Terminator 1, 2, & 3: Review and Discussion Thread

[Catman]

What is your favorite Terminator movie? Which is your least favorite? What was the best action scene? Which was the worst? What was the funniest scene? I'll Be Back or Hasta La Vista, Baby? Do these movies exist in multiple universes or a singular one where history is constantly altering itself?

Discuss all this and more in this thread.

 

[daywalker2007]

well its quite obvious.

T1 was a sci fi horror type movie, with a low budget, but delivering on violence and an epic story.

T2 was a bigger budget sci fi action movie, delivering an epic story and closing the story as Jim Cameron intended.

Like Jim Cameron says, he only makes a movie if its worth telling the story.
So for him the story ends at T2.

T3 is just a lame rehash of T2, except this time, the villian is a pathetic female terminator, and also introduces us to a rubbish music score totally out of sync with the previous Terminator movies.

So I guess you can say, T1 and T2 are the only movies that really exist in the official world.

T3 is just some fan fiction pile of dung.
Terminator Salvation is just the same, more fan fiction pile of dung.

 

[craigdbfan]

I loved the first one. Not even the second movie tops it in my book. I really enjoyed T2 its just that I enjoyed the first one even more.

T3 was a good action movie but a terrible addition to the Terminator franchise.

TS seems to be another action addition instead of a movie that offers engrossing characters that we can actually care about. Its not all about robots ands other CGI created machinery (which is awesome when combined appropriately with a good story and well developed characters).

WB should have learned from the third movie that dedicating the new movie to some proper character development with a blend of action and top notch CGI should have been the goal. Not another relatively mindless action flick with the Terminator logo stamped on it.

 

[Sam Fisher]

Terminator 3 is an underrated movie. No, not as good as the first two, but still good.

 

[Rishi]

I'll be completely honest here.

The Terminator: 8/10.

I saw this movie some time before I was 12, but after I saw T2. I remember being really excited to finally see what happened before the events of that film. when I finally saw it.. I was extremely dissapointed. Even when I was that young I was turned off by the effects and the pace. I realize I'm a victim of the times though. If I had scene this earlier, or atleast before T2 I'm sure I'd have liked it more. It does have a great premise and Michael Beihn is ****ing badass, but that's basically the extent of what I get out of this film. The police shootout is definitely the best part.

edit: Just resaw this movie, don't know what I was thinking. It hits me better now that I'm older, I guess.

Terminator 2: 10/10

My favorite movie. Fond memories of watching this film as a child, but I only realized it was my favorite late last year when I came back to it after some time. The best action scenes, great acting, great drama, great cinematography, great music... and not only do I love the characters, but the end gets me emotional. Might be nerdy, but **** it, it is what it is.

It's an action movie with a message, and one that leaves me hopeful not just for "humanity", but for myself. No fate. That's something to live by. The entire climax is perfect. The shot of Arnold climbing out of the truck and onto the semi and just riddling the T-1000 with bullets = . "Hasta La Vista, Baby." The final fist fight between the two. There's so many iconic shots and favorite moments, I could list the entire film, so I'll stop here.

But.. I will say that I STRONGLY prefer the theatrical. The extended version really sucks - I hate the glitching T-1000 and almost everything else just ruins pacing. I do really like the reprogramming scene and (sorry), the Smile scene makes me crack up in a so-bad-its-good way. If I could, I would keep these two only, but I can't, so I deal.

Terminator 3: 2/10

ugh...

No, this movie isn't underrated. It's overrated, atleast to me. I remember walking out of the theatre, I must have been 13 or 14 and even back then I didn't like it. Now, I really hate it.

It ****s on continuity. It ****s on the theme of the past two (please don't bring up time travel paradoxes, I was content with my own time travel theories). The villain isn't menacing at all. The overall feel of the film is comical, and.. well, it feels like a saturday morning cartoon or something. Except for the first and last 5 minutes, that is. The action... well, it's boring. The terminators don't feel like they're out to kill each other, but rather just to cause some destruction. And even if that were the case, it just isn't entertaining. Some people cite the truck chase as the only part of the film they like but even that is a bore to me. The whole movie has a "been there, done that" vibe. That was kind of my problem with T1 (having seen the second first), but that movie had an excuse. Not to mention it pulled it off with more finesse and style.

So, not only is it boring, its offensive. I've seen worse movies, but this is definitely my least favorite of all time. If I could unsee one film, this would be it.

EDIT: Best part would be the opening. Not to be ironic in an "it only gets worse from there" way (and it does), but the way they introduce John Connor's character is intriueging and it does establish a cool atmosphere through his monologue (with him living off the grid, and such). I liked the idea of Sarah's casket being filled with weapons too, but that whole graveyard scene is a joke.

EDIT #2: I guess I should also say I loved TS and don't understand the hate.

 

[craigdbfan]

Terminator 3 is an underrated movie. No, not as good as the first two, but still good.

Agreed.

 

[dark_b]

i video tapped T1 and T2.when i was a little kid i watched those two movies at least 100 times.
thats my review. thats how i liked them

 

[Ace of Knaves]

well its quite obvious.

T1 was a sci fi horror type movie, with a low budget, but delivering on violence and an epic story.

T2 was a bigger budget sci fi action movie, delivering an epic story and closing the story as Jim Cameron intended.

Like Jim Cameron says, he only makes a movie if its worth telling the story.
So for him the story ends at T2.

T3 is just a lame rehash of T2, except this time, the villian is a pathetic female terminator, and also introduces us to a rubbish music score totally out of sync with the previous Terminator movies.

So I guess you can say, T1 and T2 are the only movies that really exist in the official world.

T3 is just some fan fiction pile of dung.
Terminator Salvation is just the same, more fan fiction pile of dung.

You come to that conclusion without even seeing it? Wow, you're a idiot I'm afraid.

And I love both T1 and T2 equally. I don't think they can be compared really though, two completely different films just set in the same universe.

T3 had a couple of decent scenes, but it just didn't really feel like a Terminator film.

 

[dude stannis]

I like all three a lot. But I'm not terribly interested in the new one.

 

[Octoberist]

i don't Part 3, as 'fun' as it was, has aged as well as the others. Yes even part 1 because there are some cringe worthy moments in there where I just slap my head.

 

[Kent]

T1
Great horror chase flick with a fantastic basic concept. Arnie is probably at his best as a baddie who almost never speaks. Love the dark, grim feel of the movie. The score for this really helps to accentuate the industrial grittiness of the flick.
It has a few moments that make me go "Huh?" like when Kyle and Sarah escape into a building for some ****ing reason, or the cringe worthy "You're terminated ****er!" Sarah delivers near the end.
- 8/10

T2
Somewhat of a rehash of T1, but at the same time manages to reinvent itself as an action extravaganza, rather than the horror movie that T1 was. Robert Patrick's T-1000 is probably one of the best villains of all time. The score from T1 is perfectly reinterpreted into an action piece.
Could have done without some of the humorous moments, but all in all it's still one of the best action flicks made.
- 9/10

T3
Rehash again? Oh come on. On top of this, it in many aspects plays like a spoof movie with the Elton John sun glasses, talk to the hand, checking for brain damage, inflatable breasts, and so on.
I didn't really feel the casting of John Connor, nor did I ever feel he was or was turning into the badass resistance fighter of the future. The score felt really bland.
The action and effects were good though I guess.
- 3/10

 

[CFE]

Terminator 3 is an underrated movie. No, not as good as the first two, but still good.

 

[Kent]

Terminator 3 is an underrated movie. No, not as good as the first two, but still good.

Eh. Considering the 6.7/10 it has on imdb, and the 70% / 6.6 avg it has on RT I'd say it's overrated.

 

[Octoberist]

it's not overrated. it's just a movie that's..there.

 

[Nivek]

Kinda like a red headed Kennedy kid in a family photo.

 

[gwynplaine]

Terminator 3 is an underrated movie. No, not as good as the first two, but still good.

Agreed.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Terminator 2 is the best of the franchise so far. The T-1000 ranks up there as one of my favorite villains.

 

[Poeman]

T2 was on a whole new scale compared to the other two movies...Judgement day was the beginning of real summer blockbuster action films

 

[Heffer Wolf]

But.. I will say that I STRONGLY prefer the theatrical. The extended version really sucks - I hate the glitching T-1000 and almost everything else just ruins pacing. I do really like the reprogramming scene and (sorry), the Smile scene makes me crack up in a so-bad-its-good way. If I could, I would keep these two only, but I can't, so I deal.

I agree, I like the theatric version better.

But I did like the T-1000 glitching. It just made sense to meto have him sort of messed up after just being frozen solid, and then walking around a hot ass steel mill.

The Kyle Reese scene was lame. The extended Miles Dyson scene was lame. The smiling scene was funny, and yeah, I liked the reporgraming scene too. Thats all I remember that was new.

Also, T1 was awesome and T3 was pretty bad. Nick Stahl is not a good John Connor.

 

[The Chris]

The Terminator- 5/5

Terminator 2: Judgment Day- 5/5 (the best)

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines- 3.5/5

One thing that T1 and T2 have over T3 big time is the villain. I think Arnold and Robert Patrick were scarier villians. You were scared when they showed up.

And they're just way better executed films. Cameron just knew what the hell he was doing. Intense, exciting, but still gives you two relationships that you cared so deeply about (Sarah and Reese/The Terminator and John). Plus, I still ball up like a weak little boy to Terminator 2's ending.

This is not to say that T3 is bad, i don't think it is. I think it's a lot of fun. It's just probably a little too much like T2. (T2 at least had the stop judgment day and advanced Terminator angle, and arnold being the good guy to differentiate itself from T1). Also the jokes don't really work for me anymore, but with all of that, the action is still rather good, and The ending makes T3 worthwhile.

I'm excited for T4, since we're finally getting the future war, and seeing John Connor the bad ass, instead of John Connor the boy, or John Connor the whiny fool.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

You come to that conclusion without even seeing it? Wow, you're a idiot I'm afraid.

And I love both T1 and T2 equally. I don't think they can be compared really though, two completely different films just set in the same universe.

T3 had a couple of decent scenes, but it just didn't really feel like a Terminator film.

I definitely think you can compare T1 and T2, they're essentially the same movie (T3 as well). Killer robot travels through time to kill John or Sarah Connor, resistence sends someone to protect them. Sure both movies have a slightly different feel, but it's not like Alien vs. Aliens. That said, I like both pretty much equally, sure the effects of the original aren't great, but then in T2 you have the at times annoying John Connor.

T3 was a piece of garbage though and really shows what a great director James Cameron is and what a crappy director Jonathan Mostow is.

 

[Darthkush]

Watching the first one right now

T2 9.5/10
T1 9.25/10
T3 8/10

First two are awesome and the third one is entertaining fluff.

 

[Figs]

I was in Middle School I believe when T2 came out. I think the effects and action was great and because of that I thought it was so much better than the 1st.

Over the years though I've come to realize my favorite is still the first film. Just like a lot of people, I was blown away by the effects and action of T2 but have now come to see it as a teensy tiny bit overrated. I still love the film but T1 I like more.

T1 8.5/10
T2 8/10
T3 6.5-7/10

 

[Drizzle]

I revisited all three this past weekend.

Terminator - 8/10
Arnold Schwarzenegger as a villain so badass that you don't even care that the effects are cheesy. Michael Biehn as a hero so badass you don't even care that he comes off as a creepy stalker. The effects have not aged well at all, but who cares? The movie still kicks ass, and it single-handedly launched James Cameron's career. Plus, as an added bonus, Lance Henriksen.

Terminator 2 - 9.5/10
One of the best action movies of all time. What makes this stand out are the terrific performances across the board...Arnold, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick and even Edward Furlong were perfect in their roles. The T-1000 is one of the best on screen villains, and the fights between him and Arnold's T-800 were incredible. The effects, for the most part, still hold up today. The liquid nitrogen T-1000 is still impressive. And to top it all off, T2 has an incredible musical score.

Terminator 3 - 3.5/10
God, this is a piece of ****. I don't even remember liking it when I saw it in theaters. And in almost 6 years, it hasn't even aged well either. Some of the special effects look awful. Arnold looks like he doesn't even want to be there, and when he's the best actor in the movie, you know you're in trouble. The TX was an incompetent villain and the most memorable scene she had was when she was naked in the beginning. In fact, that's probably the most memorable scene in the movie. Nick Stahl was no John Connor, either. I think part of the reason why this movie fell flat on its ass is because James Cameron had nothing to do with it. At least with "Terminator Salvation", Cameron gave McG input. But it's hard to forget T3 now that "Salvation" is building on its continuity. Oh well. At least I'm willing to bet my life that "Terminator Salvation" will be better than T3.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Terminator 3 is an underrated movie. No, not as good as the first two, but still good.

I agree, I am possibly the biggest Terminator fan in the world, yet I didnt mind T3, it was no were near as good as the first two, but it was entertaining to me, and critics loved it a lot more than they do Salvation at the moment!

As for order, I like them in the order they came out, T2 is an amazing movie, but T1 is even better to me, an excellent movie that I must have watched 150 times in my life time and i'm still not bored of it:

T1- 10/10

T2- 9.8/10

T3- 7/10