07-04-2003, 04:54 AM
*OBVIOUSLY THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT THEM*
Special Effects
One of the problems I've had with CG effects in recent movies is they don't feel...."real".
Take the four-armed guy that Obi-Wan meets up with in "Attack of the Clones". So life-like. So well-shaded.... yet I didn't believe him as a character anywhere near as much as I believed Greedo. And Greedo was a frickin' RUBBER MASK!
I have the same feelings about that early conceptual HK that was in the military compound. The dream sequence seemed fine to me, and I believe the large HKs that were patrolling over the water. And I REALLY liked the way they showed a future John Connor at one point standing on top of a downed one when they were all celebrating. But when they were testing out the flight patterns on that smaller one and then when it attacked.... it felt too sleek. I would have rather seen some animatronics involved, especially in a shot where it could have been pulled off that way without a problem.
The effects on Arnold near the end... wow. Very believeable. I didn't say to myself "wow, look at that rendering." I said "holy !@%(*&!!!, look at that side of his head!"
And the TX... well, it was the TX. No complaints there. I really liked the liquid metal over endo skeleton thing. This felt more like a specifically designed Terminator model as opposed to the mass-produced ones, the "grunts" if you will. The nanotechnology was a good slant and made for some nice effects.
Humor
Overdone at times. The whole thing with Arnold looking for sunglasses.... okay, good for a laugh at first. But let it go already. There just seemed to be some unnecessary slapstick at times, such as the sound effect when Arnold hits that fire engine. On its own it was funny. I was laughing. But too much of a good thing and it gets old.
Theme
Quite a mix-up here. In the past it seemed the theme was that engraved on Sarah Connor's "tomb". There is no future but what we make. But in this one it seemed that the message was that some things are inevitable.... and that doesn't mean you don't fight them anyway. The situation in the mausoleum right before the quote of "anger is more useful than despair" hit this one on the head.
But I have to agree with Warlocke that it was quite refreshing not to have a "good guys win the day" ending to the movie. It was bleak, judgement day had happened, and the question of "who's in charge" is presented to John. Two thumbs up.
Sequel
There is going to be a T4 if this does well in the box office, which I wager it will. Only thing they've not done is include a trailer at the end of the credits. What I'm expecting is a turnaround once more, saying that mankind can indeed influence the future and that while some things may be written, that doesn't mean they can't be alterred. I think John Connor's death is going to be the situation that will display this, as I can see them somehow preventing it and showing that maybe it's not hopeless to change the future after all.
I was worreid about T3, as I've seen some good movies end up with a screwed up sequel/trilogy. But I liked the movie, and have hopes that if they DO make a T4, they won't mess things up. If there's any doubt on the quality of the next one, I say they stop while they're ahead.
Special Effects
One of the problems I've had with CG effects in recent movies is they don't feel...."real".
Take the four-armed guy that Obi-Wan meets up with in "Attack of the Clones". So life-like. So well-shaded.... yet I didn't believe him as a character anywhere near as much as I believed Greedo. And Greedo was a frickin' RUBBER MASK!
I have the same feelings about that early conceptual HK that was in the military compound. The dream sequence seemed fine to me, and I believe the large HKs that were patrolling over the water. And I REALLY liked the way they showed a future John Connor at one point standing on top of a downed one when they were all celebrating. But when they were testing out the flight patterns on that smaller one and then when it attacked.... it felt too sleek. I would have rather seen some animatronics involved, especially in a shot where it could have been pulled off that way without a problem.
The effects on Arnold near the end... wow. Very believeable. I didn't say to myself "wow, look at that rendering." I said "holy !@%(*&!!!, look at that side of his head!"
And the TX... well, it was the TX. No complaints there. I really liked the liquid metal over endo skeleton thing. This felt more like a specifically designed Terminator model as opposed to the mass-produced ones, the "grunts" if you will. The nanotechnology was a good slant and made for some nice effects.
Humor
Overdone at times. The whole thing with Arnold looking for sunglasses.... okay, good for a laugh at first. But let it go already. There just seemed to be some unnecessary slapstick at times, such as the sound effect when Arnold hits that fire engine. On its own it was funny. I was laughing. But too much of a good thing and it gets old.
Theme
Quite a mix-up here. In the past it seemed the theme was that engraved on Sarah Connor's "tomb". There is no future but what we make. But in this one it seemed that the message was that some things are inevitable.... and that doesn't mean you don't fight them anyway. The situation in the mausoleum right before the quote of "anger is more useful than despair" hit this one on the head.
But I have to agree with Warlocke that it was quite refreshing not to have a "good guys win the day" ending to the movie. It was bleak, judgement day had happened, and the question of "who's in charge" is presented to John. Two thumbs up.
Sequel
There is going to be a T4 if this does well in the box office, which I wager it will. Only thing they've not done is include a trailer at the end of the credits. What I'm expecting is a turnaround once more, saying that mankind can indeed influence the future and that while some things may be written, that doesn't mean they can't be alterred. I think John Connor's death is going to be the situation that will display this, as I can see them somehow preventing it and showing that maybe it's not hopeless to change the future after all.
I was worreid about T3, as I've seen some good movies end up with a screwed up sequel/trilogy. But I liked the movie, and have hopes that if they DO make a T4, they won't mess things up. If there's any doubt on the quality of the next one, I say they stop while they're ahead.
See you in Town,
-Z
-Z