pub: Columbia Tristar CVR 34144. Price: £12.99 (UK) - this varies so shop around for the best deal) stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes and Kristanna Loken.

check out website: www.terminator3-themovie.co.uk and www.che.co.uk

A third Terminator film without creator/director Jim Cameron's involvement was always going to be a touchy subject. I mean, how many cyborgs can you send back from the future to stop Skynet bringing mankind to the brink of extinction?

As I reviewed the novelisation of this film several months back, I have to confess that I was ticking off various areas that I wish had been included here. In many respects, if you are confused or need more detail, then I would recommend the novelisation as a must read to fill in the gaps.



As it is, the film is very much a roller-coaster ride of action and special effects as one female Terminator takes on another older Terminator model as it proceeds to remove John Connor's lieutenants before they grow old enough to be recruited after Judgement Day.

You aren't really given much time to think about what is happening here until the crunch at the end. Mankind has lost its fight and Skynet has won. Does that give away the ending? I'm not entirely convinced.

If anything, it's given me a lot to think about and that always causes trouble. Expect an article any time now. As the late Sarah Connor was prone to remark and para-phrasing here, 'the future is not set.' Judgement Day hasn't happened on the date it was set in the original film nor was Skynet part of the satellite programme in this film. Every Terminator travelling into the past has changed something of the future, mostly in Skynet's favour but also explains why it was allowed to happen and that the AI wasn't totally stupid in letting the resistance sending cyborgs into the past.

Indeed, it might have contributed to its knowledge in developing more advanced Terminators - a sort of retrospective time loop development. Whatever happened, Skynet's future was assured. All it was doing was ensuring it had its own advantages. The possibilities for a fourth 'Terminator' film have to be discussed at this point.

With the Governor of California not available one would have to wonder if the finance or fan demand would want to see the world prior to the Terminator-800 or T-1000 model comes into existence. We've seen much of it through Kyle Reece's eyes in the first film to know that there is going to be a lot of robot action going on and we might well see the early developments of the more organic cyborgs being readied for the future...and if I keep going like this I might as well submit my plot to the producers. Let's return to the present film.

Has anyone noticed how actress Claire Danes (Kate Brewster) looks remarkably like a young Jamie Lee Curtis? That'll get you re-watching the video. With films like this, all the cast are basically ciphers to the plot. They serve their purpose most of the time and any emotional impact is reserved for them rather than anyone who gets in their way.

Everywhere the two humans and the Terminator go is barely introduced before it's trashed. If anything, the four writers, Tedi Sarafian John Brancato Michael Ferris and John D. Brancato with director Jonathan Mostow are using recognisable icons from a military base to a US bunker as things people should instantly recognise without having to worry too much about adding any more information than you really need to what is shown.

It brings some lovely speculation as to what was edited out to bring such a fine-tuning as this and one can only hope there's a longer Director's Cut waiting to be released in the future. If you like roller-coaster excitement films, then I think you'll love this film.

Vote Skynet for governor before it trashes you.

GF Willmetts