Terminator 2 is without a doubt a classic, no-holds-barred action film that still manages to pack a hell of a punch even after all this time. This film has that uncanny ability to just grab your attention from the outset and suck you completely in to its simple, but highly intriguing story about two killer robots from the future coming back in time to decide the fate of the future and either kill or protect the leader of the human resistance in the future war against the machines. It goes without saying that Arnie is perfect for the part of a robot, and he's never better than in T2, although this time he manages to inject some dry humour in to the piece as well. Linda Hamilton returns, this time as an extremely tough soldier (an almost totally different character T1) in Sarah Connor, we are introduced to Edward Furlong as the early teen John Connor and of course Robert Patrick as the ruthless, unstoppable T1000 liquid metal terminator which has to be one of the most spectacular characters ever put to film. Director James Cameron has done an excellent job in crafting a sequel that is a classic in its own right.
The plot of T2 is in essence the same as T1, but some of the details have been changed to introduce some surprises. T2 can get away with by and large recycling the plot of T1 mainly because from a technologically standpoint it is vastly superior to T1, almost as if we're seeing how T1 would have looked had Cameron been given $100+ million to make that film. Two terminators are sent back in time, one to protect John Connor (Arnie) and the other to kill him (T1000). After the T1000 unsuccessfully makes an attempt to kill Connor in a thrilling bike/truck chase only to have Arnie save the day, Arnie and Connor break Sarah out of the mental hospital she's held in and together they all go on a search for the cause of Judgment Day, a brilliant scientist at a research facility called Cyberdyne who have secretly retrieved the remaining parts from the terminator in T1 and have used it to start creating technology that will eventually create Skynet, the massive computer system which becomes self aware and starts the war against humanity.
One massive improvement is the T1000. T2 was only the second major Hollywood film to utilise CGI (this is 1991 folks!) and the T1000 represents a milestone in the creation of computer-generated images. His ability to shapeshift and transform his liquid body is a visual feast and genuinely jaw dropping, and has the added dramatic effect of making him appear invincible. Even Arnie's robot, which seemed pretty unstoppable in T1, seems soft and out-of-date compared to this bad boy. Robert Patrick does an excellent job of exhibiting an emotionless, driven robot with only one aim to kill John Connor.
One can't miss saying that Arnie is also excellent in this film. It's really the only role he can play seriously. One of the great things in this film is that Cameron, at least for the first twenty or so minutes, doesn't really tell us which robot is the one who's out to kill Connor. There's a long build-up scene in a shopping centre when both terminators are hunting down Connor and only until both are pointing their guns at Connor do we finally see which one of them is the good guy. It's a great dramatic convention and works great in the story.
I found Linda Hamilton's soldier/warrior take on the Sarah Connor character a little annoying. She's too tough and unsympathetic. No surprise of course given she's fighting an insidious, unstoppable enemy, but even so, she hardly ever shows any sign of being likeable. Probably not all her fault as she obviously did what Cameron told her to do, but it would have been nice to see a bit more humanity in this character except for the few brief moments that we do get.
Perhaps the only down-side to this film, despite its luxurious and lavish visuals and stunts, is not really as dramatic as T1. Even though T1 looks very cheap by comparison, there was something far more sinister and atmospheric to that film that T2 doesn't really replicate. It might have been the injection of some humour in to T2 that did it, or even just that it's not a novelty seeing the same idea again, but T2 does lack some dramatic punch. Another objection lesson in how spending lots of money doesn't always guarantee a better result. Having said that though, T2 is big, bold and dramatic with some spectacular action sequences that are worth the price of admission.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is an excellent sci-fi actioner that has rightfully earned the title of 'classic'.
For the complete, original DVD review, click this link: http://www.allaboutmovies.net/dvdreviewterminator2.htm
Alex DeMattia is the lead DVD reviewer at the film/DVD review web site All About Movies.net. He also contributes reviews and articles for the Digicosm Film Blog: http://www.filmannex.com/Digicosm
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