22 Years Later, This Divisive Sci-Fi Movie Sequel Looks Way Better Than It Did at the Time

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You know, it’s funny how long it can take for people to *get* a truly great movie. I mean, think about *2001: A Space Odyssey*. Now it’s consistently ranked as one of the best films ever made, especially within science fiction, but when it first came out, audiences were totally divided. Some really understood what Kubrick was trying to do, but a lot of people were just baffled by it. Ultimately, though, it’s become a classic. It’s not just a thing of the past either – I remember the same thing happening with films like *Fight Club*, and even Vin Diesel’s *The Chronicles of Riddick*. It seems like sometimes a movie just needs time to find its audience.

Twenty-two years ago, a new installment in the iconic *Terminator* series hit theaters with *Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines*. While initially seen as weaker than the first two films, *Terminator 3* has aged surprisingly well. It’s not that opinions about the movie have changed dramatically, but rather that every *Terminator* film released since 2003 has been largely disappointing, unintentionally making *Terminator 3* look better by comparison.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Had Mixed Reactions at the Time

Following the huge success of *Terminator 2: Judgement Day*, plans for a third film were discussed for many years. Initially, James Cameron was going to write and direct, and both Linda Hamilton and Edward Furlong were interested in returning to their roles – Furlong even signed a contract. However, a long and difficult legal struggle over the film’s rights ultimately led to *Terminator 3* being made with only Arnold Schwarzenegger back from the original cast and crew. Neither Hamilton nor Furlong, and certainly not Cameron, were involved.

Look, *Terminator 3* had a lot going against it, but honestly, some of the choices they made really didn’t sit well with fans like me. There’s this one scene where the Terminator gets clothes after time traveling, and it’s supposed to be a funny take on the scene from *Terminator 2*. But instead of getting a cool biker outfit, he steals it from a male stripper! And then he learns the phrase “Talk to the hand” from him, and puts on these ridiculously oversized sunglasses – seriously, they looked like something Elton John would wear! It felt like they were trying too hard to be funny, and it kind of cheapened the feel of the original movie. It might have gotten a few laughs in the theater, but as a long-time fan, it just felt… disrespectful.

While *Terminator 3* often tried to subvert expectations from the previous films just for a laugh, it also managed to genuinely surprise viewers at times. The setup itself is intriguing: John Connor believes the new Terminator, the T-X, is after him, but it’s actually been sent to eliminate his future leaders, because in this timeline, Connor is already dead. He also wrongly assumes the T-800 was sent by him, mirroring his actions in the first two films where he sent Kyle Reese and the T-800. However, the real surprise is that Kate Brewster, who will become his wife, is the one who actually sent the T-800.

While *Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines* received a respectable 70% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it wasn’t as well-received as the first two films – *The Terminator* had a perfect 100% and *Terminator 2* scored 91%. Film critic Roger Ebert gave it 2.5 out of 4 stars, pointing out that the sequel strayed from the strong science fiction roots of its predecessors, relying too heavily on special effects. He felt the movie was overly simplified for a wider audience, a sentiment that largely reflected the general reaction to the film both at the time of its release and in the years since.

Compared to What Came Next, Terminator 3 Looks Pretty Good Now

Even though some critics felt *Terminator 3* didn’t live up to the original, it still earned over $433 million worldwide (which is almost $763 million when adjusted for inflation – enough to make it the fifth highest-grossing film of 2025). Because the film was successful, the franchise continued, and filmmakers addressed the main criticism of its storyline by making some changes.

Though it continued some storylines from *Terminator 3* and brought back a character originally played by Claire Danes (now portrayed by Bryce Dallas Howard), *Terminator Salvation* disappointed many fans. While initially promising a depiction of the full-scale human-machine war that viewers had long requested, the film strayed from the visual style established by James Cameron, opting for a darker, more realistic approach. Combined with uninspired directing and the lack of Arnold Schwarzenegger (replaced by a CGI-enhanced stand-in appearing briefly), *Terminator Salvation* ultimately stalled the franchise.

A new *Terminator* film, *Terminator Genisys*, came out years later, replacing most of the original cast with new actors while keeping Arnold Schwarzenegger. The movie also tried to shake things up by revisiting familiar events and characters, altering how they unfolded to surprise viewers. However, this attempt to rework the story ended up creating a confusing and overly complicated film, despite the filmmakers’ intentions.

The newest *Terminator* film, *Dark Fate*, tried a fresh start, similar to the approach taken by the recent *Halloween* movie. It essentially ignored most of the previous sequels and declared that only the first two *Terminator* films were officially part of the story. This strategy actually proved somewhat successful, as *Dark Fate* received positive reviews – it was the first film in the series since *Rise of the Machines* to earn a positive score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, despite the critical improvement, the movie still faced a challenge with audience interest.

The Terminator Franchise Is Still in Trouble

Even before the disappointing box office performance of 2019’s *Terminator: Dark Fate*, the *Terminator* franchise was already struggling with audiences. Starting in 2009 with *Terminator Salvation*, the film rights moved to a new studio with plans to launch a fresh trilogy. When that film didn’t lead to a sequel, 2015’s *Terminator Genisys* was created with the same goal. However, despite ending with a cliffhanger, that movie also failed to generate enough success to continue the story, and plans for a new trilogy were once again abandoned.

If you’ve noticed a trend, you can probably predict how *Terminator: Dark Fate* came to be. Like previous installments, it essentially ignored everything that happened after *Terminator 2*, and hoped to launch a new trilogy. Despite James Cameron’s involvement and Linda Hamilton’s return, *Dark Fate* ended up being the lowest-performing sequel in the series, effectively ending any plans for future movies – at least for a while.

The future of the Terminator series is uncertain. While James Cameron has hinted at working on another story, there haven’t been any official announcements, and he’s admitted he doesn’t have any ideas yet. Honestly, nobody knows what’s next for the franchise. Since 2003, the series has really declined in quality, to the point where *Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines* now stands out as a surprisingly good movie. It’s taken two decades, but *Terminator 3* is now considered one of the better sequels to the original films.

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2025-10-18 19:44