Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) - Movie Review

Very few films have been able to do what Terminator 2: Judgment Day has done: It has outdone the original movie. Frankly, there is no better sequel than Terminator 2, and "sequel" is a pretty cruel word to use. "Continuation" is a better word, since this movie advances the story of the first film and ties up the loose ends, while bringing to the screen awesome action, intense suspense, and one of the darkest looks at the future ever seen in cinema.

While in the first movie the target was the innocent Sarah Conner, the target in Terminator 2 is John Conner himself, as a boy. Furthermore, Arnold Schwarzenneger's Terminator is the hero, not the villain, and the combination of these two new characters make for a new depth to the series. Edward Furlong has fun with his Terminator, even though he knows the grimness of the situation. Only director James Cameron could present the gritty action and horror of Terminator and yet still be able to put comedy into it, in the way of a boy teaching his newfound pet, a robot, to be human.

But forget about that. Terminator 2 has some of the best action scenes ever watched on the big screen. The camerawork mixed with the stupefying soundtrack creates a very visual movie, as several of the scenes are now considered classics. It helps that for this movie Cameron has created a new Terminator robot more advanced than the one in the first movie, being able to change shape and form knives with its hands. Robert Patrick does a superb job of this nasty creature, and doesn't let down his character once during the film.

I don't know how many times I have watched this film, but I never get tired of it. The first action sequence, which starts out in the mall and ends up on the streets, along with about half a dozen other scenes, are probably some of the most memorable of the decade, if not longer.

Some people argue over which movie is better, but most agree that Terminator 2 is a worthy successor. In my opinion, it is one of the best action movies ever created.

Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.