The purest form of action cinema there is

Rating: 10/10 (11 November 2016)

At the time of release, this was one of the biggest, most expensive, box office hits ever made. Obviously that reputation has long since been diminished by films which have come since, but I still remember the hype and excitement that surrounded this film when I was but a ten year old boy. Containing Arnold Schwarzenegger's most accessible, likable performance, it's difficult to find fault with this near-masterpiece of adrenaline-pumping action.
Essentially it's just a string of set pieces linked together by a few scenes of dialogue. There's little drama or acting involved - all the characters are clear-cut - basically, the film goes from one outstanding action sequence to another. And these action scenes are truly wonderful. There are five in all; each more exciting and meaningful than the last. The first comes when the T-800 and T-100 finally meet up and have a huge battle in a hallway, smashing walls down and throwing each other through windows. The battle of the titans continues outside in a riveting truck chase, stopped only by a huge explosion. The third suspenseful set-piece shows just how unstoppable the T-1000 is, as the goodies and baddies battle over rescuing Sarah Connor from her mental asylum. Then there's lot of gunfire and explosions in the Cyberdyne building siege, until the final climatic battle between good and evil at a steel mill.
If THE ABYSS was the first film to really introduce CGI, TERMINATOR 2 is the first film to really make use of its facilities and to place them in a context - unlike later entries which tried to make non-computerised things look real, and failed. The T-1000's morphing shots are stunning, show-stopping, and exceptional, and they work because they are meant to look as such. Aside from these excellent morphing sequences (the scene involving the T-1000 coming out of a floor is probably the greatest), there's tons of ammunition and explosions flying across the screen at every opportunity. Arnie dons some realistic "wound" makeup in the final scenes of the film, and once again the makeup is flawless. The special effects are the best things in this film; the makeup, CGI work and stunts all come together in absolute perfection.
The performance are spot on too; characters are introduced and are made charismatic, but thankfully are not dwelled upon. Edward Furlong makes an impressive debut as the streetwise, foul-mouthed kid who has a heart of gold, while Linda Hamilton has undergone a complete transformation from her victimised waitress in the first film to a muscular, lean killing machine herself. Robert Patrick helped to carve himself a niche for playing evil psychopaths, and his slim figure goes well with the morphing capabilities he possesses - he looks like a match for Arnie. But it's our friend Schwarzenegger who steals the film, starting out as a cold, calculating machine and in the end sacrificing himself for mankind. That this finale had me bursting into tears on more than one occasion shows just how good Arnie is in it. He's funny, heroic, likable and consistently impressive - what more could you want? Other familiar faces fill out the supporting cast, with the likes of Xander Berkeley and Earl Boen (returning from the first film) in minor roles.
The violence isn't skirted, either...lots of people get impaled by the T-1000's knife-arms, plenty of men get shot in the knees (ouch), Arnie even cuts the skin off his own arm at one point. But this is primarily an action film, and should be treated as such. Every scene is flawlessly composed, with some little neat ideas thrown in almost everywhere - everything is portrayed coolly and stylishly, especially where Arnie is concerned. He really is the king of cool here - from the flick as he puts on his sunglasses to the shotgunning open of locked gates in split seconds to his final catchphrases - "Hasta la Vista baby" and "I'll be back" to name but two. And still there's more to praise: a moral behind the story, a suspenseful score, excellent opening titles, no lulls in the film whatsoever, nice photography, crisp editing...the list is, indeed, endless. In my youth, this was my most-watched film, and I can still watch it over without ever becoming bored. A masterpiece, plain and simple, and one of my very favourite films.