Hope Springs (12)

Rating: 2/5Colin Firth has all the luck not one but two lovely leading ladies throw themselves at him in this light romantic comedy.First, in the red corner, is wholesome all- American girl Heather Graham, who heals Firth's broken heart and falls for him in the process. Then, in the blue corner, there's his heartless, flighty ex-fiance Minnie Driver, who drops him like a lead weight and then has a belated change of heart.When Firth's eyes aren't bulging at the sight of not one but both lovely ladies performing a striptease to woo him, he's doing his best to enliven a lacklustre script that leaves viewers shortchanged in the comedy department.His character, artist Colin Ware, heads for the tiny New England town of Hope to seek some solace after being unceremoniously ditched by Driver. Before long, he's found it in the arms of Graham, playing a nurse who offers him some tender loving care.Just when Ware's rediscovering his zest for life, his ex-fiance arrives out of the blue, desperate to do whatever it takes to win back her former love.Torn between two lovers, Ware eventually makes the crowd-pleasing choice after much soul-searching.The emphasis is very much on romance in director Mark Herman's tale, with the laughs being largely few and far between.Buena Vista Home EntertainmentOut to rent on video and DVDTerminator 3 Rise of the Machines

(12) Columbia

Rating: 3/5 Big Arnie returns in arguably his best role but this time he may have met his match against an apparently indestructible killing machine.The latest model takes the form of blonde newcomer Kristianna Loken, whose beautiful looks belie an utterly ruthless determination to sweep aside everyone and everything in her path as she hunts down the unfortunate John Connor (Nick Stahl).He's grown up somewhat since the 1991 Terminator 2 movie and is now a twentysomething waster who breaks into vets' clinics in search of a quick fix.But the return of Arnie's Terminator, issuing dire warnings that he's in mortal danger, proves a real shock to the system for the man destined to halt the Day of Judgement.Claire Danes completes the casting line-up as Stahl's love interest who may hold the key to their survival.Don't be too concerned about the plot, however, because it's not easy to follow and frankly doesn't make much sense, at least to this viewer. For Terminator 3 gives you exactly what you'd expect and much more besides: some truly spectacular action set pieces, notably a freeway chase sequence in which the rival Terminators leave a trail of carnage and mayhem in their wake.Gob-smacked is not one of my favourite phrases, but it aptly summed up my reaction to this extraordinary piece of film-making.Director Jonathan Mustow deserves credit for seamlessly taking over the baton from previous Terminator helmer James Cameron.And while staying true to the thrills and spills of the earlier movies, Mustow adds another ingredient to the mix a nice touch of self-deprecating humour.I especially loved the line from Arnie who, after pushing his rival automaton down a gaping chasm to what would seem to be a certain death, turns to the camera and deadpans: "She'll be back!" And earlier on in the film, when Schwarzenegger's Terminator lands on Earth stark naked, he enters a club in search of some clothes, only to be mistaken for the latest striptease act at a ladies-only night.Kristianna Lokum proves more than a match for Arnie as a deadlier robot that has the handy ability to assume the body of anyone she touches. But this is undoubtedly Arnie's film and, if he's now hung up his acting boots for a career in politics, then he's certainly bowed out with a bang.Columbia Tristar Home EntertainmentOut to rent or own on video and DVD