It's been well over 10 years since John Connor last saved the world from judgment day. Now, a little older and a little wiser, John finds himself in a very familiar predicament - save the world from those confounded machines. Directed by Jonathan Mostow, also known for "U-571," "Terminator 3" marks the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger in his famed role as the T-800 while also marking the absence of famed Terminator originator James Cameron. It introduces a sophisticated new villain in the form of a Terminatress, elaborates on the base storyline in a simplistic, yet darker fashion, and does not miss a beat when it comes to action. Overall, "Terminator 3" is a worthwhile return to the saga, but more importantly, it's just darn good fun to see Arnie back in action.

John Connor is presently 22 years old when the story picks up. Paranoid after his previous encounter with the machines and following the death of his mother (Sarah Connor), John lives as a nomad, without credit cards, cell phones, or any type of real job. His reasoning? Without a trace, he can avoid Skynet, the artificial intelligence network of machines that tracks his existence. While keeping a low profile, John also dabbles in hallucinogens, specifically the kind you find in a veterinary hospital. It is in one of these local clinics where we first meet Kate Brewster (Danes), a veterinarian, who seems to be quick on her feet. Though surprised by John, she single handedly cages him while tending to sick kitten.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, a new terminator arrives - the T-X, a female terminator and an upgrade from the T-2000. In addition to manipulating liquid metal, she possesses the ability to control other machines remotely, almost telepathically. Shortly after her arrival, another Terminator arrives - an older model, the T-800 (Schwarzenegger). Both find their way to the veterinary hospital and after a brief melee, John, Kate, and the T-800 narrowly escape. Bewildered and defensive, Kate is informed by the Terminator why she is being sought. Most importantly, the two are informed that John's previous encounter with the T-2000 10 years ago only delayed the inevitable. Judgment day was upon them. Now.

After a few more harrowing escapes, the trio wind up at a top-secret government facility housing Skynet. Kate's father, Robert Brewster, is the man in charge of the network. And due to a mysterious virus that has crippled global computer systems and satellites, Brewster is ordered to unleash Skynet to eradicate the virus. However, upon activation, the Skynet machines turn on the humans and begin what could be a final nuclear holocaust. Will anyone be able to stop the T-X? Will the T-800 stay true to its mission? And will John and Kate be able to shut down Skynet before it's too late?

"Terminator 3" caught me totally by surprise. A big fan of the previous endeavors, I was a little skeptical after witnessing the clich? driven trailers. It looked like it was going to be a rehash of the previous outings or another "Alien 3" without James Cameron - filled with anecdotes, bad dialogue, and a story as holey as Swiss cheese. But something unexpected happened upon the arrival of Arnold as Terminator. I found myself enamored with the characters, the story, and the action. I found myself giddy with excitement.

Kudos to the screenwriting team of Brancato, Ferris, and Sarafian for piecing together a storyline that logically fills the gap between films, does not bog down in the time paradox, and keeps things moving at a frenetic pace. It took guts to make this film without James Cameron. And it took even more guts to make this entry darker than its predecessors. Darker, you ask? To reiterate: John Connor has taken up hallucinogens, Sarah Connor has died of leukemia, Kate Brewster's fianc? is chain sawed, and the battle against Skynet and the machines ends horrifically. In retrospect, however, all of this is unpredictably bittersweet.

Perhaps I had such low expectations for this film that I was relieved when the story flowed, the characters had histories and futures that made sense, and the special effects were sizzling. The only drawback I found was that it had a tendency to borrow from previous material. The Terminator walks into a bar naked, steals some black leather and sunglasses, and finds a motorcycle. The T-X arrives minutes earlier and does some of the same. "Nice gun" [as opposed to "Nice bike" in T2] she says to a traffic cop before terminating him. There's the usual car chases, explosions, gun battles, etc. But I didn't seem to mind. These were some of the things that attracted me to the first films. Even better, the clich?s are minimal as Arnold's Terminator is a different machine all together with no recollection of any relationship with John Connor.

After seeing Arnold battered and aged in 1999's "End of Days," I was ready to throw in the towel for one of my favorite action movie stars. But I could not believe how fantastic he looked, back in leather, stronger than ever. His counterpart, Kristanna Loken (T-X) was also good, but she seemed to lack the mystery and ruthlessness that Robert Patrick brought to the T-2000. Her character's qualities seemed less of an improvement and more of the same - the liquid metal, arms turning into weapons, bullets being absorbed, etc. Portraying new character Kate Brewster, Claire Danes steals the show. When John Connor becomes attracted to her, it's not difficult to see why. Danes' portrayal carries the same energy and blood pumping tenacity as Linda Hamilton. But at the same time, she also displays a love and tenderness that balances her character out and gives John hope.

"Terminator 3" is not better than the previous films in the series, but it does hold its own. With dazzling special effects, a simple story, and a return to form by Arnold Schwarzenegger, the film is easily the most interesting and entertaining action flick of the summer. Furthermore, I applaud the filmmakers for taking the risk of creating something dark and adventurous. It puts a unique spin on a great science fiction franchise. And lastly, the key to any successful franchise is to leave the door wide open at the end for another installment. I can only hope that the success of this film will keep Arnie away from public office all the while telling his legions of fans: "I'll be back."