James Cameron's genuinely emotional film

Rating: 10/10 (26 September 2013)

In some ways, I see James Cameron and Steven Spielberg as very similar creatures. Both project expansive, extraordinary visions (Spielberg seems more caught up in character while Cameron, equally as invested, is a little more interested in expansive special effects) that while thrilling on an overall scale are often a bit too sentimental which takes away from the overall film. This is not the case with the timelessly bombastic Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Out of all of Cameron's films, the emotional aspect here is really excellent because it's subtle. A great example of this emotional subtlety is the crying scene where Arnie asks a young Edward Furlong what's wrong with his eyes. Classic. The more obvious and over-the-top scenes of Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) escaping a creepy treatment center are well-acted too, devoid of sentimental music. Just gritty, and unfortunate, reality here. On top of this emotional subtlety comes the action, so when the scenes intended to make the tears start rolling start rolling, the tears genuinely can start rolling. 10/10.