Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
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A desperate man and a woman must survive a deadly hunt by a high-tech machine sent from the future.
The story
In the years following the destruction of Cyberdyne Systems, John Connor lives as a nomad, fearing that the malevolent artificial intelligence Skynet is still hunting him. When Skynet sends a highly advanced Terminator, the T-X, back in time to 2003 to eliminate John and his allies, the resistance sends a reprogrammed T-850 to protect him and his future wife, Kate Brewster. The two must navigate a dangerous landscape while being hunted by the T-X, which possesses the unique ability to control other machines. As the threat of Judgment Day looms, they must find a way to survive the machines' attempt to seize control of the future.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
John Connor lives as a nomad, hiding from Skynet's reach. Skynet sends the T-X, a machine capable of controlling other machines, back to 2003 to hunt John and his wife, Kate Brewster. The Resistance sends a reprogrammed T-850 to protect them. After a series of skirmishes, the pair finds a weapons cache in a mausoleum and eventually flee to a military base to see Kate's father, General Robert Brewster. They learn that the T-850 was actually captured and sent back in time by Kate in the future. At the base, they discover the General is about to activate Skynet to stop a virus. The T-X arrives, injures the General, and takes control of his facility. John, Kate, and the T-850 flee to a bunker called Crystal Peak. During the escape, the T-X damages the T-850 and tries to force it to kill John. The T-850 chooses to shut down its systems to allow them to escape. At Crystal Peak, the T-850 destroys itself and the T-X. They realize the bunker is just a fallout shelter and that Skynet is now a self-aware software spreading across the globe. As nuclear missiles launch, John answers emergency calls, assuming command of the resistance.
- First release year
- 2003
- Runtime (minutes)
- 109
- Production countries
- United States; Germany; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jonathan Mostow
- Writers
- John Brancato · screenplay; Michael Ferris · screenplay; John Brancato · story; Michael Ferris · story; Tedi Sarafian · story
- Cast and characters
- Arnold Schwarzenegger · the Terminator; Nick Stahl · John Connor; Kristanna Loken · the T-X; Claire Danes · Kate Brewster; David Andrews · Lieutenant General Robert Brewster; Mark Famiglietti · Scott Mason; Earl Boen · Dr. Peter Silberman
- Genres
- science fiction; action
- Themes
- Artificial Intelligence; Fate; Man vs. Machine
- Tone and mood
- Action; Suspenseful
- Premise and plot tags
- Time Travel; Cyberwarfare; Dystopian
- Franchise connections
- Terminator
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews and was considered a welcome addition to the franchise, despite not reaching the heights of the second film.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 70% · scale: percentage · review count: professional reviews; Metacritic · score: 66 · scale: 100 · review count: 41 critics; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film was used to mark Arnold Schwarzenegger's formal entry into politics.; The production budget included a record $30 million salary for Schwarzenegger.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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