Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick, S. Epatha Merkerson
Directed by: James Cameron
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Science Fiction
1991

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is sent back in time to protect John Connor (Edward Furlong) and his mother, Sarah (Linda Hamilton) from the T-1000, a futuristic cyborg determined to kill John and change the future.

Review:

Tim: The Terminator was a tremendous action film of the early 80s. Seven years later, James Cameron brings us the sequel. You'd wonder how he could ever hope to top the heights of the previous film. Miraculously, not only does he manage to give us an even better movie, he creates an action sci-fi landmark that revolutionized the movie industry. This film is truly amazing. With Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Cameron crafts a brilliant movie.

The first thing I have to mention are the special effects, which far exceeded anything done in previous years. We have explosions, car chases, gunfights, and shapeshifting unlike anything ever done before. The special effects, especially in regards to the T-1000 were revolutionary at the time. Even today, this movie is a marvel to watch (although the special effects have been surpassed). Even still, this is a beautiful movie of destruction and mayhem.

The cast is quite good as well. I absolutely love the role reversal, having the villain of the previous movie now the hero of this one. Arnold Schwarzenegger is tremendous in this role. He made a great villain in the last film, and he makes an even better hero here. You have to love his instantly classic line, "Hasta la vista, baby." He also gets to utter his trademark "I'll be back" line as well. Schwarzenegger was the perfect good guy for this film. As his foil, Robert Patrick makes an excellent villain as the T-1000. Director James Cameron brilliantly cast Patrick- someone who doesn't necessarily look like a killing machine. I love how he blends in with a crowd, and yet, at the same time, you can't help getting a chill every time he appears on screen. He was the perfect choice to play the villain here, and I loved how unstoppable he was). Linda Hamilton is thankfully back as Sarah Connor. She always does good work. I suppose I am happy with Edward Furlong- I don't think he is a great actor, but he does good work here.

One of the best things about Terminator 2: Judgment Day is that this is not just an action movie, but it is actually a movie about something. This movie is really about nuclear weapons, the danger of superior artificial intelligence, the possible effects of time travel, and more. This movie tackles those massive topics while entertaining us thoroughly. The action scenes are all among the greatest ever filmed, which is true even still today.

I can't say enough about how spectacular this movie turned out to be. It is so difficult for sequels to pass their originals, and yet, this movie manages to pull off that feat. It is truly a classic, landmark movie that remains one of the all time greats.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 8.5


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Terminator Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator: Salvation