Director: Jonathan Mostow (U-571, Breakdown)

No James Cameron. No Linda Hamilton. No William Wisher. No Brad Fidel. No Guns and Roses.

Instead we get a sequel calculated to deliver the goods and not fuck up the formula. As such, Terminator 3 appears to fail in its obligation to take the story to the next level. There is another protective Arnie Terminator, another mute hi-tech Terminator killer (this time a fembot played by TV actor and ex-model Kristanna Loken), another young John Connor who does not know what the hell to do, another tangle of time travel paradoxes, another dope who is on the verge of spawning the evil AI, more spectacular road rage, a merely functional layer of backstory, more crazy special effects and dubious CG, a few gory moments including more impromptu cyber-surgery, a nice reference to Django (1966) with a coffin, some terrific comic relief, and plenty of high-calibre firepower.

Hence, the good news is that the film is still bloody entertaining. Or what one character on MHVF called, "The best third sequel ever made."

Nick Stahl, who was brilliant in Larry Clark's Bully (2001), takes over as John Connor the incumbent saviour of the human race. He displays a better acting range than pouty Edward Furlong, who was literally plucked from the streets to star in Terminator 2 (1991) with no prior movie experience. What also came as a relief here was the realisation that this John Connor had seen the previous films, and therefore knew what was going down. The believe-quickly-or-die role fell to the beautiful Claire Danes as vet Kate Brewster, who unknowingly plays a big part in future events and gets a 'crash' course in Terminator lore. She is also excellent. I mention their performances because they are totally responsible for injecting some real urgency and emotion into what is otherwise a mechanised Hollywood blockbuster, timed to throw one action sequence at the audience per reel.

Although Rise of the Machines lacks the gravitas of its predecessor T2: Judgement Day, with its nightmarish visions of nuclear destruction and a relentless drive that almost gives you a migraine, you will not feel short changed either. The ending alone is enough to make it one of the best SF movies of the new millennium, which is not saying much for the competition. It gives us a glimpse of what Rise of the Franchise could have been like with fewer car chases and explosions. Let us hope that any follow-up builds on this promise.