He's back (in 3D)

Rating: 9/10 (18 September 2017)

More often than not a sequel doesn't live up to the original, but 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day' does exactly that and more.
Some 10 years after the events that took place in 'The Terminator', Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) is imprisoned in the loony bin because she kept rambling on about a nuclear war and time travelling cyborgs. Her son John (Edward Furlong), the future leader of the human resistance is now 10 years old and living in foster care.
Meanwhile in the future (2029 A.D.) the machines under control of the computer Skynet are still waging war on what is left of mankind. The machines send a Terminator, the T-1000 (Robert Patrick), back in time to kill John Connor. The rebels in their turn also send back a reprogrammed Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to protect John. As the fate of humanity hangs in the balance, the boy, his mother and their new ally must try to stay one step ahead of the T-1000 on their mission to prevent the creation of Skynet.
While a certain amount of suspension of disbelief is necessary to go along with a story like this one (damn those paradoxes) it doesn't make it less great. This is as much a story about hope and family as it is about cyborgs slapping each other silly. It's a sci-fi/action movie filled with awesomeness (the truck chase scene) but it packs an emotional punch. Cameron blends the trilling action sequences very well with the drama and surprisingly enough humor.
If a movie has a villain it better be a darn good one. With the T-1000, ILM (George Lucas' special effects company) created something unseen and basically made the impossible possible when it was released back in 1991. While the new Terminator is an amazing technical achievement, Robert Patrick makes it an iconic character. He's an absolute monster. Tough as nails, insanely relentless and ice cold.
On the other end you have a very likable hero. Schwarzenegger really brings his A game. He's limited as an actor but he knocks this one out of the park. Hamilton gives us one of the stronger female characters in movie history and Furlong makes a very strong debut. Top that off with an excellent score by Brad Fiedel and you have yourself a classic.
We don't care much for 3D. Although it's done quite well here it's nothing more than a gimmick. It doesn't add anything but it did give us an excellent excuse to see Terminator 2: Judgment Day in theaters.