may have been a disappointment compared to the James Cameron movies, but it still contains one of the most bruising action sequences of the franchise. The Terminator movies have varied massively in terms of quality - from the heights of Judgment Day to the despairs of Genisys - but they can almost always be relied upon for solid action. Creator James Cameron pushes the boundaries of technology to their very edge with the first two movies, and even the underwhelming likes of Salvation have a couple of great setpieces.
Still, it can't be denied that the post-James Cameron movies have all disappointed in some way. Case in point would be Terminator 3, a sequel that spent a decade in development hell and saw Cameron and Linda Hamilton past on returning. that again features an Arnold Schwarzenegger-shaped Terminator model unit protecting John Connor (Nick Stahl) from a prototype cyborg. The sequel is weighted down by misfiring comedy and a paper-thin story, but it still delivers on the action front.
Whatever complaints can be leveled against Terminator 3, it does boast some well-executed setpieces. Easily the most expensive (and the sequence the sequel was sold on) is an easy chase scene where the T-X (Kristanna Loken) pursues John Connor and the T-850 in a crane truck. This truck seemingly destroys half the city during its pursuit, and while the sequence is assisted by occasional CGI, much of it is practical. The standout battle, however, is between the dueling Terminator units near the end, where.
Bringing new meaning to "bathroom break," the two chunky cyborgs throw each other through walls, mirrors and stalls while delivering blows that would kill mere mortals in one punch. This Terminator fight is a little undermined by comedy sound effects, but .
Before Kristanna Loken was cast as Terminator 3's T-X unit, other casting possibilities included Chyna, The Matrix star Carrie-Ann Moss and Famke Janssen.
Rise of the Machines helmer Jonathan Mostow may have struggled to grasp the tone of the series, but he was always a steady hand with action. From Kurt Russell's underrated Breakdown to submarine thriller U-571, Mostow has a gift for staging visceral setpieces, with Terminator 3 feeling like a combination of all he had learned up to that point. Of course, .
Cameron's original Terminators are in a league of their own, so there was little chance a third movie was ever going to top them. It feels like Rise of the Machines intentionally (and possibly wisely) shrank away from that responsibility. It focused on delivering action and humor without being especially innovative. It's Terminator 2: Reheated, but at least it put its large budget on the screen. .
... the bathroom brawl is a worthy entry on any best-of list of Terminator action sequences.
That may sound like damning with faint praise, considering the other follow-ups struggled to deliver any particularly involving setpieces. Still, the bathroom brawl is a worthy entry on any best-of list of Terminator action sequences. It's crunchy, impactful and gives both cyborg assassins little flashes of personality in between slamming their opponent's faces into a wall. The moment the T-X grips the T-850 by the groin before lifting and walking him through walls is pretty silly, but it works because Arnie's bemused expression sells it.
Had Cameron himself shot this bathroom fight, it no doubt would have been taken more seriously and gone on way longer. Regardless, it's still highlight, and the bout that much of the sequel has been building towards. It may have been inevitable that the far superior T-X would emerge victorious, but Arnie's T-850 still goes down swinging.
