Hasta la Vista, doubters!

Rating: 9/10 (15 October 2005)

Terminator 2
The original Terminator, back in 1984, proved to be one of the best received movies of the decade, setting new standards for action films, and creating a defining role for Arnold Schwarzenegger. Now, T2: Judgement Day proves to be one of the few sequels ever made which actually surpass the original in quality, bringing back all the successful elements which defined the first film, and re- creating them to a greater extent here.
Director James Cameron proves to be one of the wisest directors around, as he takes what could have been a terrible gratuitous action movie, and turns it into one of the defining movies of the genre. The plot is paper thin: a killer robot from the future (Schwarzenegger) is sent back in time to protect John Connor (Edward Furlong) who will grow up to be the leader of the resistance against the robot armies in the future wars against the robots. However, a different, more advanced model of Terminator (Robert Patrick) is also sent back with the intention of killing John Connor. Meanwhile, John's mother Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) escapes from the insane asylum she has been kept in, and gets tangled up in the mayhem.
It's probably one of the simplest plots in film history, in fact, I summed it up to a friend of mine as "Arnie is the good robot. The other one is bad. The bad robot wants to kill the kid, Arnie wants to protect him." But the execution of this simple story has such an infectious sense of fun that the viewer can't help but love every moment of it. It's one of the few action movies one doesn't have to regard as a guilty pleasure, because it's regarded as such a classic. And after viewing it, it's no wonder why T2 has been widely proclaimed: "The greatest action movie of all time!"
Admirably, Cameron seems to know not to take himself too seriously, as shown with the opening sequence, as a nude Arnold takes out a whole bar full of bikers with the announcement "I need your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle". After claiming said clothes, he promptly snatches a pair of sunglasses and a shotgun from the astonished bartender, and is on his way, all of this accompanied by the song "Bad to the Bone". It really helps the film that it never takes itself too seriously, as it adds to the enjoyment factor, without any heavy life lessons being thrust at the audience. Cameron also incorporates numerous iconic shots, such as the Terminator stepping on a fallen rose, placing on its sunglasses for the first time, and the robot crushing the human skull at the beginning.
The Special Effects would be considered mind-blowing if used for a current day movie, but considering the movie was made back in 1991, they should be considered nothing less than astonishing. All the effects around the T-1000's morphing properties are incredibly well done and 'real' looking - a remarkable technical achievement, which deservedly bagged the 'Best Visual Effects' Oscar. T2 also won technical Oscars for Sound Editing, Makeup and Best Sound. It's not every action movie that manages to win four Oscars - another reason the movie deserves its iconic status.
But not all aspects of T2 are classic standard. As a whole, the acting leaves much to be desired - especially in the cases of Linda Hamilton and newcomer Edward Furlong. Neither give a particularly bad performance, but they each have so many annoying mannerisms, (Furlong's voice cracking adolescent screech and frustratingly blatant 80's haircut being the worst) that in many cases the viewer finds themselves wishing that the T-1000 would simply hurry up and kill them both. However, it's hard to go wrong with Arnold reprising his career defining role, and it becomes very clear that there was no better man alive to play a robot. (pause for comedic effect to set in. No? Alright then...) Schwarzenegger may probably have the least range out of any actor in Hollywood, but this was the role he was born to play, and every second he is offscreen, we desperately wish he was on screen again. Robert Patrick also plays a great villain as the shape-shifting T-1000. Though most of his part is dominated by special effects, Patrick still comes off as very menacing and dangerous - the perfect villain to counterbalance the equally stoic Arnie.
So it's really no wonder T2 is considered the definitive action movie: the action sequences are superb, the special effects are remarkable, even for today, and there's this infectious sense of fun that allows the audience to overlook some of the movies shortcomings, most notably in the acting department. But all in all, T2 is a highly enjoyable and very strongly made film. Take it for what it is, and you should be suitably entertained. Which is all the movie really set out to do, so it can be considered nothing less than a rousing success. To all doubters of the movie's quality. I have only one thing to say: "Hasta la Vista!"
-9/10