A piece of cinematic genius...

Rating: 10/10 (27 October 2005)

I adore this movie. I could never stand action movies, but T2 is so intelligent and moving that it stands apart from everything else.
First, the story - brilliant, smoothly making the necessary transition from T1. The dialogue runs the gamut from hilarious to heartbreaking, but always strikes exactly the right chord.
The cinematography and effects are stunning, especially the scenes filmed during "magic hour", when the pale gold of sunset casts a meaningful and lovely effect on the scene. Being the first $100 million movie naturally the effects are remarkable for their time, but they hold up wonderfully against anything made today.
It's the actors, however, who steal the show. Linda Hamilton can play insanity and despair like nobody's business, and she gave her all here. Robert Patrick was wonderful in the demanding role of the T-1000, creepy and threatening even during the funny finger-wagging moment. Arnold Schwarzenegger balances non-stop action with a machine's emerging humanity; frankly this movie cancels out every dumb action flick he ever made. New-comer Edward Furlong carried the film with seeming ease, giving an astonishing performance for his age and lack of experience; the "We're not gonna make it, are we?" scene is hauntingly perfect.
James Cameron and his team have given us a classic that has something for everyone. You'd never know that this is the guy who made Titanic.