Iconic but over-rated...

Rating: 7/10 (26 June 2009)

Terminator 2 is a film that I would like to like but can't. There are parts of it I genuinely enjoy but at the same time it doesn't have the appeal or seriousness of its predecessor or the inherent entertainment value of its immediate sequel.
James Cameron's direction and visual style are what make the film look good. But as much as certain scenes from the film remind me of the first movie it never feels as good and dark as the first movie. The emphasis on even bigger action-scenes didn't impress me and only the T-1000 has stuck in my mind visually from this entry in the series.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's role reversal from the previous movie is a refreshing touch but one that is undermined as the Terminator loses more and more of its cold and calculating robot mentality. Becoming a big buddy to the young John Connor is the reason why the ending of the film is so heart-breaking, but the change occurs in such a way that it feels like a very flippant change in direction from the first film.
But maybe I'm too in love with the darkness of the first film and just a tad too sarcastic to enjoy the film's balance of action, narrative and drama. But for me the movie feels long, drawn out and not nearly as dramatic as the first or the third entry in the series. For entertainment value at least it beats the fourth easily but as iconic a film as it is to most people, for me it's just over-rated.