Terminator 3 Still Has 1 of the Best Movie Twists of the 2000s

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Big-budget movies rarely take big risks. Studios usually prefer to play it safe. However, occasionally, filmmakers manage to include surprisingly bold ideas within the standard blockbuster formula. This happened in 2003 with the third Terminator movie, which was unique because it wasn’t written or directed by the series’ creator, James Cameron.

For ten years after making Terminator 2: Judgment Day in 1991, Cameron considered revisiting the series. However, he ultimately decided not to participate in the third film. So, he was likely surprised when he finally watched it and saw a twist ending that was considered one of the most shocking of the 1990s.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Was a Lame Retread of T2

Released in July 2003, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines quickly became a massive hit, ranking among the top three highest-grossing films ever. This success created high expectations for any sequel, and likely contributed to James Cameron’s hesitation about making a fourth film.

James Cameron and producer Gale Anne Hurd eventually sold their ownership of the Terminator franchise. By 1998, Andrew Vajna and Mario Kassar had become the sole owners, meaning a new film could be made even if Cameron didn’t approve. Four years later, in 2002, production began on Rise of the Machines, directed by Jonathan Mostow (known for U-571) and written by Michael Ferris and John Brancato, the screenwriters of The Game.

He remains deeply frightened that the person who keeps sending deadly robots through time to kill his family is still after him. He believed they had already prevented the predicted war between humans and machines – known as ‘Judgment Day’ – from ever starting.

Connor’s fears turn out to be justified when Skynet sends a new cyborg, the T-X – a shape-shifting female Terminator – to eliminate him and prevent him from leading the future human resistance. This triggers another desperate chase, with Connor, his future wife Kate Brewster, and a reprogrammed Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) working to protect him long enough to destroy Skynet and prevent a global nuclear disaster.

If this seems very similar to Terminator 2, that’s because it is. Rise of the Machines frequently feels like a slightly altered version of T2, with familiar scenes and characters, but not quite original. However, it’s not without its merits.

While Mostow delivers some impressively over-the-top action sequences, like a wild shootout in a graveyard and a destructive chase involving a crane truck that tears through Los Angeles, the film ultimately doesn’t measure up to the original movies directed by James Cameron. Schwarzenegger seems to be enjoying himself revisiting his iconic look, but the movie as a whole feels weaker in comparison.

One of the biggest problems with the film is Kristanna Loken’s performance as the T-X; she appears stiff and lacks depth. This was Loken’s first major movie role, and it feels that way. She doesn’t capture the cold, dangerous presence that makes the Terminator character so frightening.

While Loken isn’t solely to blame for the movie’s problems, it definitely suffers from a strange and inconsistent tone. The first half is filled with weak jokes that should have been revised or completely cut. A prime example is the awkward scene where the Terminator says, “Talk to the hand!” That moment, and others like it, really needed a rethink.

It was the Terminator Movie That Director Jonathan Mostow Wanted to Make

Given these criticisms, it’s easy to assume the studio made director Mostow simply recreate Terminator 2 with a few changes, while also demanding more comedy. But that’s not what happened at all. Rise of the Machines wasn’t produced like a typical big-budget movie.

This movie wasn’t made by a big studio. Instead, Vajna and Kassar raised the $187 million budget themselves and then sold the distribution rights in the U.S. and to Columbia TriStar for international release.

Mostow explained that his unusual process meant only one studio executive ever saw the script, and that person had no say in the creative decisions – like casting or filming. This allowed him complete freedom to create the Terminator movie he and his writers had imagined. He told Vulture in 2021 that, as a director, it was incredible to work on a $200 million film without studio interference.

Whether you loved it or hated it, Rise of the Machines was completely shaped by Mostow’s vision. He even intentionally added humor, hoping it would ease concerns from viewers who weren’t sure the movie should have been made in the first place.

What was great about making Rise of the Machine without a major studio was the freedom to take a huge risk with the plot. The unexpected twist felt both surprising and, in retrospect, completely unavoidable.

The film’s surprisingly strong and somber ending was its highlight. It was so impactful that even viewers who disliked the rest of the movie acknowledged its effectiveness. Director Mostow explained that a mainstream studio likely wouldn’t have allowed such a dark conclusion.

This Creative Freedom Allowed Mostow to Deliver the Franchise’s Bleakest Ending

Let’s talk about what makes this so remarkable. First, it’s helpful to understand exactly what it does.

Throughout most of the movie, Connor, Brewster, and the Terminator are constantly escaping or fighting the T-X. However, the Terminator eventually delivers devastating news: Judgment Day isn’t prevented, just postponed by ten years, and will happen that same day. As a result, the Terminator decides their only chance is to get Connor and Brewster to Mexico to survive Skynet’s coming nuclear attack.

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Connor is convinced Skynet can be stopped, so the group seeks help from Brewster’s father, a General in the Air Force. While they’re with him, Skynet unexpectedly becomes self-aware, causing widespread disruption. Before passing away, the General reveals the location of a secret facility, hidden inside Crystal Peak in the Sierra Nevada mountains, which he believes holds the key to defeating Skynet. This gives Connor a new plan to destroy it.

When they arrive at the facility, the T-X finds them. A fierce fight follows, and the T-850 manages to secure Connor and Brewster inside a bunker before destroying both itself and the T-X in a massive explosion.

Mostow then delivers a shocking revelation: Crystal Peak isn’t where Skynet’s central system is. There isn’t one, actually. The AI has already infiltrated and spread across countless devices worldwide. Connor and Brewster suddenly realize their mission was a deception – they’ve been led to a government fallout shelter by her father and the T-850, not to Skynet’s core to save the world.

They are left to helplessly witness Skynet’s devastating missile attack. Though they will live and eventually lead the fight against the machines, fulfilling Connor’s vision for the future, everything they try to do to prevent the coming disaster ultimately fails.

Given how much of Rise of the Machines is playful and enjoyable, the surprisingly bleak ending is truly shocking. It’s a masterful twist, and director Jonathan Mostow and his team deserve credit for how well they pulled it off. They cleverly establish the premise early on – the T-850 admits Judgment Day can’t be prevented, only delayed, and that its goal is to shield Connor and Brewster from the consequences. Since machines can’t lie, the audience should believe this, but the characters (and we) desperately hope the future isn’t fixed.

We often assume someone will save the day, even when the solution is obvious. But how can a plot twist feel surprising when the movie practically announces it’s coming? It only works if that twist is something we’ve already seen – like the ending of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.

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2025-12-26 05:08