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Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes, Kristanna Loken, David Andrews ... see more see more... , Mark Famiglietti , Earl Boen , M.C. Gainey , Moira Harris , Christopher Lawford , Billy Lucas , Larry McCormick , Susan Merson , Elizabeth Morehead , Michael Papajohn , Kim Robillard , Mark Hicks , Rick Zieff , Walter von Huene , Chris Hardwick , Jay Acavone , Chopper Bernet , Jon Foster , Brian Sites , Rebecca Tilney , Robert Alonzo , Alana Curry , William O'Leary , Matt Gerald , Helen Eigenberg , Timothy Dowling , Jerry Katell , Carolyn Hennesy , George E. Sack Jr. , Kiki Gorton , Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder , Jay Acovone

The second sequel to the 1984 sci-fi action classic, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is the first film without the involvement of director James Cameron. Instead, Jonathan Mostow, the man behind Br... read more read more...eakdown and U-571, has stepped in to fill the shoes left vacant by Cameron. In addition, the role of John Connor from the second film has been recast, with In the Bedroom's Nick Stahl taking over for Edward Furlong. Set ten years after the events of 1991's Terminator 2: Judgement Day, the film finds Connor living on the streets as a common laborer. Sarah Connor, his mother, has since died, and their efforts in the second film have not stopped the creation of SkyNet artificial intelligence network. As he will still become the leader of the human resistance, Connor is once again targeted by a Terminator sent from the future by SkyNet. This new Terminator, T-X (Kristanna Loken), is a female and is more powerful than any of her predecessors. To protect Connor, the human resistance sends a new T-101 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back from the future. Also starring Claire Danes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines had its world premiere when it showed out of competition at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

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54% liked it

405,227 ratings

Critics

70% liked it

198 critics

R, 1 hr. 49 min.

Directed by: Jonathan Mostow

Release Date: December 31, 2003

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DVD Release Date: November 11, 2003

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Stats: 18,057 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (18,057)

  • moonrivers
    May 30, 2012
    moonrivers
    Almost a soulless robot from the future all by itself, many scenes from the first two simply reheated (with only Ah-nold's dubious charisma to deadlift this one off the ground into tolerable territory). Only this robot doesn't kill, it lulls you into a state of desultory complac... read moreency with a less than interested script. Stahl and Danes simultaneously convey excitement for being part of a franchise monster while being embarrassed reciting dreck.
  • fb1463751009
    March 10, 2012
    fb1463751009
    Although many people bash this movie all the more so than the crap, straight-to-dvd-quality Terminator Salvation, this movie kept the Terminator atmosphere in place, sort of. The villain, although stronger than the 2nd, wasn't as menacing and frightening as the T-1000. There are ... read morea bunch of small gripes (And I mean a bunch) that end up making this movie a much worse movie that the first 2 Terminators, but at least it ain't Terminator Gayvation.
  • garyX
    January 3, 2012
    garyX
    John Connor has reached adulthood and is once more pursued by a murderous robotic assassin as he tries to prevent Skynet from starting the war that means the near extinction of mankind. The Terminator films, like the Alien franchise before them, were always going to suffer in co... read moremparison to the two hugely influential originals. Basically Terminator 3 is not in the same league as the previous films and feels far more like a generic cash in that not only fails to expand on the concepts but also seems rather pointless in general. The self referential and ham-fisted humour in particular is a serious mistake making the film look like a parody of itself and the gimmicky casting of Kristanna Loken was never going to provide the presence and menace of Schwarzenegger or even Robert Patrick. But if you can forget its pedigree, T3 is actually a very entertaining sci-fi action film in its own right; true, it hasn't any of the inspiration or originality of the previous films but the special effects are excellent and set pieces work extremely well. The level of destruction outshines even that of T2 during the thrilling crane truck chase and the ending is genuinely surprising and interesting. Not a bad sequel by any means but it was never going to measure up to its heritage of seminal sci-fi.
  • spielberg00
    August 2, 2011
    spielberg00
    Much better, in my opinion, than JUDGMENT DAY, but RISE OF THE MACHINES is the third entry in the series and has still yet to reach or top THE TERMINATOR.
  • fb729949618
    July 31, 2011
    fb729949618
    No James Cameron, no good movie. Hurt the franchise a bit in my opinion.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    May 7, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    For some strange reason, I do not hate this third entry, considering that James Cameron was not involved in the project. I quite enjoyed this film. Of course it's nothing compared to masterful second film, but it still manages to deliver something cool and interesting to the scre... read moreen. Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines follows an older John Conner as the T-101 must protect him from the more powerful T-X who is sent back through time to kill John Conner and Kate Brewster. The plot is fairly simple like every other Terminator film, but this one even more so. I thought the story could have been slightly improved and some of action sequences could have been done better. Rise Of The Machine is a prime example of a third entry thats shortly running out of ideas. Sure the film delivers on what you'd expect. But theres plenty of things that could have been improved on. For one thing, I'm surprised that James Cameron didn't make it, and if he did, I'm sure it would've been better. The films story feels strained at times. The plot feels like it's trying to outdo the second film, as it tries to bigger and badder than the second. Unfortunately, this third entry, though good doesn't even come close to the masterful T2, which is probably one of the greatest action films ever made. I can appreciate the effort that went into this film, but like every diehard Terminator fan, I think this film is average popcorn entertainment that tries way too hard at outdoing the second film. Enjoy it for pure entertainment value, but don't expect a solid action film like Terminator 2:Judgement Day. Action packed and fun, but flawed nonetheless.
  • DreamExtractor
    March 18, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    Not bad but It was a dissapointment
  • shawnewing92
    March 14, 2011
    shawnewing92
    T3 is amusing but nowhere close to the quality of the first two films in the trilogy.
  • skeletonking101
    November 20, 2010
    skeletonking101
    im noticing a pattern with these films
    terminator pretty good
    terminator 2 best action film ever made
    terminator 3 not as good as the first but still pretty good
    terminator salvation action is the only good thing about it
    this film has some spectacular action scenes to watc... read moreh and i bet it would be incredible to see in IMAX and 3-D. this film is definitely the only good film in the terminator series not directed by James Cameron, who may i add is my favorite director. He just has the perfect touch with his films, if film making was his garden than he would have the green thumb. is it the best action movie ever made no, is it the best sci-fi movie ever made no, but it is a great addition to the terminator series, now if only we can get a green-light on who's going to be making the 5th terminator film (of course, im praying for Cameron.)
  • bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb1
    July 27, 2010
    bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb1
    not horrible but not good. C

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Critic Reviews

Wesley Morris
July 8, 2003
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines tells the simple yet compelling story of a very old piece of equipment that refuses to go away. Its name is Arnold Schwarzenegger, and, as famously promised, he's ba... Full Review

Michael O'Sullivan
July 8, 2003
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post

Wastes no time getting very loud and very silly and never really lets up.

J. R. Jones
July 4, 2003
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

A sizable quotient of the movie's target audience just wants to see stuff destroyed, and in that regard Rise of the Machines won't disappoint. Full Review

Robert Denerstein
July 3, 2003
Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News

It's not as taut or surprising as the first installment. And it's not as resonant or ambitious as the second, but Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines still manages to kick plenty of butt.

David Edelstein
July 3, 2003
David Edelstein, Slate

The villain comes back more times than Wile E. Coyote. I found it tiresome and witless and numbingly repetitive, but action mavens won't feel cheated. Full Review

Peter Travers
July 2, 2003
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines may lack the mythic pow of the 1984 original and the visionary thrill of T2, but it's a potent popcorn movie that digs in its hooks and doesn't let go until an endin...

Andrew O'Hehir
July 2, 2003
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com

This film feels closer to the medium-tech appeal of Cameron and Hurd's original 1984 Terminator, albeit at approximately 30 times its budget, than to the baroque excesses of T2. Full Review

Stephen Hunter
July 2, 2003
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

A solidly professional attempt and a pretty good summer movie in the bargain.

Mike Clark
July 2, 2003
Mike Clark, USA Today

Schwarzenegger still looks spectacular, but the script is short on deadpan zingers, and his heart doesn't seem in it. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
July 2, 2003
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

There's a flat feeling about this effort that's unmistakable and inescapable. Full Review

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Facts

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    • T-101: I'm Back!
    • Gas Station Cashier: Hey! Are you gonna pay for that?
    • T-101: Talk to the hand.
    • T-101: Desire is irrelevant. I am a machine.
    • John Connor: There is no such thing as destiny, only what we made for ourselves.
    • T-101: You are terminated!
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Terminator 3 - Ri... : Watch Free on TV

Terminator 3 - Rise of the Machines Trivia

Terminator 3 - Rise of the Machin... Trivia

  • Which of the following movies is not spoofed in "Scary Movie 3"?  Answer »
  • Question wrong... The question read which Terminator film did Micheal Biehn star in... then it had 1, 2, and 3 listed. He actuall starred in 2 of them. Which Terminator Film was he NOT in.  Answer »
  • Which actor/actress plays T-X in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines?  Answer »
  • Who directed the film "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines"?  Answer »
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