An undisputed sci-fi classic.

Rating: 10/10 (3 January 2015)

It's rare to have a sequel that outdoes the first movie. James Cameron does it bigger, better, and louder with more memorable one liners, and with awesome jaw-dropping special effects that still remain spectacularly impressive years later.
Like with James Cameron's previous sequel Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgement Day expands on the original while staying true to itself rather than repeating and rehashing the story. Terminator 2: Judgement Day set the bar extremely high for all movies, sequels, and special effects. In fairness to Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Terminator Salvation, although they failed to reach the same standard as Terminator 2: Judgement Day, regardless of the end result it was going to be a very hard act to follow.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is back in his iconic role as the Terminator. This time in a complete role reversal, he is now the good guy and has been reprogrammed and sent back in time to a modern day Los Angeles to protect John Connor, the future leader of the human resistance who led his side to victory over Skynet which was responsible for wiping out three billion human lives on August 29, 1997 in a nuclear war. In contrast to his original Terminator which was sent back in 1984 to kill his mother Sarah Connor before John was born, the Terminator is now a bodyguard/father figure to John Connor who also stays true to his promise that he would not kill anyone. Without a doubt this is a movie that Arnold Schwarzenegger will always be remembered.
Robert Patrick is the T-1000, an advanced terminator made up of liquid metal that is sleek, lethal, devoid of any human emotion, seemingly unstoppable, and can instantly form knives and stabbing weapons as well as assume the identity of those killed. The T-1000 appears as a Los Angeles Police Officer who can interact with other humans but little does anyone know, he has been sent back to seek out and terminate John Connor. Like a stealthy shark searching for his prey, the T-1000 is relentless in his pursuit to terminate John Connor and must also face off against The Terminator.
Linda Hamilton returns as Sarah Connor. Since the first movie, she has transformed herself from a mousy, timid waitress to a muscle bound, fearless and ferocious warrior who wants to pass on the skills for her son to lead the resistance in the future. However, she has become very violent and almost mentally unstable during this time. Her fear and paranoia of the impending nuclear war as well as the events from 1984 such as her encounter with the first Terminator and the death of Kyle Reese has her institutionalised in a State Hospital for the mentally insane. Her psychologist, Dr Silberman (in an ironic twist from the first movie), fails to believe her repeated warnings and prophecies. Therefore, she remains at the State Hospital until she escapes with the assistance of the Terminator and John Connor. Although she remains distrustful of The Terminator (who she thought was going to kill her at first), she later trusts him after she witnesses the strong bond formed between John and the Terminator while at the same time reconnecting with her son John.
Edward Furlong will forever be remembered for his first role as a young John Connor. Before John Connor was the future leader of the human resistance, in the present day he is a 10 year old delinquent who openly defies his foster parents as well as commits petty crimes such as hacking into an ATM to steal money in order to go to the arcade with his friend. Little does John Connor know there have been two terminators that have been sent back for him which will forever change his life.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day shows that James Cameron (who also wrote and directed The Terminator) is a brilliant director and writer along with William Wisher. The story and screenplay is top notch. Rather than having an sci-fi movie with action for the sake of action, the action is interwoven with action and character depth as well as James Cameron's impeccable eye for attention to detail including events from the past (the original movie), present and the future that take place during this movie. The visual effects still stand the test of time and all of the action sequences including the car chases, explosions and fight scenes are spectacular and by far superior from the 1984 original The Terminator.
I first saw Terminator 2: Judgement Day as a 9 year old back in 1993 and it forever changed my life. Terminator 2: Judgement Day kick- started my interest of movies and from that day Arnold Schwarzenegger was my childhood hero. Without a doubt, Terminator 2: Judgement Day is an undisputed classic that has certainly stood the test of time and still remains as one of my all time favourite movies.
A well deserved 10/10.