Still Mesmerizing After All These Years.

Rating: 10/10 (10 April 2015)

Terminator 2 is without a doubt one of cinema's all time greats. It is also one of the sequels everybody can agree on is better than the original. Everything that T2 has to offer is innovative to all of film. Sure there are some head-scratching moments that people can't help but question, but that is when James Cameron expects people to infer and figure things out for themselves. I don't give much thought to these questions. Just sit back, relax, and be wowed.
In 1997, machines take over the world causing most of humanity to be wiped out. John Connor is the leader of the resistance who is gaining the upper hand. The machines send back a cyborg (Schwarzenegger) back in time to 1984 to kill his mother, Sarah (Hamilton), a prevent Connor's birth. John sends his friend (Biehn) back in time to protect her, who ultimately becomes John's father. The whole paradox of John's father is very interesting. They destroy the Terminator and Sarah's knowledge of the future has her going crazy. That is where T2 comes. T2 is a sequel where it helps if the first is watched. All the questions are filled in with this, watching 1984's just makes this experience better.
In the future, the machines have created a liquid-metal T-1000 Terminator (Patrick) that can transform itself into anything. They send it back in time to 1994 to kill John's 10-year-old self (Furlong). John and his crew steal an Arnold model and program it to be good and send it back to protect him. Arnold gets John and explains what's up. There's some action between him and Patrick which is awesome. Patrick is a skinny guy who is more powerful than Arnold. I think it's funny how both their facial expressions never change during any of their fights. They are machines, and both men must've found it hard to keep their faces from changing shapes. We get a good look into the life of Sarah Connor, who has been put in a mental institution where she is abused. John and Arnold break her out, but Sarah is still hunted by her previous encounter with his model and an idea of judgement day. They must work together to protect John and thwart Patrick. Patrick makes lots of really cool kills and transformations. For 1991, the effects are as real as can be. Of course, there's some dazzling effects with Arnold's model. The innovative effects were the first things that were noticed. Of course the action plays a big part as they were very well done too. The complex plot and ideas of how modern technology can destroy the world, trust, and family are played about in very important and unique ways. I love the way the movie constantly unfolds and gets from place to place. So many moments just fly by that cause you to keep your eyes on the screen. Cameron does this the right way, with build-ups and pay- offs, showing that it was necessary to have. The thrills and suspense are done so in perfectly, wondering how Patrick can get kills and if he can destroy the trio. Cameron also adds some humour. Arnold is the king of one-liners, making every movie he's in funny in some parts. Playing a robot with more lines is guaranteed to make almost everything that comes out of his mouth a gag. The chemistry between him and Edward Furlong is wonderful and funny too. Furlong has a squeaky voice, so he's just as funny as Arnie. He teaches him how to be hip, with hilarious results. In the process, Arnold becomes the closest thing John ever had to a father and makes him feel important.
I love everything T2 has to offer. It was the first R-rated movie I'd ever seen and still blows me away all these years later.
4/4