I stand corrected. “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” isn’t as much of the pathetic, dull sequel to its two infinitely better predecessors as I believed it would be.

Granted, “Terminator 3” is sometimes pathetic, it’s an idea that could have been a complete disaster, and despite a few testaments to its stupidity, it’s a sequel handled with respect to the franchise.

With Judgment Day avoided, or so we thought at the end of “Terminator 2,” John Connor (Nick Stahl) is introduced as living in fear of an eventual doom. Connor admits he never stays put, forever living under a concealed identity.

This doesn’t stop the Terminatrix (Kristanna Loken), a signal of an inevitable Judgment Day, from tracking him down. She, like the two terminators before her, was sent back in time to kill Connor, with the T-800, a.k.a. “Nice Guy Terminator” (Arnold Schwarzenegger) sent back to protect him.

This third outing of the popular sci-fi series suffers some major cutbacks. Major absences are director James Cameron, tough lady Linda Hamilton as the assaulting matriarch Sarah Connor, and Edward Furlong, who played John Connor in “Terminator 2.”

The Terminatrix attempts to come off scary, much like the T-1000 (Robert Patrick) who preceded her, but she comes off as a mentally-challenged Transformer. It’s only later in the film where she’s pulling a head-swiveling Linda Blair (three times by my count) when she provides any lasting effect.

The good news is these factors don’t really matter.

“Terminator 3” works as a sequel because its blatant obviousness as another entry into a franchise.

Where “Terminator 2” was another chapter in the saga, “Terminator 3” isn’t necessary or relevant — though to dismiss this entry simply as an excuse to rake in money would be to ignore the pure guilty pleasure of watching it.

Points to the writers for making a coherent story, especially without the creative genius of “King of the World” Cameron involved. By keeping a compelling story in correlation with a mammoth parade of special effects, “Terminator 3” is the sequel “The Matrix Reloaded” should have been.

Most of the film’s flaws are alive and kicking within the first half-hour. It takes a while to get used to the self-parodying nature of the movie, particularly the all-too-familiar introduction of the two terminators.

Though some jokes are flat and the dialogue even worse, we all know we want to see what a digitally-manipulated ass shot of the 55-year-old next potential Governor of California looks like.

“Terminator 3” succeeds in its phenomenal action sequences. The $170 million had to go somewhere — and it shows in the realistic digital enhancements of a battered Terminator, flying machine-gun equipped machines and the riveting car chase sequence a half-hour into the movie.

Because of an ambiguous ending, I smell another “Terminator” sequel. If it’s as good as this one, I don’t think I can complain about it.

Though sometimes without a brain in its head, “Terminator 3” is the most entertaining adult-oriented film of the season, fully rewarding of the anticipation it created.

“Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” is like a sullied Sean Connery James Bond film. It stars guy we love, but the story can make our eyes roll. Comparable to “You Only Live Twice” or “Thunderball,” it isn’t the best of the series, but it’s one hell of an audacious movie.