Watching Terminator 3 on TV (a movie that was roundly disliked when it came out, iirc), I'm reminded again WHY I prefer T3 to another popular franchise conclusion of the time: Matrix 3.

The reason is: at least in T3 the humans actually seem to have a humanity worth saving. A humanity that expressed itself in honour & self-doubt in equal measures (witness the interaction between John Connor & his girlfriend, esp. in the film's final few scenes).

By the time Matrix 3 rolled around, humans were reduced to joyless, designer-sunglass-wearing automatons with no personality.

And yet they were worth saving because ... why, exactly? Saving the 'humanty' of Matrix 3 seemed nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction.

Frankly, the machines had more personality.