Great follow-up that is not nearly as intense as the original!

Rating: 8/10 (6 April 2019)

The original Terminator is one of the most intense sci-fi/action movies I've ever seen. T2 is not nearly as thrilling and suspenseful as the original. And that's why I found this sequel, which considered to be even superior to the original, slightly underwhelming. The action set-pieces are almost as good as those in the first movie, and due to the the fact that this one has a massively higher budget, the action sequences feel even more well-shot. The visual effects look fantastic, and surprisingly still hold up pretty well. But the problem isn't about the action nor the CGI; it's about the situations and the conditions here that couldn't make me worry about the characters as I should. Even at its climax, the intensity pale in comparison to that's I felt whenever a car chase or a small fighting scene come in the original.
Another issue I have with this movie is that it drags a little bit at its second act. I don't mean it gets boring at all, but it feels a bit devoid and empty halfway through. Maybe better storytelling could have fixed that. I also have a couple of nitpicks, but I can't say they hindered my experience of watching the movie.
That said, James Cameron doubled down almost every single aspect in the story and the characters to make a new extremely taut story that expanded the characters' arc like I've never seen before in any film. The dialogue between the three main characters and even the story itself revealed that the characters, humans or cyborgs, have extra more layers into them. Even the villain is effortlessly well-rounded, and he oozes the impressive development Cameron has made in this world, that of course in addition to the fact that Robert Patrick is quite intimidating and so iconic as T-1000.
There is nothing can top what have been already said about Linda Hamelton's character, Sarah Connor, which definitely deserves its place among the absolute best female characters ever appeared on the silver screen. With that being said, I prefer to praise the astonishing chemistry between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Edward Furlong as the titular cyborg and John Connor, respectively. From the spot-on jokes and funny one-liners to the surprisingly moving and heartwarming scenes the two characters shared, the dynamic between these two endearing characters is simply unmatchable! Furlong is sadly a wasted talent that proved in this movie and American History X that he has a grand range and monumental acting abilities. Here he walked a very thin line between being an imprudent, reckless teen and an innocent child to bring out a likable, relatable, and quite convincing character.
Judgment Day is undoubtedly one of the best sequels ever made, but in my opinion it didn't surpass the original, nor even reach its level. That's in large part due to its relative lack of suspense that's arguably the best merit the original has.
(8/10)