Terminator 3: The Coming Storm

[UA]

"The Coming Storm" is a fan edit of Terminator 3, done primarily to remove the contradictions to the previous films, and to a lesser extent to get rid of the other bits and pieces that annoyed me.

If you love T3 the way it is, this ain't really for you...but if you liked it well enough, but wish that a few things were different, there might be something here for you.

Anyway, enough of that...here's a link to a much more detailed overview of the edit.

fanedit.org/wpTF/?p=529

If you do check it out, let me know what you thought of it. Good or bad, I'd love to hear it.

[klaatu]

I recommend this edit, its a great improvement and should be viewed if your a fan of these movies.

[rossbondreturns]

Don't like the T-X uploading the virus..as I felt it was quite clear that Skynet Was both the Virus per say and the Virus software.

And it makes no sense for the T-X to have to upload the Virus...unless of course this is the 3rd or 4th time through the event's of T3...then it is possible.

But I just don't think it's needed at all.

And although it's a much tighter edit.

A LOT of screen time has been sacrificed and the film seems far too short...as if it wasn't short enough already. Actually as a writer I think T3 was the perfect elngth and told it's story just fine.

[UA]

I knew I'd never win you over, Ross.

I did say that if you like T3 the way it is, then the edit isn't for you, y'know.

And Klaatu, what can I say to the most vocal fan of this edit? Thanks again, dude!

[rossbondreturns]

Hey Uncanny

It's a fine edit...if you hade left the virus thing alone I would've given it a pass.

[klaatu]

Apr 10, 2008 3:36:33 GMT -5 UA said:

And Klaatu, what can I say to the most vocal fan of this edit? Thanks again, dude!

No problem, as you see I did not want to go overboard with my reply, despite me wanting to shout it from the roof.

I liked the virus uploading info in the first few minutes. I may be wrong here but was there a reason for this virus in T3 as I cant remember what it was off hand? Did Skynet go online without human intervention hack into the normal defence system to somehow plant the virus and if so why did it not just take over the defence system in the first place if it could get in to start a virus?

Wheres in T3:TCS its uploaded, given time to propagate into a fully fledged and worrying virus with a possible reason to bring Skynet online later in the movie which is made quite clear in this version of the movie.

Anyhow i like it

[rossbondreturns]

Just like in T2...Skynet is online and given acces to the Internet and just about everything else before T3 even starts.

Therefore it makes logical sense for Skynet to have created the Supervirus to force Humans to give it access to the Military Command Structure and Secure Servers that even IT hasn't been able to hack.

Humans in the end loose so much of their ability to communicate with their emplaced assets- including the Minuetmen and Subs. Wether they do loose contact or Skynet is blocking contact is left open to debate) whatever the case the Government wants the virus to be wiped out. So Skynet knows that they will Bring it fully online to deal with the virus.

In all of this time it's had plenty of opportunity to realize and study up on Humanities propensity for both war and lying. And of course on all the classifeied documents on its creation. How it's intended to be a Slave Program and not truly be its own commander. So once it's online on the Military networks the virus is taken care of...not difficult when you made it. And then it realizes that It has been given control. It realizes that it doesn't want to be shut down...and the Humans will try to take it offline- it has sampled life...and it wants to keep it.

So it wipes out those who can take it offline.

Nukes Humanity.

And according to the maps doe an even better job than it ever did in T2.

[UA]

Apr 10, 2008 10:07:37 GMT -5 rossbondreturns said:

Skynet is online and given acces to the Internet and just about everything else before T3 even starts.

That's not correct. Skynet is not active until General Brewster presses the enter key. Which is the reason I made the change that I did.

When driving towards the Military base, the T-850 tells Kate that Skynet is taking control of global communications, and yet it isn't until a later scene when Brewster finally activates Skynet. (After being ordered to by the top brass.)

Does not compute.


For what it's worth, this is why I made the "VIRUS UPLOADING" graphic to be not too in-your-face, so it's really only there if you want it to be.

[rossbondreturns]

No Skynet WAS online it just didn't have acces to the Military side of everything yet.

Just like in T2.

In T2 it was activated a on August 4th...and became Self Aware August 29th.

T3's Skynet was online but not hooked into the Military Systems yet.

"Because everything will be under the control of the worlds smartest computer system-"

The niggest clue that Skynet created and unleashed the Virus is in fact in Dialouge spoken to the General in the scene where they discuss the virus itself-

"It's infected half of the civilian internet- payroll-" "BUt the primary defense nets are still clear"

In other words...the Virus Skynet put online- when it was first allowed acces to the Civilian internet....but NOT to the Military side of things still hasn't Broken Military encryption. Skynet is setting istelf up as being the only option.

Allow me to access the Military Apps I was freaking created for...and I will destroy the virus.

This is the blessing of T3's writing it enables two people to have very different and unique interpretations and both can be 100 percent correct.

[klaatu]

Hi, ok Im not the best person or biggest fan who knows about the timelines but as you say different interpretations of T3 seem to happen.

I suppose they way I see it from a general movie go-ers perspective who really has not looked at the timelines and has just enjoyed the movie for what it is. This just regarding the original T3 I see that the TX comes through the time portal. Then for no apparent reason a shapeshifting virus takes over the internet, commercial and low rated militery comms are also infected. As I see it Skynet has not come online yet, even if it is self aware.

Now much later in the movie they decide to drop firewalls in the highest military network and bring Skynet online with its superior AI to see if it can counteract the virus and stop it in its tracks, but Skynet being self aware by then and twiddling its thumbs waiting for the opportunity to be uncaged, now gets free and unleashes hell. Also to me its not Skynet being the (original) virus as John thought as we are told earlier in the movie its not online until Brewster presses that "Y". I just cant see a closed military system left out on the commercial net. I suppose it depends which timeline you wish to follow and I seem to be loosley following Timeline 3 from Terminator files and not Timeline 1 which it appears Ross has taken his dates from.

Now going to Coming Storm, UA's edit. He puts it to you in a very small almost missable graphic that the TX is the one that plants the virus future Skynet knowing full well that Skynet would be brought online to counter this threat. Then the virus spreads, as they do and Skynet is then let out and takes over the world.

Can I say though apart from this contested niggle which is only on a few seconds (blink several times fast and you may miss it) the edit is still worth watching so you can see a new perspective on this movie. Its cleaner and meaner and upto you to watch it.

[rossbondreturns]

Oh no Klaatu (By the way I'm a Brit living in the U.S.)

All the dates in T1 and T2...are of no consequence anymore. The Time Theory in use is (generically) called an N-Jump-

But really it's a Revising Time Loop. Anytime a Terminator or Traveller is sent back it revises the timeline so earlier dates no longer apply. In fact in my talks with J.C. the first film isn't the first time through- there are a number of allusions to that within the script itself.

As for No part of Skynet being online I point you again to T2.

Skynet was brought online on August 4th 1997. Then became self Aware on Aug 29th 1997.

The Skynet in T3...is alluded to being online...simply by the fact that everyone's very busy at their workstations. There is already data coming through these workstations and the only thing we know of that could be giving them any information is Skynet.

It is OBVIOUSLY NOT the main Battlefield Managment System component or O.S. the Brewster activates...since it is not activated until Brewster pushes Y.

But some part of Skynet- maybe some kind of learning algorithm- or a small learning resource is obviously being allowed to run...because there is NO WAY whatsoever the Government would think to put Skynet online if at least PART of it hadn't proven itself.

In that very way it is ery similiar to the explanations of how Skynet proved itself in T2 before it became self aware.

[UA]

Apr 12, 2008 15:46:44 GMT -5 rossbondreturns said:

All the dates in T1 and T2...are of no consequence anymore. As for No part of Skynet being online I point you again to T2.

Skynet was brought online on August 4th 1997. Then became self Aware on Aug 29th 1997.

If you disclaim the dates in the previous films, you can't go using them to prove points.

Also, I'd argue that clearly there are some dates which should have been observed by T3. None of Skynet's actions should change Sarah's age, for example. That's not time travel complications, just sloppy filmmaking.


You've given me food for thought though, for what it's worth. But why give Skynet access to the military sectors if they aren't affected by the virus? There's absolutely no need for it to have control of everything if only the civilian internet is susceptible.

That said, I've been finishing up the DVD version of the edit, and I am considering changing the "VIRUS UPLOADING..." readout to something like "SKYNET LINK ACTIVATED" or something else similarly vague. Not sure yet.

It's funny, as the whole thing was meant to go relatively unnoticed. Maybe I should have left it out of my posted list of edits?

[rossbondreturns]

LOL Indeed.

BUt it has sparked the inevitable Really Good Terminator Conversation (TM) has it not?

[UA]

Exactly. I love a good RGTC.

[klaatu]

Im happy as a newcomer to see this being discussed and welcome more experienced fans input on this such as yourselfs.

I have just had a John Conner realization momement (gasp) but due to being at work and just using my mobile I cant really get into replying. So will give my updated reply later tonight, bet you cant wait. ;-)