Mind-boggling

Rating: 10/10 (16 June 2007)

Seven years have passed since the first Terminator's release. It was initially a success, despite a low budget. Critics and fans loved it, and after seven years, the 90's have begun and the Terminator is back- and might I say, better than ever.
The movie picks up several years later with Sarah Connor trapped in a mental hospital for claiming that a 'terminator' even existed in the first place. Her son, which is the whole reason any conflict arose in the Terminator series, has now been born and alive for 11 years (although he looks more like a 14 year old). He's a foster kid (punk), and he's living the way he wants to. But he is soon caught in the middle of a battle, and this is what the movie is all about.
The movie is well-done, with an excellent format, a dark and brooding atmosphere that sheds some light (and tears) at the end. Robert Patrick does even better than Arnold Schwarzeneggar did as a baddie. This time, Arnie is the good guy, a Terminator programmed to protect John Connor, and Robert Patrick is the liquid metal Terminator set on killing John Connor. His character is done to perfection with its CGI.
All the action in the movie is spectacular. The first half hour of the movie is quiet, followed by an edge-of-your-seat car chase that will leave you breathless. More events begin to happen, and twenty minutes later, another action sequence picks up in the mental hospital. Whenever you want the action, its there and in your face.
The next half hour of silence (meaning no action sequences), is spent developing the characters further and adds the third dimension, whereas the first half just gave us a 2-dimensional development. By the end of this first half hour you know the characters by heart, and now you want the action again.
The next hour is basically all action, involving lots of car chases and battles. It's almost non-stop with probably five minute breathers in between some of them. The hour feels like only twenty minutes because you're having such a good time, so the movie doesn't really feel too long. They couldn't have set it up better.
The acting was great; Edward Furlong's character was obnoxious in the beginning but his character got better and at the end he really proved he can act. Linda Hamilton was at her best; a bit darker and definitely more pessimistic, but you can actually believe she is a real person thanks to her and the script writers.
There's not much more to say about this amazing film, except the action is great, the music is well done, and James Cameron gave it his all in this film. Not once did I find myself disliking any portion of the film. It's practically flawless, and because of this, I give it a 9.7/10. Nice work, James!