Third ‘Terminator’ is just a bore

Evan Marmol

“Terminator-The Rise of the Machines” labors miserably, making a

mockery of the inventive and riveting films that it follows.

The plot is deplorably derivative. John Connors, played by Nick

Stahl, is charged with saving humanity and, once again, a

state-of-the-art machine is sent back in time kill him..

Arnold Schwarzenegger reprises his role as the stoic T-100, a

stony-faced singular minded cybernetic killing machine reprogrammed

with the sole purpose of protecting Connors. Perhaps as a testament

to Schwarzenegger’s age the T-100’s obsolescence reduces his role to

more of a guide for Connors in his quest for survival rather than as

a defender.

This films facile attempts at driving the film with plot

development, character development or special effects all come

woefully short of successful. Stahl’s performance is utterly bland

and mechanical, often causing me to wonder who the robot was. Do not

look for the endearing man-robot relationship enjoyed in the previous

installment.

Concerning the perils and action sequences, expect an episodic and

convoluted garble that never borders on suspenseful. The

predictability quotient is astronomical, forcing the audience to

suffer from abject tediousness.

The special effects might as well have been juxtaposed from

previous movies as nothing is original.

Every approach and ploy fails to entertain.

The only two aspects that nearly serve as saving graces are the

adversary and the exquisite Claire Danes.

The villain is a true Vixen using her feminine wiles as much as

her formidable weaponry and brute strength. As opposed to the clods

that have filled this role in the past, this villain lures her

opponents in like a black widow and strikes with innovative

techniques.

Danes, for her part, adds genuine acting abilities and carries the

load for Stahl. She has a lovely smile and an expressive face; by the

end of the movie, you almost care what happens to her.

Real Terminator fans will be vexed by the lack of signature one

liners and may feel deprived by the lack of this terminator mainstay.

It may be hard to notice that they are not there, though, while every

other aspect can be easily criticized.

Hopefully this will be the last of the Terminator flicks.

’28 Days Later’ forgets its place

In the bustling metropolis of London, a bicycle courier is

jettisoned from his transport and hospitalized. “28 Days Later” he

awakens to finds himself abandoned in a now desolate and eerily quiet

city. The protagonist soon discovers that a virus has been unleashed

on the hapless Londoners.

To survive he must evade a teeming mass of London’s denizens

searching for human flesh to consume. These demented zombies

relentlessly pursue the uninfected to devour them. These rampaging

ghouls turn their killing rage on him, leading to his discovery of

other survivors.

The film initially engrosses the audience with unrivaled suspense

and horror. A regular movie patron should find their heart racing and

eyes darting in all directions in fear of zombies. This continues for

quite some time with total success, until two tragic failures.

First, this thrilling survival-horror attempts to conjure up

levity. This ruins the ambience and removes the audience from the

successful horror that was previously delivered.

The second failure comes when the movie appears to depart from its

original genre all together. Rather than merely remaining a horror

flick, this movie makes a pitiable attempt at imparting a deeper

message.

Near the end, most people will be bored and nonplused by the

course this film takes. Not many moviegoers would enjoy this film.

* EVAN MARMOL is Laguna Beach resident. He graduated from UC

Irvine with a degree in psychology and social behavior.