An action ride with a message? Wow...

Rating: 9/10 (10 January 2003)

I saw "T2" when I was eleven. I think my parents were nuts to let me see it when I was that young, but I could still kiss their feet for allowing me the chance. "T2," while still full of the violence and gadgetry that defined the first film, is a far more thoughtful introspection on what it is to be human. Sarah Connor (Hamilton) - the helpless ingenue of the first film - has morphed into a hard-edged psychopath, while the T-800 (Schwarzenegger) becomes a father-figure to the impressionable John Connor (Furlong). While Sarah has become less and less human due to her knowledge of the future's horrors, the Terminator slowly becomes more and more human because of his exposure to John. To paraphrase Sarah from the end of the film, if a machine can learn the value of human life, perhaps we can, too.

For an eleven year old, that was one hell of a heavy message.

But if you're not in the mood for deep thought, never fear. "T2" is full of plenty of gunfire, explosions, and hand-to-hand combat to satiate even the most bloodthirsty of moviegoers. The police shootout at the Cyberdine building is one of the best staged fight scenes I've ever seen. And the climactic battle in the steel factory at the end of the film is amazing.
In my opinion, one of the best performances in the film (only outdone by Ms. Hamilton) is that of Robert Patrick as the T-1000. Whereas Arnold was terrifying in the first film because of his sheer brute strength, the T-1000 is equally - if not more - frightening because of his cunning, fluidity (literally) and determination. In the original film, the Terminator seemed to be a bit like a plodding elephant, following Sarah and Kyle with slow, inexorable steps. In T2, the T-1000 is an agile opponent who can be anyone or anything at anytime. There are moments during the film where you could almost swear he's human, such as when he exits the police car in front of the home of John's foster parents. The way he looks up and down the street is so realistic, you forget he's supposed to be a machine. He can even be downright charming! Heck, there were times I found myself wishing the T-1000 was the guardian, rather than Arnold!
Whereas the original Terminator was a bulky killing machine, the T-1000 is an assassin. The difference is made markedly clear by the physiques of the two actors: Arnold is, naturally, built like a brick house. Robert Patrick is whip thin and muscular, without being overbearing. His eyes are especially chilling - if RP himself weren't such a nice guy, you'd swear they were serial killer eyes. The contrast was a brilliant move by James Cameron.
The fluid metal effects of the T-1000's morphing STILL hold up today, and are just as awe-inspiring as they were twelve years ago.

T2 is probably one of the greatest sci-fi/action films out there. I think it surpasses the original in terms of message and acting. I always find myself missing the heroic human character, who was Kyle (Michael Biehn) in the first film; the Terminator, while an enjoyable and unlikely hero, is just a bit too robotic to really connect with. But I think in this case, having that hero character would have taken something with a powerful message and made it kitzchy. The dialogue is kept to a minimum, but you don't even notice. If you're looking for something more than just your everyday action film, you can't beat "T2."