Unbelievable! I, like many, thought T3 would be a let down after the cutting edge computer wizardry of T2 blew us away in the early '90's. Not expecting much, thinking Jonathan Mostow would not be able to duplicate the magic that James Cameron created in the first two-thirds of this trilogy, I was absolutely amazed at what I saw.
The opening chase sequence is the best I've ever seen, better than the infamous car chases in "Ronin", "Striking Distance", "Mission: Impossible II", and "Gone in Sixty Seconds". Being a sound editor in the business affords me some expertise, and the audio in this movie was unbelievable! And having an incredibly hot Kristanna Sommer Loken as the sexy yet unrelenting killing machine was a lot more enjoyable than watching old Robert Patrick, the T-1000 from T2.
For the quintessential action movie fan, it may not be "Die Hard", but you'll find this movie surprisingly among the 20 best pure action movies ever made; a real gem for the summer of 2003. That's despite the weak ending and poorly made CG helicopters.
If you favor plotlines and emotions over kick-butt, non-stop action, just stay at home. I like plot too, but every once in a while, I just want to be entertained and overwhelmed by the sheer power of a movie.