Groundbreaking f/x, strong story, stand the test of time

Rating: 8/10 (3 November 2014)

Certainly a more polished film than the original; a reflection of how far Cameron and Arnold had come since '84 both commercially and artistically. But I hesitate to say that I think it's better. The thing that struck me watching them over back to back days for the first time is the difference in tone. The first 'Terminator' plays a lot like a sci-fi slasher movie. It's very John Carpenter. 'T2' is very much the blockbuster sequel that it was. It's more sci-fi action than sci-fi horror. It's not that it pulls any punches, and when it goes dark, it goes *really* dark, but overall the tone is lighter than the original.
The story here is stronger than the original, and the action is taken to another level. The groundbreaking special f/x hold up superbly. This movie was light years ahead of the curve. It's stunning work.
For me, this makes for a perfect ending for the Terminator saga. Everything else, no matter how good, just feels like a rehash.