bla bla bla bla, bleeugh.

Rating: Null/10 (14 April 2002)

Like many films of the late 80s & early 90s, Terminator 2 attempts to transform an older version of masculinity - muscled, silent, authoritative, alone - into a new more palatable version that still retains the most important (for patriarchy) principles of the original, but that is more difficult to attack. The new version is communicative, nurturing, sensitive and wise, where the old version was silent, authoritative and alone. Both versions retain their focus on the importance of physical strength, size, independence, confidence and authority.
Thus, the silent Terminator of the first movie becomes more communicative, his language developing and adapting in the interactions with his adoptive 'son'. He develops a sense of humour. He has the ability to learn. The problem with all this is that the basic principles of superior male strength, authority and ability remain in place. Sarah Connor is so busy trying to protect John she has no time to be a mother to him, and this desire to protect is inscribed in an animalistic, instinctual and shrill form that denies any intellectual or spiritual bond with her son. Of course her attempts to protect John put her into direct competition with the Terminator, a competition she can never win given her obviously 'inferior' weaker female body. As a result, the Terminator takes on a maternal as well as a paternal role to John, Sarah having disqualified herself, and relinquished her parental duties to the Terminator as she heads off on a suicide mission. The new masculinity has all bases covered, all gender, sexuality, race and class divisions still in place, and everyone's just as oppressed as they were before white heterosexual male got sensitive.
In conclusion, this movie sucks. You guys should try and see past the special effects to the politics that inform the choices the director and the actors make. This is important.