The Best of the Terminator Movies

Rating: 9/10 (20 March 2012)

Although most think the original is the best, this film is helped by the return of the film's main principal stars: Schwarzenegger himself, Linda Hamilton and director James Cameron.
In addition, Arnold returns as the good guy, rather than the evil creature he was in T1.
The result is a top-level sequel, much more expensive than the original, but nevertheless is far better than anyone had a right to expect.
The basic plot is something of an update on that of the original. This time the target is not the mother but the adolescent son. When the film opens, John Connor (Edward Furlong), is now living with foster parents. His mother Sarah (Hamilton) is confined to a mental institution, knowledge of mankind's future annihalation having driven her nearly insane.
Sent back this time are two cyborgs: one is a T-100 (Schwarzenegger), a Terminator reprogrammed to seek out and protect John Connor. His adversary is the considerably more lethal T-1000 (Robert Patrick), a liquid metal assassin who can blend in with his environment and whose fingers and arms can form lethal stabbing weapons.
In an interesting twist, the script works in the creation of the cyborgs and a bid to avert apocalypse. At the centre of this is a hardworking but naive scientist (Joe Orton) whose research will unwittingly trigger Armageddon. Sarah's attempts to stop him add another layer of tragedy and pathos on to an already interesting script.
The sequel takes the inventive step of creating a family bond between the principal characters. On finding John, the Terminator takes his charge to rescue his mother and together the trio form an touching connection between each other: John the son, Sarah the mother, and the Terminator the watchful surrogate father.
The acting by the principals is once again excellent. Hamilton in particular has really made the effort here. As Sarah Connor, she's become enraged, angry and psychotic, with an impressive muscular physique to boot. Edward Furlong, in an underrated debut, is sympathetic and convincing as her son.