Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
NZ release: 17 July 2003
Violence & offensive language Rated on: 24 November 2025
What’s it about?
When a T-X, a highly advanced Terminator, is sent back in time to ensure the rise of Skynet’s machines, John Connor and Kate Brewster team up with a reprogrammed T-850 to prevent the coming apocalypse.
The facts
- Directed by Jonathan Mostow
- Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator 2: Judgment Day), Nick Stahl (Sin City), and Claire Danes (Romeo + Juliet)
- English language
- Runtime: 109 minutes
Why did it get this rating?
This film game was cross-rated by the Film and Video Labelling Body. You can find out more about cross-rating here.
Violence
The film contains action violence throughout. People are shot, stabbed, severely injured and die in various ways.
Of the strongest moments of violence include:
- A Terminator punches through the car seat in front of them, impaling the passenger's chest. Their arm is shown protruding out the man’s stomach covered in blood with skin hanging off, as the man screams. This is the most brutal scene and may shock some viewers.
- A man opens a door to find T-X, who pushes him to the ground and shoots him repeatedly offscreen
- A Terminator uses a sharp object to cut open their chest, revealing machinery underneath with some blood and squelching sounds as the tissue is cut.
Offensive language
This film contains offensive language, with words like “f*ck,” “sh*t,” and “b*tch."
When content stays with you:
We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.
