'Terminator' flick anything but robotic

After the cinematic maelstrom that was "Jingle All the Way," "Batman and Robin," "End of Days," "The 6th Day" and "Collateral Damage," it's amazing that Arnold Schwarzenegger still has a career. His last certifiable hit was "Eraser," all the way back in 1996, and even that flick was proceeded by the half-assed turd of a movie, "Junior." Suffice it to say, the '90s were primarily a wash for the once untouchable musclehead who reigned over multiplexes with an iron fist during the "Me" decade. Well, lock and load -- the Austrian Oak has smartly hearkened back to his badass '80s action roots with "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines."\nThe question remains: is the flick any good? The answer: absofuckinglutely, this, despite a few snags. Sure, "T3" doesn't boast the gritty, low-budget overachieving spirit of James Cameron's original, nor does it shine with the pop culture artistry of "T2," this latest entry to "The Terminator" mythos is more akin to "The Little Engine That Could." Minus series veterans Cameron, Linda Hamilton and Edward Furlong, director Jonathan Mostow revokes the hack status he established with previous efforts, "Breakdown" and "U-571," by making a shrewd, suspenseful, surprising and stripped-down (yes, in spite of the $170 million budget) sci-fi action opus.\n"T3" opens on John Connor (as played in grand form by indie vet Nick Stahl), who at 23 is already a broken shell of a man. He lives off the grid, working odd jobs here and there, cruising from town to town on his bike, no phone, no credit cards -- the only thing he harbors is a drinking problem. Memories of being a pseudo-messiah and the threat of Judgment Day are far behind him. That is, until a souped-up lady Terminator known as the T-X (sexy newcomer Kristanna Loken), or as my buddy Hooju dubbed her, "The Herminator," is dispatched to off Connor and bring about the apocalypse. Enter Arnie, in full-on biker regalia, fresher and funnier than he's been in years -- his mission: to once again protect Connor from cyborg-spurred assassination attempts. Also caught in the onslaught is young veterinarian Kate Brewster (a startlingly good Claire Danes) -- Connor's former make-out buddy and future spouse. Action ensues -- cars are smashed and blown up, folks are capped by the dozens, robot on robot action is the norm and hence, I emerged from the theater with a shit-eating grin smeared across my face.\nOkay, I've heaped enough praise on the flick -- where are the faults? First, the film's a tad slow toward the beginning. Secondly, while the movie is humorous and jokes often hit their marks, when they miss it's groan inducing at best (i.e. a stereotypically faggish male stripper tells Arnold to "Talk to the hand," sadly, he does and later dons the man's star-shaped sunglasses). Lastly, "Singled Out" and "Shipmates" host Chris Hardwick cameos as an engineer, while he's not on screen long, it's distracting and unintentionally funny. \n"Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" isn't as good as its predecessors, but with the heart and gravitas infused by Stahl and Danes, the humor and hulkishness of Schwarzenegger, the scary sex appeal of Loken and Mostow's mastery of action set-pieces it's one hell of a night at the movies. And better yet, it left me yearning for a "Terminator 4"