'Come with me if you want to live'

Rating: 10/10 (12 October 2009)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day is one of the best action films ever made, that is a fact. It shows that a sequel can be even better then the original and expand on ideas set out in the first film.
T2 takes place 10 years after the events of The Terminator, set in year 1995. In the year 2029 the Machines set a second Terminator, the T-1000 (Robert Patrick) to 1995 to find and kill John Connor (Edward Furlong) when he is a still a child. The Resistance also send someone to protect John, this time a T-101 (Arnold Schwarzenegger), the same type of Terminator sent to kill Sarah Connor in 1984. John Connor has become a juvenile delinquent, living foster care, who runs away from home, steals bank cards, rides a mini-bike and goes to the arcade. Sarah Connor (Sarah Connor) had become a Luddite type terrorist, attacking computer factories, and ends up being locked up in a psychiatric hospital. When The Terminator saves John, John get the machine to help him break his mother out of hospital. It is after that event that Sarah, John and the Terminator should stop Judgment Day from happening, by attacking Cyberdyne Systems, as well as stop the T-1000.
Some elements of the plot may seen a re-tread of the plot in the first film, but James Cameron, being a skilled writer and director, expands on the ideas of the first film, showing more then just a chase movie. Sarah Connor has grown as a character, from the scared teenager to a strong, kiss-ass woman and it is Linda Hamilton's strongest role. Cameron has a love for strong female characters. Cameron focuses on two key elements on storyteller, plot and character, and that is why T2 is so good. As well as the action and sci-fi storyline, T2 is the eternal love-story between a boy and his robot. Seriously though, there is a strong relationship and chemistry between John and the Terminator, John teaching the Terminator to be more human, whilst the Terminator acts as a fatherly, guardian figure. Cameron also expands on the theme of fate and choice and that the idea of the future is not set in stone. The film also has some of the best one-liners ever in film.
The action is non-stop, relentless and some of the best you will ever see. James Cameron uses both old-fashion techniques for scenes like the chase scene with the truck, but also used to at the time top end special effects, which is effective even now. This film was the first to have a budget over $100 Million, and it is money well spend. The pacing is great, and can not get board during this film.
The Terminator is easily Arnold Schwarzenegger's best role because it requires very little acting. It also fun to see a role reversal in this sequel. Robert Patrick has a real menace as the T-1000, all he need was a look and didn't need to say much. He was a lot better then Kristanna Loken in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. It was also a smart move to make the T-1000 a regular sized man, not another muscle man. Linda Hamilton is tough and believable, whilst, Edward Furlong had a decent debut. I don't know what happened to him, from staring in T2 and American History X to staring in Uwe Boll films.
The Terminator was excellent, Terminator 2, even better, Terminator 3, don't bother.
An essential film.