Much deeper and more satisfying than the first

Rating: 10/10 (18 July 2005)

Don't get me wrong, the original was a classic, but Terminator 2: Judgement Day is superior in just about every way. The first was essentially just a sci-fi action flick, and while it did what it did very well, it didn't really make you think about it after you saw it (Heroes run from Terminator. Terminator kills anywhere from 4 to 35 people. Terminator finds them. Heroes start running again. Rinse and repeat). While T2 may also be considered an action flick, it actually asks philosophical questions in the process, such as: is the murder of one justified if it prevents the murder of billions?
Philosophy aside, I enjoyed the action and fights in T2 more than the original. The special effects were obviously better than the first (one word: budget), and the acting as a whole was well above average (I even liked the kid who played John, though he could be a little annoying at times), and if I have any problems with the movie, it's that Michael Biehn (Reese) from the original wasn't in it. But given how flawless the rest of the movie is, I can let that slide.
Another thing I liked about T2 was its ending. I think it left a positive message, and wrapped the story up nicely (both terminators burnt to a crisp, all futuristic technology destroyed, stuff like that). I still can't figure out why they thought the series needed another installment (or how they managed to fit it into the plot), but that's money-hungry Hollywood for ya.
All in all, a spectacular movie by itself and a more than worthy sequel to the original. Ten stars out of ten.