Note to Hollywood: This is how you make an action film.

Rating: 10/10 (30 August 2009)

And yes, I'd consider this more of an action film than Sci/fi since it takes place in contemporary times and locations. Nowadays, it can be hard to distinguish an action film from a video game. In fact there is one coming out soon that appears to be both. I guess studios these days feel that kids need something to see while resting their fingers after long days of playing their Nintendos/Playstations/whatever. So they come up with all of these PG-13 action films that are often mere meditations of comic books, toys, or old TV shows. Looking back at T2, one may find the action films of today sorely lacking in comparison.
The story of course deals with Arnold returning from the future to protect a boy who will some day lead the human resistance against a world run by machines. This time Arnold is the good guy (as per Schwarzenegger's request) and he's up against a lethal and much more advanced prototype sent to off the kid. The CGI used to create this new T-1000 terminator was jaw-dropping at the time this was released. Though technology to create such things is now infinitely more available, this has led to problems in my book. Now, there is too much done with computers, and stunts don't seem so wonderful if you know it was all done on a computer. Most of the stunts in T2 were live action and extraordinarily filmed using all types of vehicles and explosives. Director James Cameron really sold these stunts in terms of how he filmed them.
Not all directors are a good as Cameron. That is a given. But directors looking at making action films should take note of other strengths found in the construction of T2. First of all, you don't need shaky camera movements to sell to your audience that there is an exciting or crucial scene happening. Here the photography is crisp and detailed. You see everything clearly that you need to see. Right down to the little things. The action sequences are perfectly blocked and the spacing between hostile parties is easy for the audience to figure out. We know who is shooting at who, and how far apart they are from each other. Cameron also made sure his entire cast was proficient with the weapons they were going to fire in the movie. And guns run out of ammunition and need to be re-loaded at appropriate times. Nothing seems artificial in a shootout.
I could go on forever pointing out good qualities of this film. Just watching a bit of it on Bravo the other night reminded me why I saw it so many times in the theater. And this film was rated R! And it still made a fortune! That just proves if you make a good product, you don't have to dumb it down or tame it for the kiddies. If it's good enough, they'll find a way to see it! 10 of 10 stars. Unfortunately, the inspiration seems to have left this series with Cameron.
The Hound.