It's quite the spectacle

Rating: 7/10 (5 May 2011)

They couldn't kill his mom so now Skynet has sent a new Terminator back through time to kill John Connor, now ten years old. Well somewhere around ten years old anyway, the Terminator franchise has never been particularly good at establishing a timeline and sticking to it. Anyhow, as was the case the first time when Sarah Connor was the target, the new Terminator has not come back through time alone. The future human resistance has sent back someone to protect the Terminator's target. Of course the leader of that future resistance is John Connor. The Terminator's target is John Connor. So yes, John Connor has sent someone back though time to save John Connor. The first time around John sent a human back to save his mom and, no small detail this, ensure he would be conceived in the first place. Which makes very little sense if you think about it so I guess the best advice is don't think about it. Anyhow this time John doesn't send back a human to stop the Terminator. He sends back another Terminator. Oh, this is going to be good. Two Terminators from the future, a good one and a bad one, running amuck in Los Angeles. Lots of gunfights, lots of explosions, lots of beautiful mayhem.
Arnold Schwarzenegger of course returns as the Terminator...with a twist. He's not the cold, ruthless killing machine of the first film. He's the good guy, John's protector. And he has more than met his match in the new and improved Terminator, the T-1000. If you thought the first film's Terminator was indestructible wait until you get a load of this thing. Shapeshifting liquid metal polyalloy, the T-1000 is an unstoppable villain. Robert Patrick, ordinary looking guy, plays the part of the T-1000 and manages to be more fearsome than big, bad Arnold ever was. But Arnold puts up a good fight. And, much more so than in the first film, Arnold actually gets to act. This time around his Terminator's got some heart to him. He's learning. He's almost...human.
The conflict between the two Terminators is set up to be something spectacular and right from their first interaction the film doesn't disappoint. Schwarzenegger and Patrick both embody their killing machines wonderfully and, with the T-1000, the film's by now legendary visual effects add so much to the proceedings. Full marks to director James Cameron and his effects team for so brilliantly and seamlessly integrating their dazzling effects into the picture. They set the standard for generations to come.
The film is not without its flaws. Edward Furlong never entirely convinces as young John Connor. Furlong gives a performance which gives off a spoiled brat vibe. Often it's very hard to see John Connor, as he is portrayed here, as a future leader of humankind. Furlong was new to the whole acting thing at the time and it shows. Throughout history we've seen plenty of mature film performances from child actors. This is not one of them. Linda Hamilton, again playing Sarah Connor, has a much harder edge to her than she did in the first film. Perhaps a little too hard of an edge at times one might feel but it's understandable for what the character has been through and for what she knows of the doomsday future. The two Terminators and John and Sarah are left to pretty much drive the plot forward by themselves, other characters serve as little more than window dressing. And at times the four main characters aren't enough to really keep the film moving along. Things sometimes get bogged down as we wait for the next inevitable confrontation between our two killing machines. Of course when those confrontations do come they are spectacular. Terminator 2 was in many ways a revolutionary film and, though not perfect, it is an enjoyable one. And for whatever quibbles you may have with the film there is no denying that it is a rather awesome spectacle.