Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
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- For the video game, see Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (video game).
| Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Produced by | Mario F. Kassar Hal Lieberman Joel B. Michaels Andrew G. Vajna Colin Wilson |
| Written by | John D. Brancato Michael Ferris |
| Starring | Arnold Schwarzenegger Nick Stahl Claire Danes and Kristanna Loken |
| Distributed by | -USA- Warner Bros. -non-USA- Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | July 2, 2003 |
| Running time | 109 min |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $187,300,000 |
| Preceded by | Terminator 2: Judgment Day |
| IMDb profile | |
| Ratings | |
|---|---|
| United States: | R |
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (commonly abbreviated T3) is a 2003 science fiction film directed by Jonathan Mostow and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes, and Kristanna Loken. It is the sequel to The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). It was released in the United States on July 2, 2003.
This film was Arnold Schwarzenegger's final starring role before becoming Governor of California, after being elected in the 2003 California recall. In order to ride a wave of publicity focused on Schwarzenegger, the DVD release of this movie was scheduled several weeks after the election. Warner Home Video released the film on HD DVD on May 9, 2006.[1]
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[edit] Plot
In the absence of the previously scheduled Judgment Day, John Connor has gone from messiah to burn-out, and is wandering aimlessly around Southern California. Unfortunately, it seems the apocalypse was only delayed (not prevented) by his actions in the second movie. The United States Air Force has taken over the Skynet project. Unable to locate Connor, who is now living "off the grid," Skynet sends another advanced new Terminator model, the T-X, back in time to terminate his future lieutenants as well as to attempt to locate and terminate John Connor by way of a bonus.
As with Terminator 2: Judgment Day, a reprogrammed Terminator, a Cyber Research Systems Model 101, Series 850, (played by Schwarzenegger) has been sent back in time to protect John as well as his future wife (Kate Brewster) from the T-X, later dubbed the "Terminatrix".
In a plot twist, this particular T-850 reveals that he is in fact the murderer of John Connor in the distant future and that Connor's wife reprogrammed him for the mission. This plot point serves to illustrate the Machines' complete lack of both emotion and personal will. Another twist to the formula of the previous films is that the T-X is armed with a full arsenal of advanced weapons from the future: in the first two films, it is said that nothing but living tissue can be sent backwards through time, so time travel by humans requires that they be naked and without weapons. Although a Terminator is a metal robot, it is surrounded by living tissue (the T-1000 Terminator in T2 is all-metal, but it is able to replicate other molecular structure, including that of living tissue). The T-X expands on this principle by having internal weapons, thus enabling this model to be transported back in time.
In the end, Kate Brewster's father tricks Connor and Kate into taking cover from the impending Skynet nuclear attack in a Cold War-era VIP fallout shelter ("Crystal Peak"), by making them believe that it is where the Skynet mainframe is located. The revelation that Skynet is in fact a distributed computer program serves to update the film to modern technology which was deemed too obscure to be used in the original film. In a nihilistic turn, the main characters are unable to avert Judgment Day and Skynet succeeds in triggering a nuclear apocalypse, paving the way for the Machines' rise to power. However, there is a glimmer of hope when the bunker is suddenly filled with the voices of confused military forces and ham radio operators asking for orders and guidance. With some hesitation, Connor picks up the microphone to respond, laying the groundwork for his eventually-successful leadership of the human resistance to the Machines.
[edit] Cast
Arnold Schwarzenegger initially refused to star in Terminator 3 because James Cameron, who created the character and directed the first two films, would not be directing the third installment. Schwarzenegger tried to persuade Cameron to produce the third film. Cameron declined however, and feeling that the Terminator character was as much Schwarzenegger's as it was his own, he advised Schwarzenegger to just do the third film and ask for "nothing less than $30 million."
Besides Arnold Schwarzenegger, Earl Boen (Dr. Peter Silberman) is the only actor to appear in all three Terminator films). Linda Hamilton was initially approached to reprise her role as Sarah Connor but turned it down. John explains in T3 that Sarah died of leukemia in 1997.
In a 2005 interview on NPR's Fresh Air, Claire Danes revealed that she was cast for the role of Kate Brewster as a last-minute replacement, after actress Sophia Bush was thought too young to portray Kate Brewster.
This was Kristanna Loken's breakthrough movie role. Loken did her own nudity in the opening of the film, on a very cold night and barefoot on a pavement.
Kate Brewster's slain boyfriend, Scott Mason, was going to be named Scott Petersen, but was changed in order to avoid giving the false impression that this was a type of "reverse parody" of the Scott Peterson case for the murder of Laci Peterson and her unborn son Connor. The fact that there would have also been occurrences of "Connor" on both sides would have reminded viewers too much more about the Laci Peterson murders, and give them the misconception that the movie makers deliberately made a parody/reversal of the roles involved in the Laci Peterson murders. However, in the ending credits his name is still listed as "Scott Petersen."
- Arnold Schwarzenegger- Cyber Research Systems Terminator: 850 Series: Model 101 (The Terminator)
- Nick Stahl- John Connor
- Claire Danes- Kate Brewster
- Kristanna Loken- T-X
- David Andrews- Robert Brewster
- Mark Famiglietti- Scott Mason (originally "Scott Petersen")
- Earl Boen- Dr. Peter Silberman
- Moira Harris- Betsy
- Chopper Bernet- Chief Engineer
- Chris Lawford- Brewster's Aide
- Carolyn Hennesy- Rich Woman
- Jay Acovone- Cop - Westside Street
- M.C. Gainey- Roadhouse Bouncer
- Susan Merson- Roadhouse Clubgoer #1
- Elizabeth Morehead- Roadhouse Clubgoer #2
[edit] Budget and financing
The movie's final production budget was $187.3 million, making it the most expensive independently-produced movie in history. Schwarzenegger had to dip into his own pocket ($6 million) to help fund the production of the movie—in particular the car chase scene that included a crane crashing through an entire building. It was a scene that he himself wanted to put in the movie (as he explains in the audio commentary and on The Tonight Show). Schwarzenegger agreed to defer part of his salary in order to move the set to Los Angeles from Vancouver. Many pundits saw this as preparation to his campaign for California governor, in which he emphasized giving incentives to have movie productions stay in California rather than film in cheaper places elsewhere.
Even though Terminator 3 eventually had a world box-office gross of $427 million (at least half of which was kept by movie theaters), it barely broke even.
- Story rights (Carolco and Gale Anne Hurd): $14.5 million
- Screenplay: $5.2 million
- Director (Jonathan Mostow): $5 million
- Producers: $10 million
- Cast: $35 million
- Arnold Schwarzenegger: $29.25 million + 20% gross profits
- Arnold's perks: $1.5 million
- Rest of principal cast: $3.85 million
- Extras: $400,000
- Production costs: $58 million
- Post-production costs: $4 million
- Visual effects: $20 million
- Music: $2 million
- Other costs: $33.6 million
Total: $187.3 million [1]
[edit] Financing
- Warner Bros.: $51.6 million for North American rights.
- Toho-Towa: $20 million for Japanese rights.
- Sony Pictures Entertainment: $77.4 million for the rights to the rest of the world.
- Internationale Medien und Film: IMF is a German tax shelter. The tax law of Germany allows investors to take an instant tax deduction even on non-German productions and even if the film has not gone into production. By selling them the copyright for $160 million and then buying it back for $149 million, producers Intermedia effectively made $11 million.
Total: $160 million
[edit] Trivia
- This is the first film where a Terminator does not say the famous line "I'll be back." However, he does say variations of the catchphrase ("She'll be back" and "I'm back"). Though the recurring line, "Come with me if you want to live," is not heard in this film, Connor does say "Get in [the vehicle] if you want to live" to Brewster in the cemetery scene. The Terminator also says "Come with me" right before entering the mausoleum to get the weapons left by Sarah Connor.
- Earl Boen reprises his role as Dr. Peter Silberman, the long-suffering psychologist from the last two films. Unlike Arnold's Terminator character, Earl Boen makes a reference to the second Terminator film when he says, "I've been in a hostage situation myself—you begin to imagine things...insane things... takes years to get over it," in a direct reference to the T-1000's battle with the T-800 in the hospital.
- This is the third movie where the line "Get out" is said in scenes of taking one's vehicle. The Terminator says this line when stealing the fire truck and a similar line ("Get off!") when dismounting a police officer from his motorcycle. This line also appeared in The Terminator (when the Terminator steals the truck) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (when the T-1000 steals a police helicopter).
- A particular shot has been used at least once in each Terminator film. While on a stationary motorcycle, the T-800/850 wheel spins and turns the bike 180 degrees right in front of a low-lying camera, before he rides off into the distance. This occurs as he commandeers the police motorcycle.
- In the first draft of the script for T3, Sarah Connor was alive and well, but in the graveyard scene meets her gruesome death. Linda Hamilton refused to star in it, citing the physical training she had done for the second film and indicating she did not wish to do similar training again, but did not want to disappoint her fans. The writers thought it would be funny in response to this if they instead changed the graveyard scene to be her character's grave, and her casket was full of weapons.[citation needed]
[edit] Games
Several computer and video games were based on the film. An action game called Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines was released by Atari for Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance. The game was poorly reviewed, with a 39% average on Game Rankings for the PlayStation 2 version. [2] A first person shooter titled Terminator 3: War of the Machines was released for PCs as well. [3] A third game titled Terminator 3: The Redemption was released for Xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube. [4]
[edit] Reception
“Terminator 3” was generally well-received by most movie critics and was successful at the Box Office. It earned 71% on rottentomatoes.com. Todd McCarthy of Variety wrote, “T3 delivers the goods.” Ross Anthony wrote, “Jonathan Mostow has taken good care of Cameron's baby, showing both respect and homage to the characters and trends.” Chris Hewitt of St. Paul Pioneer Press wrote, “The result is a swift, startlingly entertaining movie, a summer behemoth that actually lives up to its potential.” However, Roger Ebert gave it 2½ stars and said that Terminator 3 was “essentially one long chase and fight, punctuated by comic, campy or simplistic dialogue.” Rick Groen of Globe Mail said that T3 was “a whole lot less than what came before.” Brian J. Arthurs compared Terminator 3 to rock bands, saying that “Rise of the Machines feels like an old rock band that reunites without one of its key players.”
[edit] References
- ^ Business Wire. Warner Home Video Announces Titles and Release Dates for HD DVD. January 5, 2006.
- ^ Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Game Rankings. Retrieved on July 24, 2006.
- ^ Terminator 3: War of the Machines. Game Rankings. Retrieved on July 24, 2006.
- ^ Terminator 3: Redemption. Game Rankings. Retrieved on July 24, 2006.
