Terminator 3 (4½ Stars)

"Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" has the unenviable task of following two of the greatest science fiction films ever made. It isn't as good as either of them, but that's hardly a criticism. Taken on its own terms, "Terminator 3" is an excellent action film and a worthy continuation of the story.

Ten years have passed since John Connor and his mother prevented Judgment Day. Sarah is now dead and John has disappeared off the grid. He has no permanent home, no telephone and no credit cards. Nick Stahl looks gaunt and weary, very different from Edward Furlong in "Terminator 2", but that fits the character perfectly. John has spent his life preparing to become the leader of humanity, only to be told that the future he was preparing for no longer exists. He doesn't know what to do with himself, but he can't quite believe that the danger has gone away.

Then another Terminator arrives.

Kristanna Loken is superb as the T-X, a new model sent back to kill John and other future Resistance leaders. It would have been a mistake to imitate Robert Patrick's T-1000, and Loken creates something quite different. She's cold and mechanical, but she's also been programmed with distinctly female characteristics which she uses to her advantage. One of my favourite moments comes when she tastes John Connor's blood. Her expression of pleasure is almost sexual. She's found the man she's looking for, and she seems to savour the moment.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is back as another T-800, this time sent to protect John and Kate Brewster. There's more humour than in the previous films, but humour has always been part of the series, particularly in "Terminator 2", and the increase doesn't bother me. Arnold is still completely convincing when the action begins, and "Terminator 3" has some magnificent action sequences. The chase involving the enormous crane is particularly spectacular, relying on a level of physical destruction that still looks impressive today.

Claire Danes' Kate doesn't look like a future Resistance leader, but why should she? At this point she's a veterinarian living an ordinary life. She has years ahead of her to become the woman she's destined to be. John and Kate are both being pushed towards futures that neither of them is ready to accept.

And then comes the ending.

For most of the film we're led to believe that John and Kate are racing against time to stop Skynet and prevent Judgment Day once again. They reach Crystal Peak expecting to find Skynet's central core. It isn't there. There is no central core. Skynet has spread through computer networks and there's nothing left for them to destroy.

They haven't been sent to Crystal Peak to stop Judgment Day. They've been sent there to survive it.

When I first saw the film, this revelation shocked me. I didn't see it coming at all. After two films about preventing the nuclear apocalypse, "Terminator 3" has the courage to let it happen. Judgment Day wasn't prevented in "Terminator 2"; it was merely postponed.

Then, as nuclear missiles begin flying and the old world disappears, radio messages start arriving at Crystal Peak. People are confused and frightened, asking what's happening and looking for someone to tell them what to do. John picks up the radio and answers.

This is what everything has been leading towards. John has spent years running away from the destiny that his mother prepared him for, but when the moment finally arrives he doesn't need anyone to tell him what to do. He takes command. John Connor finally becomes John Connor.

"Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" isn't "The Terminator" and it isn't "Terminator 2". It doesn't need to be. It's exciting, spectacular and far more intelligent than its reputation suggests. Most importantly, it takes the story somewhere that genuinely matters. The future hasn't been prevented. The war is about to begin.

Success Rate:  + 0.3

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Scream 6 (4½ Stars)

How long has it been since we last saw Hayden Panettiere as Kirby Reed in "Scream 4"? 12 years. That's long enough for her to leave high school and become an FBI agent. Girls sure grow up fast these days.

"Scream 6" is a definite improvement on the previous two films. It doesn't attempt to reinvent the series. We still have Ghostface, a group of possible victims and suspects, horror film rules, red herrings and the inevitable revelation at the end. That's exactly what I want from a Scream film. The formula works, and this time there's even a new twist: there isn't just one Ghostface, or even two. There are three.

The biggest change is the move from Woodsboro to New York. It's a refreshing change of scenery without changing the nature of the film. Ghostface is just as dangerous in crowded streets, apartment buildings and subway trains as he was in the quiet streets of Woodsboro. The New York setting gives the familiar formula new possibilities, and the subway sequence is particularly effective.

I had problems following the characters in "Scream 5". There were simply too many of them, and when somebody reappeared after 20 minutes I often had to ask myself who she was. I had no such problem with "Scream 6". The returning characters are now firmly established, while the newcomers are introduced clearly enough that I always knew who was who. It makes the film much easier to follow and, more importantly, easier to enjoy.

The biggest absence is Sidney Prescott. In the first four films she was at the centre of everything, the person the killer ultimately wanted to reach. Her role was already reduced in "Scream 5", where she seemed almost incidental to the main story. Now she's disappeared altogether. I have mixed feelings about this. I miss Sidney, because for so long she was Scream, but "Scream 6" proves that the series can continue without her.

This is still unmistakably Scream. It respects the established formula while finding enough new ideas to keep it fresh. After my disappointment with the last two films, it's good to see Ghostface back on form. And it's always good to see Hayden Panettiere.

Success Rate:  + 3.1

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Scream 5 (4 Stars)

There was an eleven-year gap between "Scream 3" and "Scream 4", followed by another eleven-year gap before the fifth film. Maybe these long breaks helped to stop the series becoming stale. Or maybe nobody knew what to do with Ghostface for another decade.

"Scream" aka "Scream 5" brings back Sidney, Gale and Dewey, but this isn't simply another reunion. The film calls itself a "requel", combining new characters with survivors from the original films, while warning us that in a requel anything can happen. Dewey's death proves it. After surviving four encounters with Ghostface, he seems almost untouchable, so his brutal death comes as a genuine shock. From that moment onwards, we know that Sidney and Gale aren't safe either.

The film is entertaining and suitably self-aware, although at times it seems too dependent on reminding us of the original. Jenna Ortega makes a strong impression as Tara, while the returning characters give the film an emotional connection to the past. My biggest disappointment is the music. "Scream 5" doesn't sound like a Scream film until the familiar music arrives during the closing credits. By then it's too late.

Success Rate:  + 3.8

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Alice Cooper - School's Out

Ask a typical music fan what he thinks about Alice Cooper. He'll say he's a good musician, naming "School's Out", "Elected" and "Poison". But what about his other music? He's made 30 albums since 1969. I've listened to most of them, looking for great music like these three songs, and I was disappointed. I found most of his albums unlistenable.

"School's Out" is a classic. The song takes one of the simplest and most universal childhood experiences, the joy of leaving school for the summer, and turns it into an anthem of rebellion. It begins with an instantly recognisable guitar riff, simple but enormously effective. Within seconds the song has announced itself. There's no lengthy introduction and no attempt to be clever. The riff arrives, Alice Cooper starts singing and the rebellion begins.

The brilliance of the song is the way it exaggerates a perfectly ordinary feeling. Every child knows the excitement of the last day of school, watching the clock and waiting for the final bell. But Alice Cooper isn't satisfied with school being out for the summer. School is out forever. The school hasn't merely closed its doors for six weeks; it's been blown to pieces. It's the sort of ridiculous fantasy that makes perfect sense when you're a child and never want to see another classroom.

Alice Cooper's performance is equally important. He doesn't sing the song as a cheerful celebration of the summer holidays. There's a sneer in his voice that makes it sound dangerous. The heavy guitar riff reinforces that feeling, turning what could easily have been a lightweight novelty song into a genuine rock anthem. It's catchy enough to be a pop song, but aggressive enough not to sound like one.

Then come the children's voices. They're the perfect finishing touch because the children aren't frightened by Alice Cooper's rebellion; they've joined him. The adults have lost control and the pupils are celebrating their victory. It's theatrical, funny and just threatening enough to fit Alice Cooper's image.

More than 50 years later, the song hasn't lost its power. Musical fashions have changed beyond recognition, but children are still sitting in classrooms waiting impatiently for the summer holidays. That feeling doesn't date, and neither does "School's Out".

I don't like Alice Cooper, but I love "School's Out".

Scream 4 (4 Stars)

Eleven years after "Scream 3", Ghostface returns to Woodsboro. Sidney Prescott is back in town promoting a book, while Dewey is now the sheriff and Gale is struggling to find a new purpose in life. But this is a new decade. Mobile phones, webcams and the Internet have changed the way young people communicate, horror films have changed and, most importantly, the rules have changed.

The original films played games with the familiar rules of slasher films. Eleven years later, horror has moved on. Remakes and reboots are everywhere, and a new generation has grown up believing it knows exactly what to expect from a horror film. Ghostface has moved on as well, using modern technology to play a new version of the old game. Sidney, Gale and Dewey have to learn that the rules they knew no longer apply.

Hayden Panettiere plays Kirby Reed, one of the new generation. She's confident, likeable and knows almost as much about horror films as Ghostface. She easily stands out among the younger cast.

"Scream 4" is a good film, but for me it doesn't live up to the first three. "Scream 3" brought Sidney's story to a perfect conclusion, and the franchise could have ended there. The fourth film finds a clever reason to bring Ghostface back, but it still feels like reopening a story that had already been completed.

There's another difference that bothers me even more: the music. The first three films were filled with bouncy songs that gave them a distinctive energy. "Scream 4" is acoustically much quieter, with songs only appearing occasionally. It doesn't matter whether they were 90's songs or contemporary songs; I simply miss the constant musical background of the original trilogy. "Scream 4" has Ghostface, Sidney, Gale and Dewey, but it doesn't quite sound like "Scream".

Success Rate:  + 0.4

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I love you, Beth Cooper (3½ Stars)

Yesterday I was sad to hear the news of Hayden Panettiere's death. I immediately decided to watch one of her films to remember her, but I had to delay it because I'd already bought a ticket to watch "The End of Oak Street". I picked "I love you, Beth Cooper" not because it's her best film, but because it's the film in which she has the most screen time.

Dennis Cooverman is the school valedictorian, and during his graduation speech he suddenly declares his love for Beth Cooper, the most popular girl in school. He's sat behind her in class for years, but he barely knows her. To his amazement, Beth turns up at his house that evening with two friends, and what follows is a chaotic night in which Dennis discovers that Beth is very different from the perfect girl he's created in his imagination.

I wouldn't call "I Love You, Beth Cooper" a great film. It's a silly teen comedy, but it's good fun while it lasts. There's not much in the film that's memorable, apart from Hayden Panettiere. She gives Beth an energy and personality that lifts the film whenever she's on screen.

Beth is confident, reckless and seemingly carefree, but there are quieter moments when we see that there's more to her than the beautiful girl Dennis has been dreaming about. Hayden makes those different sides of Beth convincing. The film gives her plenty of opportunity to be funny and exuberant, but also allows her to show Beth's vulnerability.

Don't ask me to defend "I Love You, Beth Cooper". I watched it because I wanted to remember Hayden Panettiere. For that purpose, I couldn't have chosen better.

Hayden Panettiere
August 21, 1989 – August 16, 2026

Success Rate:  - 1.1

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The End of Oak Street (2 Stars)

First we had Jurassic Park.

Then we had Jurassic World.

Now we have Jurassic Suburbs.

This is one of the silliest films I've seen for a long time. A chunk of land surrounding the peaceful Oak Street is transported into the distant past, where it's surrounded by hungry dinosaurs. Unlike the carefully separated territories in the Jurassic Park films, the dinosaurs are all mixed together. There are no herbivores, only meat-eating dinosaurs.

No explanation is given how the time travel happens. Maybe they're saving it for the sequel. Please, we don't want a sequel. In its favour, there's a lot of action and suspense as people run from dinosaurs. It's just too ridiculous to take seriously. There was a woman sitting next to me who obviously felt the same way that I did. Every time a new dinosaur threat appeared we turned and looked at one another and laughed. It should have been made as a real comedy, instead of making us laugh at its silliness.

Terminator 2 (5 Stars)

"Terminator 2: Judgment Day" is one of the best films ever made because it does everything right. James Cameron takes the simple premise of the original and expands it into a spectacular action film without losing its humanity. Arnold Schwarzenegger's transformation from unstoppable killer to protector works perfectly, while the T-1000 is an extraordinary replacement as the new threat. The action and special effects are magnificent, but the film's real strength is the growing relationship between John Connor and the Terminator. Beneath all the explosions, "Terminator 2" is a surprisingly emotional film about humanity, fate and the possibility of change.

Which film is better? I can't choose. "Terminator" is a lean, frightening science-fiction slasher, while "Terminator 2" is a much larger action film with greater emotional depth. The sequel doesn't improve on the original so much as reinvent it. They're two very different films, but they're both masterpieces.

Success Rate:  + 3.5

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