Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) 'Radio'/ending scene [1080]

(Potential Spoilers)

It's not easy to provide a satisfying end to an action-packed blockbuster with a piece of narration full of technical terms, and your main star nowhere in sight. But the ending to T3 works, and a lot of the gravitas of the situation is conveyed thanks to Marco Beltrami's score.

Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kristanna Loken, Nick Stahl and Claire Danes. Directed by Jonathan Moscow, with original music by Marco Beltrami (and a few uses of Brad Fiedel's classic Terminator theme in other scenes).

[JaguarCats]

"...Connor can you help us?..." that question always sends chills through me. We're all probably thinking "buddy you have no idea"

[KoPT]

I wasn't a huge fan of this movie, but the ending sequence is one of my all time favorites from film; it just hits all the right emotional chords.

[sabermaster]

So all those nightmares Sarah Connor had was all going to come true. This was such a very powerful moment in this film & easily it's best moment. When I first saw this film I definitely was not expecting that ending at all.

[kyleroberts]

"John, we could just let it go." People miss how important that line is. John's whole life has been in fear that the future has been written for him and he has no choice in the matter. And this right here is the moment he always feared, the inevitability of not being able to stop it. But Kate reminds him he still has a choice. He could let the bomb go off and die right there. He could even survive Judgment Day but just be a survivor but not a leader. The moment he disables the bomb and answers the radio is him CHOOSING his future. It wasn't written, it was an option that he picks for himself.

[priatalat]

"Who's in charge there?"
"I am"
And thus, the leader of the Resistance was born.

[elmoviemaster]

This is the true ending to the Terminator franchise. Salvation is the epilogue and everything else is fan fiction.

[redraven]

This was the best Terminator ending ever. Terminator's 1-3 was all about the survival of John Connor and how important he is for the survival of mankind. Terminator's 4-6 should've been about John Connor fighting in a post apocalyptic world with his resistance force battling the machines. And the ending of the last movie should show Kyle Reese walking into the time displacement field leading us back to Terminator 1

[AndyArmstrong]

The last line “Connor, can you help us. This is Montana civil defence.” Sends chills through you probably one of the best cinematic endings in history

[SportNut]

You can think whatever about the whole movie, but the ending is epic. It's the most realistic apocalypse ever shot and the picture of missiles flying across the globe with harmonized background music stuck with me ever since

[J_C_CH]

I just love the long pause between when John asks “Why did he lead us down here?” And Kate’s response of “to live.”

It just shows that they’re both trying to process the situation as best they can.

[goodgreatlife]

This is one of my favorite scenes. When john says "I am".
This was the mission.

[nerd-mask]

"Here's John Connor."
"Connor? What the hell is happening? Who's in charge there?"
"I'am."
A small but very important moment. John finally accepts his fate, and there the legend of the legendary leader of Resistance and savior of humanity John Connor begins. Such a perfect closure for his character-arc.

[testtalk]

Our Destiny wasn’t to stop judgement day. It was to survive it.

Dark fate: sike!

[ryanmartin]

One of the greatest ending for a movie. The bad guys win

[drewsmagicallegacy]

Very very underrated movie, especially the ending. Claire Danes was great.

[jonathancummings]

I love when she takes his hand, meaning she did love him and is standing with him as his wife. This movie was all about disproving the T2 premise that the future wasn't set, there is no fate but that which we make for ourselves. There's always going to be Judgement Day, John Connor is always going to lead humanity to victory, and no matter how many Terminators sent into the past, the machines will lose.

[SilverTounge]

Fantastic ending in a movie I was not very much a fan of, but this is excellent.

"Connor, can you help us?" *This is Montana Civil Defense* *radio chatter* *chaos*

[lordking]

John is running away from his destiny but in the end he faces it. He gets an adult through this film. It's cool.

[Spider-Man]

I love this ending. Seeing John stop running and finally becoming the man Sarah knew he could become.

Better than killing him of 3 minutes in only to replace him.

[vincem]

I actually loved this idea that John could never escape his destiny. It felt so much real and relatable because one day we will all have to face “judgement day” or something in general that we don’t want to. It’s not just something you can stop bc eventually you have to deal with it whether you want to or not. I loved this ending of him realizing this was the moment he’d be exactly who he was meant to be, and the best part is he’s not alone. Not even the people on the radio seeking help, when they realize John is in charge, they all have hope

But according to Dark Fate and Genysys: “John Conner = Terminated” lol I wish we could see more of Future John leading up to and after the events of Skynets end. Was there ever really peace and how did the world rebuild itself after Judgement Day?