Excellent on Every Level

Rating: 10/10 (18 March 2003)

Ten years ago, an innocent young woman named Sarah Connor was targeted for assassination by a killing machine from the future. She barely managed to escape with her life from that ordeal, but it ended up having a tremendous impact on her. You see, a man had also been sent back from the future to protect her, and in the process he gave Sarah a warning about the terrible danger that threatened humanity--a nuclear war caused by a future computer that left humanity all but extinct. Sarah's future son, John, was humanity's only hope in that future, but Sarah could stop the whole thing now if she tried.
And try she did. She became a killing machine herself, destroying the research that would lead to artificial intelligence. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to find the root cause of the danger, so she began teaching her young son how to be a "great military leader." Then finally, she was captured and institutionalized, leaving a rebellious John in foster care.
This is where Terminator 2 begins. And once again, the future artificial intelligence known as Skynet has sent a killing machine back in time to prevent John Connor from rising to lead the humans. This time, though, ten-year-old John is the target. And once again, the humans manage to send a protector back in time, as well. It's only a matter of which one will get there first.
Of course, the protector does, but just barely. And off we go on a journey that will change the course of humanity and, more importantly, will redeem Sarah Connor. For that is truly what the movie is about. Sarah, tormented by the knowledge of a horrendous future, has completely lost touch with her humanity. She is no longer capable of loving her son; her only concern is that he remain safe so he can lead the survivors in the future. Then, when Sarah gets specific information regarding the development of Skynet, she heads off on a mission to ensure that future never happens. Only John can stop her, but can this boy and his pet killing-machine convince her that murder will only hurt their cause?
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a story of life and hope and possibility. "There's no fate but what we make for ourselves." And no matter how far down the road we've traveled, it's never too late to change direction.
T2 is, in my opinion, James Cameron's masterpiece. It works on every level, from superficial action to allegory. The visuals are brilliantly devised, from the evil terminator driving a police car with the slogan "to protect and to serve" to the fire extinguisher behind Sarah's supervising doctor in the interview scene. It is one of my favorite movies, and, I would say with only the slightest hesitation, possibly one of the greatest movies of all time.