The "Empire Strikes Back" Of The Terminator Franchise

Rating: 6/10 (3 March 2017)

After the original "Terminator" film that was so ahead of its time that the special effects couldn't keep up with James Cameron's vision, "T2: Judgment Day" is an action-packed, adventure-filled extravaganza. It basically does everything Cameron wanted to do in the first one...and then some. The only problem? It skimps on the time-travel storyline in favor of the romping action.
For a basic plot summary, T2 tells the story of a young John Connor (Edward Furlong), a boy who is vital to the future of human civilization once the machines take over in 1997. With mother Sarah (Linda Hamilton) in a mental institution for her wild (yet accurate) claims of the future, John has turned into a rebellious youngster. When a new kind of cybernetic (Robert Patrick) comes from the future to hunt him down, this time John is protected by the Model 101 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) that tried to kill his mother. The goal this time? Trying to prevent Skynet from ever being created.
T2 is an entertaining experience that never gets boring. The special effects are explosive, the pace is always moving forward, and the franchise certainly sheds its "80s movie" clichéd reputation with a slick, edgy new look. Patrick nearly steals the show as the advanced, liquid metal Terminator, one of the great on-screen villains of all-time. Simply put, there is simply a lot to like about the film that most people consider to be the best in the franchise.
For me, however, T2 comes in a notch below the original. Why? When I watch this franchise, I primarily watch it for the intriguing past/future time-travel storyline. That kind of gets lost in this one, what with all the stunts and visual effects. Even the plot arc involving Cyberdyne kind of gets short shrift. Personally, I liked the gritty, darker tone of the first film better. More focus on story/characters than on effects, humor, and action.
The best analogy I can make is that T2 reminds me of "Empire Strikes Back" of the original Star Wars trilogy. That film also forgoes plot a bit in favor of rollicking adventure. Many people (just like T2) think that is the best installment of that series, but I liked its predecessor a bit better (just like in this case too). I can appreciate "Judgment Day" for what it is, but I can't say its my favorite.
Overall, though, T2 is a fun movie that I can still enjoy. It adds some elements to the franchise that I like (primarily Patrick's character). I just wanted a bit more story.