Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

What happens when a franchise built on dread decides to start doing bits? You get Terminator 3, where Arnold’s first big scene ends with him wearing goofy star-shaped sunglasses. The jokes undercut every threat, and the T-X, a killer robot who can take over other machines, mostly gets used to steer cars at people. Nick Stahl’s John Connor mopes more than he leads. Claire Danes does the heavy lifting, making Kate’s panic feel real even when the script hands her nothing. To be fair, the crane truck chase is a beast, a whole city street turned into scrap, and the final act takes a swing later sequels were too scared to try. A reported $187.3 million budget, and most of it seems to live in that one chase. Critics were kinder than fans here, a 70% on Rotten Tomatoes, and honestly I side with the fans. A 4.9 because it’s a loud cover version of a song you already love. $25.31 says you rewatch only the crane chase online and count it as a full viewing.

What works: The crane truck chase is an all-timer of practical destruction, and the ending is braver than the rest of the movie.

What doesn’t: Constant jokes drain the menace, and the T-X is a cool villain idea that the script barely uses.

Who it’s for: Terminator completists and people who rate action movies by how many vehicles get wrecked.