15 Things That Almost Ruined The Terminator Franchise

4. The Gags In Terminator 3

Jonathan Mostow€™s Rise Of The Machines clearly isn't for everyone. It€™s a glossy retread of the first two films mostly set in the back of a van, and its allegiance to Cameron€™s first two flicks means there€™s homages peppered throughout for fans to feel smug about.

It€™s just a shame that they all leer toward obvious humour. Don€™t be mistaken, T2 had its fair share of amusing moments, but they didn€™t detract from the film overall. Just because the T-800 could learn hip catchphrases John didn€™t mean anyone doubted its ability to wipe out a room in two seconds flat.

In Mostow€™s third entry, there€™s simply too much slapstick that it practically undermines the menace of the Terminators. The now-obligatory clothes acquisition sequence for the T-850 (Schwarzenegger) sees the naked robot enter a roadside bar on ladies€™ night. Cue: cheering and hollering. And the donning of star-shaped sunglasses. If that visual wasn€™t bad enough, the series time stamps itself (an issue it had avoided up until that point) when the Terminator literally €œtalks to the hand€ after the oily stripper onstage tells him to do just that. The whole point of these cybernetic killers is that we, the audience, are supposed to be terrified of them. Not laughing at them.

One good thing T3 had to offer was its commitment to gender visibility, with the T-X (Kristanna Loken)! In a blatant attempt to sexualise the first female cyborg moments after she first appears onscreen, she inflates her breasts to wangle favour with a cop. There€™s just so many things at fault with this scene. It€™s not just sexist, but it€™s mired in a botched attempt at being funny. Hahahaha - inflata-boobs!

Cameron would never have let that fly.