One Of The Better Sequels

Rating: 7/10 (4 July 2001)

T2 is a fab movie, especially with its 2nd generation cgi and the introduction of Morphing. Coupled with a good, but slightly convoluted script, and passable acting, T2 deserved to be a box office smash.
It was also good to see Arnie return but this time as the good cyborg as opposed to the baddie in T1. Robert Patrick was also very good as the T1000 but again, the sfx took most of his character away so he didn't do very much other than do a lot of killing, staring & running.
I also felt Linda Hamilton just didn't "look" right as her powerful role, Sarah Connor compared to her original performance in T1. In T2 she looks thin, pale, drawn and doesn't seem to have the same drive or mommentum that she did in T1, even though we have to accept a certain amount of deterioration owing to her incarceration in a mental institution.
Ed Furlong, is also quite flat in the acting dept as the young John Connor. He didn't convince for a second and made the film feel uneven: there are better child actors available but I'm afraid Ed just didn't cut the mustard here.
It's a shame the Mike Biehn didn't reprise his role because he would've added more interpersonal characterisation between Sarah & himself. But as it is the film lacks a certain "warmth" that leaves the audience isolated and not fully caring for any of the lead characters.
It cannot be denied that T2 is a great film but only in the context of sfx and extending the scope of the sci-fi genre. Otherwise the film looks a pale imitation to the original & superior Terminator.
**/*****