box office? Was it expected to do a lot more and was considered a disappointment? Or did it meet general expectations?

I was only 13 at the time, but my impression is people felt it performed solidly, but its run was both overshadowed by the other hits of summer 2003 (The Matrix Reloaded, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl) and undermined by the tepid response to the quality of the film itself.

That it did okay but could have performed better.

Slight disappointment.

Film is shit, so to make $150m is a fucking miracle.

T3 was a slight disappointment but it was only because T1 and T2 were so groundbreaking. Really should have come out before 2003. As a standalone action movie it did solid but its part of one of the most influential franchises of the last 30 years...

Yeah it was a disappointment. Most expected a final domestic gross between $180-220m. However because it came out among a sea of underperformers - Charlies Angels 2, Hulk, Sinbad, Legally Blonde 2, Hollywood Homicide etc - it didn't look all that bad in comparison.

Summer 2003 was interesting in that May was huge but June (and the first weekend of July) saw many underachievers (yet most of which opened well including T3) and then July and August were huge once again. In fact 2002 was also similar.

Disappointing.

Never really had a chance. Once X2 and Reloaded had enough time to breathe, and then so many action films came out and failed to have any legs.

You had Hulk, Charlie Angels, then T3 with LXG on Wednesday and Pirates that Friday, then Bad Boys 2, Tomb Raider, and SWAT. T3 was probably looking at 180/ 500WW if not for major competition, which would have been enough for it to be a solid hit. As is, it was a hit, but got lost in the shuffle.

But it still did well, I think it was the 10th biggest R rated film in the states at the time. They hype, biggest starting budget of all time, and the marketplace made most films to break out during that time. Pirates was there for the families/ teens when the others weren't.

Minor disappointment, although it was understandable why. On top of the fact that Ahnuld's popularity had lagged in the last few years leading up to its release (End of Days and The 6th Day both performed below expectations, and Collateral Damage was doomed after 9/11), it also opened smack-dab in the middle of a bunch of other big-budget action tentpoles.

Extremely disappointing considering what a great Terminator film it was - - check out the KJ review thread.

The real travesty was that the crappy 4th Terminator movie made almost as much.

Not really though Bradley, it only did 2/3 of T3's admissions. At least T3 adjusts to over 200 million now. T3 also was still at the point when films weren't peaking overseas yet, and still managed a big number. If the hype was there today (Arnold was same age, etc) it would have done 400+ easy OS in today's international market.

How anyone prefers T3 to Salvation is beyond me. Is it the sense of familiarity in T3 that makes you feel secure and warm? The fact that it doesn't further the story in any way, but just repeats T2 is somehow comforting for you? I don't get it.

Salvation had balls. Thing is, most people were so brainwashed by the idea that a Terminator movie MUST feature Arnold going back in time to rescue/kill someone that any deviation from this was immediately hated.

How darest thou use the forbidden word!!!

I prefer Salvation over T3. I agree I felt T3 was just their for the sake of Arnie reprising his role before he would leave Hollywood for the governor's chair. So they added a female antagonist to change things around a little. Overall I was disappointed.

Salvation on the other hand was more fresh and interesting. Not sure if it was lowered expectations but I dug it quite a lot.

Good man, Gez.

Terminator 3 does have a great, great ending. For most of the film, it is functional bordering on slightly dull, but the ending with the nuclear bombs launching is haunting. I do prefer Salvation, though, in retrospect, they definitely should have conceived a stronger screenplay, one more worthy of the amazing visual experience and Christian Bale's considerable talent. Both are definitely on the not-so-memorable side compared to the way the first two are etched in our minds.

One observation regarding Salvation: in the first two films, particularly watching them as a child, the post-Judgment Day world is epic and terrifying. A real combat nightmare with no conceivable comfort. So I believe there is a certain deflation inherent in Salvation because of the way it controls this wild environment, reducing it to comprehensible popcorn-movie locations, personalities, and plot points.

Everything you've just said is true, especially the bolded parts.