At last. A sequel that equalises its predecessor

Rating: 10/10 (9 January 2007)

This marks my 100th review for the IMDb. And I've chosen Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Although my favourite of the trilogy is the superb 1984 classic, T2 is that rarity. A sequel that in every regard is the equal of its predecessor.
James Cameron proved in 1986 there is such a thing as a good sequel with Aliens. Although not as scary as Alien, it was a thrilling, spectacular action extravaganza that was every bit a classic as Alien.
And that's what T2 is. In fact, I think its the film James Cameron originally envisioned with The Terminator, only with the luxury of a whopping budget the other didn't have.
The plot is not all that dissimilar from the first film. Skynet, having failed in its first attempt to wipe out John Connor, the leader of the human resistance in 2029, has sent another Terminator through time to try again. But a more advanced one, the T-1000 (the very underrated Robert Patrick). A liquid metal shapeshifter, he can assume many forms, create stabbing weapons, and revert to liquid so bullets have no effect on him.
The resistance send another protector, this time in the form of another Terminator (would you believe it, Arnie!), reprogrammed to fight on the side of humanity.
Linda Hamilton returns as Sarah Connor, John's Mum. Having wound up in a loony bin for her rantings about the future being doomed, she's forced to break out to protect John. And become a tightly wound, kickass mad momma!
Edward Furlong plays the 10 year old John, dumped in foster care, and now the target himself. Played with considerable rebellious precocity by Furlong. Making him annoying as hell!
And Joe Morton gets drafted as Miles Dyson, the creator of Skynet, who unwittingly condemns the human race to a bleak future. He tries to help change the future by getting rid of the components of the first Terminator, left over from 1984.
These are all the threads woven into the plot. And it makes for a very multilayered experience. The action moves at a breakneck pace, allowing for some very thrilling setpieces. The action does slow down at the halfway point (something unheard of for a James Cameron film!), which is T2's only fault. It doesn't quite have the relentless feel of the chase like the original. But it does allow for some fascinating explorations into the relationship between The Terminator and the young John Connor.
In a complete about face from the evil machine Arnie played originally, he's now the good guy. Humanizing the machine, nowhere in any of Arnie's other action films has he played the underdog to such a degree. He is even persuaded to refrain from killing people. Shooting and maiming them instead is a perfectly acceptable substitute.
Robert Patrick was a surprise revelation as the T-1000. With his steely gaze, impassive face and unassuming frame, he is surprisingly quite frightening. Especially because he doesn't look threatening. But he can throw someone like Arnie through a wall, and he can form himself into many dangerous guises.
T2 was singled out for high praise for the special effects sequences. And with good reason. Back in 1991, CGI and morphing effects were only just starting out. But James Cameron utilises them to astonishing effect. Any scene with the T-1000 appearing as liquid chrome makes you sit up and take notice. There are so many dazzling scenes, afforded true realism the way people are reflected off the chrome. And who could forget Robert Patrick frozen by liquid nitrogen, shattering to pieces, melting, reforming his blobs into a puddle, to assume human form. Wow!
Cameron also finds time to make some potent points about a possible nuclear holocaust. Sarah's dream sequence is a staggeringly realistic portrayal of an unassuming city destroyed in an instant by nuclear weaponry.
T2 is certainly one of James Cameron's most ambitious films. He blends the action, suspense and ethical viewpoints into quite a successful package. There are occasions where I noticed obvious back projection and stunt doubles, but I found it strangely refreshing in an action film that sometimes feels like it might collapse under its own effects and setpieces. I know that's a strange thing to say, but it seems to add a humanist essence to proceedings.
The ending is quite a bravura of heady action including a SWAT van, helicopter, pickup truck and automated lorry that ends in a steel mill. The deaths of both Terminators are on the one hand a triumph of effects work and real poignance on the other. Try to guess which one is which.
T2 is one of James Cameron's most action-packed films, and Arnie's most intriguing. It didn't seem necessary to continue after this, but alas they did. Shame, because T2 would have been a rip-roaring finale to an impressive first act. The Terminator may have more gritty resonance, but T2 is still a sucker punch of an adrenaline rush.
Cracking!