Comments on "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" - Faerye Net

Re: explosions = woo!

2003-07-15T08:19:07+00:00

I thought what he was objecting to was not the conservation of mass or nuclear pseudo-science, but the heavy psychological bent of the movie—the whole meek-and-mild vs. Hulk thing. That said, I think that’s the basis of the whole Hulk ethos, so if you don’t like it, you won’t like the comic books either.

Re: explosions = woo!

2003-07-14T23:05:30+00:00

I feel that I must forgive the Hulk for that. Comic books have a long tradition of pseudo-science, Marvel in particular. If you’re going to enjoy the medium and it’s derivatives, I think you have to accept that.

The Hulk was enjoyable, but what I really wanted at the end was a PS2 game based on the War of the Monsters engine.

Re: explosions = woo!

2003-07-14T22:17:17+00:00

Well, I will report back on “Pirates of the C.” when I get to see it. Jack Sparrow just looked awfully chaotic and Unseelie. And Johnny Depp looks reasonably like you.

It’s been a long time since I went to a good sword-fighting flick in the cinema. You really can’t beat ‘em. And, hey, pirates = cannons = explosions!

Re: explosions = woo!

2003-07-14T22:07:33+00:00

Yes, the Hulk, although perhaps I should change ‘philosophy’ to ‘psychology’ for that one. And I kick ass at ‘piratey’. It’s one of my spesh-E-al-uh-tees.

Re: explosions = woo!

2003-07-14T14:57:38+00:00

Hrm, which are you referring to besides Matrix 2—The Hulk?

I desperately want to see “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Corset jokes! Can’t call that pretentious! Corset jokes, swashbuckling, and undead—I’m almost foaming at the mouth.

From the little I’ve seen, I think you could play Johnny Depp’s part— How are you at ‘piratey’?

Re: explosions = woo!

2003-07-14T14:54:26+00:00

I assume you refer in part to Matrix Reloaded.

While I agree that The Matrix has never been terribly subtle or deep in its philosophical musings, I find that they add to the piece (especially in the first half of the first movie).

Revolutions, however, hints that The Matrix is really just a modernization of a very old story. Caesar at Ars Technica has an interesting idea on the relationship between The Matrix Trilogy and Gnosticism. Now, I’m not an expert on the topic, but I can see his point after reading the linked article and its cited scriptures.

Besides, I really liked the first one and I want to like the others

I don’t think the recent Marvel movies delve deeper into philosophy than normal for a comic book. Remind me if I’m forgetting something.

Finding Nemo was an amusing animated feature. No philosophy pretension there.

The Italian Job just rocked. See it. It’s a well done heist flick. I haven’t seen the original yet, but want to.

I don’t think I’ve seen any other blockbusters. I want to see 28 Days Later. I’m hoping for good solid camp.

[spoilers] Re: [spoilers] My predictions

2003-07-14T14:48:19+00:00

Thank you for accomodating my spoiler-fear.

Hrm. There needs to be at least a minor victory in each movie, regardless of any defeats in the middle. Also, I don’t think they can use Arnie much in the future. Whatever they said about sentimental attachment, if at least two people in the Resistance can ID a terminator on sight, it’s an ineffective skinsuit.

And you’re not going to make any remarks about my Reese obsession?

[spoilers] My predictions

2003-07-14T14:32:33+00:00

Ok, so here’s what I think we’ll see in the next two or three movies:

T4

John grows some leadership skills. His mother made a grave mistake in going all survivalist; John is not equipped to lead the remaindered bits of humanity. He struggles to build a cohesive whole out of what he has to work with. At the end of this one, humanity will capture time travel tech from the machines (that’s where they got it, right?). They send back Kyle Reese.

T5

John and his guerillas are gearing up for a major confrontation with the machines; some sort of serious strike. John is cocky and sure of himself. He has his ass handed to him at great cost to the cause.

T6

Older and wiser but with fewer resources, John and his now-smaller group of battle-hardened commandos strike at the heart of the machine and are victorious. John dies at the end of the movie. John’s wife sets off the chain of events that leads to T3.

The fourth and fifth could be compressed into one film, but why make two movies when you could make three?

Arnold will still figure in all three (I wish he wouldn’t. I’m tired of him). T4 will have the T100 as the foot soldiers of the machine army, with Arnold-skinned versions for infiltration. T5 will partially involve the capture of a T100 to be sent back in time (for T2).

In T6, well, it will be come obvious if you watch T3.

Re: explosions = woo!

2003-07-14T14:09:54+00:00

And, thank god, the plot isn’t based on a pretentious-ass-freshman-philosophy-course-
pseudo-intellectual conceit like all these other summer blockbusters. Not that I like the summer blockbuster as an entity in general. But all that bullshit tries to take it somewhere it’s not.

And it leaves room for sequels

2003-07-14T14:08:14+00:00

Really, I think that someone decided that there was more to be done with this story than had been, and this movie was a good way of transitioning from T2 (which ends with, “that’s it, we’re done, we’ve saved the world”) to another two or three good movies. I can easily see this becoming something of a second trilogy (where the first trilogy only had two parts…).

Moderate spoilers to follow in reply post.

Re: explosions = woo!

2003-07-14T14:03:14+00:00

Explosion junkie. I thought things got more interesting from there, so neener neener.

explosions = woo!

2003-07-14T13:53:02+00:00

The first big action sequence alone was worth the price of admission. To be honest, it was really the best part of the movie and I thought things went downhill from there, but still…I was satisfied.