Another splendid film by Cameron

Rating: 8/10 (3 March 2006)

James Cameron just keeps putting out hit after hit. After the success of 1984s The Terminator, and 1986s Aliens, Cameron brings us another hit film with the sequel to The Terminator.
Back in 1984 Skynet sent a cyborg back from the future to kill Sarah Connor before she conceived a son that would grow up to lead the resistance and defeat the machines. It failed. Now Skynet has sent back a more advanced and even deadlier Terminator, called the T-1000, to kill Sarah's son John (Edward Furlong), who is now a young teenager with an attitude and living with foster parents. However the rebels were once again able to send someone back to protect John Connor. What follows is one of the most action packed films to ever hit the screen.
The special effects in T2 are much improved over the old 1984 film, and the pacing, classic Cameron, is just as well as in the earlier film. However this time around the acting by Linda Hamilton seems a little too forced, and the storyline doesn't resonate as well as in the earlier film. What would, since the earlier film had such a unique story. The only thing T2 could do, as a sequel, is follow the story and keep us interested. It does all those things, but it can never quite match the ideas that were brought forth in the original film because after all it is just a second part to that movie.
Arnold Swarzennegger's role in this film can't quite reach the pinnacle of success of the first film either because here he is made into a good guy as protector of John. Since the new Terminator is so much more advanced, Arnold is kind of made to look a little weak here, and that takes some of the edge away from his character. After all, in the original he was made into this almost indestructible machine that kept coming at you and never stopped. It was fearsome and incredibly scary. He no longer has that now as the good guy. But Robert Patrick, as the advanced T-1000, was perfect for the role. He is just as cold and unforgiving as Arnold was in the first film, but he can morph into anything, including family and friends, and that makes him even more deadly because you never know who or what he could be.
I thoroughly enjoyed Terminator 2. It was a fantastic film, and I saw it more than once, so that tells you how much I liked it. The visuals were stunning for 1991, but I can't quite give it classic status like The Terminator and Aliens for reasons mentioned above. Still this is a thrilling experience, and many people did indeed like it more than the first film. I guess it depends on what you're looking for in a sci-fi action adventure. And this one delivers the goods.