A worthy sequel and pretty cool action movie

Rating: 7/10 (18 April 2013)

I was a kid when "Terminator 2" came out, and I remember that Summer vividly. It was everywhere; the Subway marketing campaign, the Guns 'n Roses song, even the action figures. It didn't occur to me that this movie would hold nostalgia value, but . . . well, there you go.
There are a few reasons why "Terminator 2" doesn't deliver as much enjoyment for me as the first film; I was never that hot on the score, especially the chase scenes; the T-1000 is a much better effect than a opposing force, it (and Patrick) lacks the unstoppable stalker quality and scare that Schwarzenegger had in '84; Linda Hamilton's narration is a bit much (we can see why she's brooding without hearing her tell us why); and the dialog in between action spectacles is so low-key and done in whispers (usually the ones involving Hamilton) that it tends to slow things down.
But the movie (for the most part) makes up for these with its novel sci-fi invention and terrific action scenes:
1. The shotgun in the rose box (just a great image)
2. The showdown in the mall hallway
3. The truck chase through the canals
4. The entire Cyberdyne sequence (and a great location pick for that office building)
Cameron makes an interesting contrast between the sun-drenched Los Angeles daytime with the cold blue steel palette of the night scenes. And regardless of the film's lesser points, this is a movie with its own look, style and enough excitement to keep anyone interested in its nightmare war-ravaged future.
It's still not Cameron's best, but it's also no "Avatar".
7/10