Why does everyone hate T3???

Superfly - I will be the first person to admit that T3 is by no means a perfect film. It certainly has its flaws, and to that end, I do agree with some of the points that you've raised. But others, however, I'm afraid we're just not going to see eye to eye on ...

Firstly, I would agree that the plot of T3 is fairly similar to that of T2, in that John Connor and the Terminator are once again attempting to avert Judgement Day. What makes T3 different, however, is that the stakes are now much higher; in T2, Judgement Day wasn't set to occur for a number of years, whereas in T3, we know that our heros have merely hours to stop it {and ultimately even fail to do so}. In addition, all that our heros had to do in T2 to supposedly "avert" Judgement Day was to blow up an empty computer factory; in T3, they have to take on Skynet itself ...

Secondly, in regards to the early terminator models, you may be right in saying that they don't act like the terminators that we know and love, but isn't that the point? Aren't they supposed to be more contemporary, and thus more primitive in our view?

Thirdly, I don't actually feel that the humour in T3 was misplaced. Of course, not everyone is going to find "talk to the hand" funny {though I know I did}, but I feel that the comedy was a logical approach nonetheless. After seeing the lighthearted side to Arnie in T2, the producers probably felt that THAT was what the viewers would be most comfortable with for T3. And in any case, you still had the "evil" Arnie re-surface with much gravitas at the end ...

Fourthly, regarding Sarah Connor, what else could the producers really have done? Linda Hamilton had already refused to do it, and a decision to re-cast her for T3 might have gone down very badly with the fans. In any case, if we had had Sarah Connor in the film, she would no doubt have completely overshadowed the character of Kathryn Brewster, who {as Connor's future wife} we are supposed to grow to like. But I agree - perhaps leukaemia wasn't the best way to kill her off ...

I would agree, however, that the TX was perhaps not very well thought out by the writers. For all her supposed "improvements" over the T-1000 {concealed weapons, the ability to control other machines}, she still didn't seem half as imposing as robert patrick or arnold himself ...

I'll disagree with one point in particular back there, the humor. It was misplaced in my opinion, funny, but nonetheless misplaced. Especially when Arnold put on those sunglasses right at the beginning. It immediately nullifed any tension or intrigue, suddenly we weren't scared of the terminator anymore. That was one of the real flaws of the movie, in T2, both terminators were fearsome until we learn't which one will side with John, and only then did we learn the more 'human side' of the Terminator.

To be honest though, there was never any doubt in my mind that Arnie would be the "good" terminator, at least in the beginning anyway But to the uninitiated ...

I guess that the humour in T3 will always divide the fans ...

Originally posted by Ahnold
To be honest though, there was never any doubt in my mind that Arnie would be the "good" terminator

It was pretty clear he would be 😉 at least in my oppinion.

Well yeah, but rather than confirm it right away, i'd rather the movie left it hanging so that the possibility is at least still there.

I can understand that, yeah.

Leave a bit more tension, despite its obviousness. Here's a random question, if the T-800 is completely different to the one in T2, which it obvoiusly is, how did it know to look for a key on top of the dashboard rather than hotwire it. I beleive John taught him to do it in T2, but he can't still know that.

WHAT? Gasp ... you mean that there's a hole in the logic of T3??? When did THIS happen??? 😛

Haha oh dear, i just stated the obvious....

hmmm.. I guess I'm the only one that thinks the gaybar sunglasses thingy was funny 😄. Sure, it was over the top, but hell, go watch Terminator 1, that movie is way more over the top :d

T2 still rocks 'em all, but that's because it has this fantastic unmistakingly 80s groove to it 😎

Originally posted by exonator
hmmm.. I guess I'm the only one that thinks the gaybar sunglasses thingy was funny

I thought it was funny too and I wasn't that upset about it because I knew James Cameron was no longer there and I couldn't expect the greatest Terminator film ever so I just appreciated it for what it was.

GAYBAR SUNGLASSES were only ffunny the first time i saw t3.... i mean i accepted all the humour for t3 but tht 1 has to be the most stupid one.. i really think that there was no need for that

but then again....... expectin arnie 2 put on the dark shades likeALWAYS would also have been............... EXPECTED

Originally posted by alic88
but then again....... expectin arnie 2 put on the dark shades likeALWAYS would also have been............... EXPECTED

Good point.

Originally posted by alic88
GAYBAR SUNGLASSES were only ffunny the first time i saw t3....

at least that's how it works for me

Originally posted by exonator
Isn't that the case with [i]all[i] jokes? I mean, if you allready heard them, you probably won't laugh again.

at least that's how it works for me

True. But you might laugh twice if you haven't seen or heard the joke in a very long time though.

Originally posted by alic88
but then again....... expectin arnie 2 put on the dark shades likeALWAYS would also have been............... EXPECTED

The dark sunglasses is something that is not large enough to be so consequential to the story that it is regretably predictable. It is large enough to serve as a staple of a character that many people have grown to love. There are certain things that are acceptable as being predictable and repetetive. With a precedent being set with the first 2 films it is inconsistant to take that away. Arnolds one-liners are always predictable; yet no one seemst to mind. One-liners are a staple of Arnold himself and the glasses are that of his character. I wish they hadn't screwed it up; but what can you do? Mostow placed the silly shades in with the intent of hitting the critics early on with humor. His thought was that humor would make the die-hards think the series still "had it." It's all laid out on the commentary of the film. He was wrong however, as the terminator films are not comedies. They do have subtle dark humor, that comes from the audiences inference as to what is happening, not humor that jumps at you and forces you to see that it is funny.

^true..well said

This must be like the official T3 bashing thread! 😛

And whats wrong with that, lol.