Review of Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) by Sonu P — 02 Jul 2013

Terminator 2: Judgment Day, is an absolute remarkable film, and personally my number one movie of all-time.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day pulls out the stops, setting the gold standard for expensive, explosive summer blockbusters. T2 delivers a feast of pulse-pounding action, elegantly visualized and finely tuned. Marvelous stunt work, jaw-dropping effects (which haven't aged a day in over a decade on the shelf), and emotional groundwork combine for a sharp, smooth, creative science-fiction action movie.

Story: While Sarah languishes, her offending, teenager son John (Edward Furlong) suffers under difficult foster parents. This not likely hero as Terminator fans well know is apparently destined to become the hope of civilization as the leader of the rebel resistance against cruel artificial intelligence in a post-apocalyptic future. But for now, he's ripping off ATMs to fund video game binges at the mall. So there, nagging parents your lazy son really will amount to something one day! As sensitively played by first-timer Furlong, John Connor is a sensitively wounded spitfire on the peak of young adulthood.

Before long, the two Terminators are hunting for John. One is by the machines, wants him dead. The other is a reprogrammed hope of the rebels, has been instructed to protect the boy. In a clever spin on the star's career and the juiced-up sequel's status, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays the good cyborg this time, Model: 101, while Robert Patrick plays the faster "advanced prototype," the T-1000.

Visuals: Escalating the unstoppable image of Terminators, the T-1000 is the gift that keeps on giving, made of a copied poly-alloy that allows flawless disguises and quick renewal. The T-1000 takes repeated lickings like being riddled with gun blasts and split in two--and keeps on ticking. He can turn his arms into metal picks and pull neat parlor tricks like instantly making his back his front in a fast-moving brawl. A terrific presentation by Patrick firmly sells the effects. The actor sprints like a machine with a burrowing, level glare and perfectly balanced movement. The dream sequence with the nuclear explosion is still equally as haunting today as it was at the time. The visuals are absolutely amazing and over 20 years later still stand the test of time.

Overall: You've got a great story, characters you care about and a great writing. Overall the movie is an absolute blast. The first time I saw it was when I was four years old and instantly fell in love with it. Terminator 2 is my most watched movie, I've seen countless times. It truly is a remarkable film, and a must see.