The standard of action films of all genres.

Rating: 9/10 (20 May 2010)

No matter how many action movies have been made since 1991, Terminator 2 stands heads above all others; really every other movie is just trying to mimic the standards T2 created. Although the first was quite astonishing in that it was made for a mere $6.5 million yet looks more engaging and explosive than most big budget action flicks today, the sequel stands as one of the three or four films that actually surpass the original in every aspect.
The story continues the Terminator mythology established previously, but also expands on it, giving more background details as well as dropping hints of what the future holds for the Connors and humankind. What is also surprising about this film is how well the acting holds up. Usually characters and plot are secondary to the action sequences, but writer/director James Cameron weaves them together and the result is a very pleasing and satisfying experience that truly wraps you up completely in the story from beginning to end.
By now, it is a well-known fact that Cameron is a master of visual effects and has done more than anyone, sans George Lucas, to make them progressive enough to be the foundation of blockbuster movies they are today. In seeing this and the original Terminator films, we see a more primitive style from Cameron. He must rely more on editing than he does now in order to hide some of the small details not able to be changed with computers or special effects. This gives a more intimate and personal experience to the viewer but cannot take away from the sheer brilliance of the effects used on the character of the T-1000.
In seeing the special edition as I have, I must confess I have not seen the original cut so obviously I have seen more than was initially planned. Yet, I am sure that I have not seen too little of the incredible and painstaking ability and work put forth by Industrial Light and Magic in order to create a character made out of liquid metal, who can change shape into almost any physical specimen, walk through solid metal, and even coagulate after being frozen and blasted apart. Seeing this was almost groundbreaking for me, even though it was released some 20 years ago. The computer and digital effects look better than much of what is accomplished today, perhaps mostly because it adds to the story rather than diverting our attention away from it.
On top of all that, this is simply a very well-made film that puts most other action pictures to shame. In looking at Cameron's filmography, his two bench-mark films are probably Aliens and Terminator 2 as with each of these he raised the bar of what can be acceptable as solid action and essentially paved the way for his less action but just as impressive films of Titanic and Avatar, which now reign supreme as the two highest grossing films of all time. I cannot express enough how enjoyable all of Cameron's films that I have seen are. He will probably never be compared to the likes of Welles, Kurosawa or Kubrick, but perhaps he deserves his own category as special effects and digital wonder pioneer. In that regard, he truly is the king of the world.