The reason this film sits atop so many others is this....

Rating: 10/10 (6 April 2015)

I have seen this film dozens of times. I am, and have been for many many years, an insatiable Arnold Schwarzenegger fan and this, of course, is his masterpiece. Terminator 2: Judgement Day is a masterpiece for a number of reasons and a number of people. This film defined film-making for its time. It was the crown jewel on 80's/90's action films and sequels and science fiction and horror and special effects and stylized film making and budget....even if you hate the series or the genre, you have to step back and respect it for all those other things it completely nails. Twenty five years later and the special effects in this film not only stand up but exceed anything you can see today. I hate James Cameron's ego but gosh darn the man is a legend in pioneering film making. The film is stunning. You can watch this again and again with your mouth gaping open at the sheer epic stunning qualities. Now, in addition to that its an incredible story. Its a disturbing and dark vision of the future and the perfect follow up to the classic first film. The list of incredible scenes in this film is never ending. The first time Sarah Connor sees The Terminator again, every chase scene, every battle scene and of course the incredible apocalyptic dream of Judgement Day.
Arnold Schwarzenegger returns to his iconic role and he is very different than the first time. In The Terminator he was stoic and brooding and emotionless. This time he returns with far more character and distinctive emotions while still being a cyborg. It can be explained that he has been reprogrammed to have more feelings though its never mentioned. I will also say that his change in character opens the door for him to be just a little bit campy at times and yet somehow it works even given the serious nature of the film because...well he's Arnold Schwarzenegger. Linda Hamilton returns again as well and the woman is the ultimate bad-ass. Sarah Connor defines action heroine. She is beyond tough as nails and her experience in the first film has turned her into a jaded soldier that you can't help but root for. Edward Furlong plays John Connor and he certainly wouldn't have been my first choice to play the role and yet now looking back you can't imagine anyone else doing it. He is the perfect angsty and troubled teen and his dynamic with Schwarzenegger's Terminator is perfect. Robert Patrick is one of the greatest villains in cinematic history as the shape shifting metal terminator T-1000. He is practically void of emotion and is terrifying and brilliant in the role. Joe Morton also deserves mention as Skynet creator Miles Dyson.
I can't even fathom what the mind of James Cameron is like. He just seems to envision everything and make it seem so plausible. Terminator 2 has its share of plot holes but even knowing them and watching the film again you forget all about it because the film is so easy to watch. It is non-stop action, absolutely thrilling characters and story and as amazing and iconic as the first film is, this is one sequel that is easily heads and tails above the original. At the same time the movie cannot stand on its own without seeing the first. There is an emotional depth to knowing the events of the first movie and how they connect to this one. Terminator 2 set a bar that perhaps still has not been raised. Easily one of the best films ever made for too many reasons to even count. This is the juggernaut all action and sci-fi should attempt to live up to. 10/10