Review: Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)

'Hasta la vista, baby.'

★★★½

The '90s were a hit-and-miss with cinema with some being great, good, and just plain terrible. The early '90s, however, gave us some fantastic films. The best of the early 90s has got to be "Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991). This film is a sequel to the first film titled, "The Terminator (1984)," a seven-year gap between the two. Was it worth the wait? Continue reading to find out.

Terminator 2's story picks up a decade after the original Terminator film, with Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) institutionalized and her son, John (Edward Furlong), destined to lead humanity against Skynet, living with foster parents. A new, more advanced Terminator, the T-1000 (Robert Patrick), is sent back in time to eliminate John, while a reprogrammed T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is sent to protect him. The T-800, Sarah, and John team up to thwart Skynet's plans, leading to a thrilling chase and battle, with the heroes striving to destroy the technology that could lead to a future apocalypse. In 1991, the film featured groundbreaking special effects, including the liquid metal T-1000, and explores themes of fate, humanity, and sacrifice.

James Cameron is a legend. He directed the first two Terminator films, "Titanic (1997)," Aliens, and the "Avatar" films. His style of filmmaking and directing relfects how much he respects the craft. He also knows how to tell a story, which is probably why I can assume people prefer "Terminator 2" over the first one. I can't blame those people, as "Terminator 2" tells a fantastic story that blends the action from the first, improves it, and combines it with the story. Unlike in the first film, Arnold Schwarzenegger's character isn't the villain. Instead, he is the hero, trying to protect Sarah and John Connor. One of the best parts of this film is John Connor and Terminator's friendship. Since "Terminator" is a robot who lacks humanly emotions, John tries to the teach "Terminator" how to act like a human. It's sweet how they were able to bond like that.

It's amusing for a kid to have his own pet Terminator, which was one of the inspirations for filmmaker James Cameron and William Wisher's screenplay. Schwarzenegger becomes a father figure to young Connor, who has never met his own father since, as far as I recall, his father arrived from the future. Another intriguing screenplay suggestion is to focus on the Terminator's lack of emotions; like Mr. Spock in "Star Trek," he doesn't comprehend why humans grieve.

Schwarzenegger's talent as a film actor is to pick jobs that highlight, rather than diminish, his physical and verbal abilities. He plays the straight man in a human drama, as well as in a human comedy, when the kid begs him to lighten up and quit talking like a machine. After the kid's mother is released from the mental institution, the threesome band together to combat T-1000 while also forming an unexpected but effective family unit.

Despite the seven year gap between the two films, I damn well say that it was worth the wait. Sometimes, sequels need to time to be polished. That way, it can allow the filmmakers, writers, storyboard artists, and director enough time to breath, and time to come up with someone that critics and fans would enjoy. Had it been rushed, it wouldn't be as highly regarded as it was when it was first released, and how it is still highly regarded today.

What a sequel to a movie does, is exactly what Terminator 2: Judgment Day does! It builds on and accomplishes what the original movie did brilliantly. I can safely say, that if one complains that there isn't enough action, then there is no talking to you.