist Web Site 02/16/2021
What is one to make of such a cheap and unserious, but misanthropic and morbid conclusion? A Terminator 4 is foreseen, and there is most likely no way to forestall that future. Go to Full Review
Mike Massie Gone With The Twins 11/09/2020
7/10
It's undeniably fun to see Schwarzenegger return for another high-octane installment in the hugely successful franchise. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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@Emb3r.G 1d Might not be as good as the first two films but I still enjoyed the action in the movie also I love how Badass the Terminatrix is with the built in arsenal See more Sankalp good S Nov 29 It's the one of Best entry of the series n most n Many times watched by me n My BESTUM BEST FAVOURITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME NEVER GET OLD OR BORE TO WATCH THIS LOVE IT FOREVER 🦸‍♂️👌💯😃♥️👏🎉💫 See more Khaliel P Nov 1 Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines had a troubled production—James Cameron abandoned the project after disputes with Fox, leaving Jonathan Mostow to take over. The story follows John Connor years after Judgment Day: Sarah is dead, Skynet’s rise was delayed but inevitable, and a new female Terminator, the T-X, is sent to kill John’s future allies while a reprogrammed T-800 returns to protect him. Despite strong visual effects and Kristanna Loken’s effective performance as the T-X, the film lacks the emotional depth and intensity of its predecessors. Nick Stahl’s John Connor feels flat, the humor feels out of place, and the movie ends up feeling more like a polished remake than a true continuation. It’s entertaining but ultimately unnecessary—a solid action film that never matches Cameron’s vision. See more hockeysong K Oct 22 While the comedy hasn't aged well, the overall story, action and conclusion for this film make a good ending to the Terminator trilogy, while not directed by James Cameron I think this film went in the right direction for this series. See more Alexander S Oct 20 While Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines had its thrilling moments, it was still a bit of a rusted robot compared to the first two films. I'd give this sequel a pass over the others that came after, but its focus on action over character development made it feel like a lesser model. John Connor and Katherine Brewster were sadly underpowered. Grading: C+ See more Leaburn O Oct 6 I don’t as no fan of the first, the second was a bit better. This was way better than the other two. Wait?! What??? Yeah, I said it. This had far more action, better fight scenes, a better enemy and a good AI plot before AI was a real thing. This is a good watchable film. Watched it on DVD. See more Read all reviews
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

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Movie Info

Synopsis Now 25, Connor (Nick Stahl) lives with no record of his existence -- no way he can be traced by Skynet. Out of the shadows of the future steps the T-X (Kristanna Loken), Skynet's most sophisticated cyborg killing machine yet. Now Connor's only hope for survival is the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger), his mysterious former assassin. Together, they must triumph over the technologically superior T-X and forestall the looming threat of Judgment Day.
Director
Jonathan Mostow
Producer
Mario Kassar, Andrew G. Vajna, Joel B. Michaels, Hal Lieberman, Colin Wilson
Screenwriter
John D. Brancato, Michael Ferris, Tedi Sarafian, Michael Ferris
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
IMF, InterMedia Film Equities Ltd., C-2 Pictures
Rating
R (Language|Brief Nudity|Strong Sci-Fi Action|Strong Sci-Fi Violence)
Genre
Sci-Fi, Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 2, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 1, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$150.4M
Runtime
1h 50m
Sound Mix
Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)