Terminator 2: Judgement Day is my favorite movie by James Cameron and one of my favorite movies period. Great performances, amazing special effects(that still hold up) and a thrilling story all come together to make what I consider the greatest( edging out Starship Troopers) sci-fi action movie of all time. This is the definitive Schwarzenegger performance and one of Robert Patrick's best, even though he barely speaks. It takes everything that was great about Terminator and cranks it to 11 and adds only good things, in other words the perfect sequel.
Where do I even begin? Let's talk about the actors first. This is hands down my favorite Arnold role. I never thought in a million years I would be moved emotionally by Arnold, but that ending hits you right in the gut. Edward Furlong plays the young John Conner and while some find him annoying I thought his performance was pretty on point. He is a kid who grew up with no father and gets thrust in to a situation that he can't remotely deal with, not to mention growing up thinking his mother was insane. Lashing out and being an asshole are pretty much a given in a scenario like that and I think Edward Furlong did a great job. Linda Hamilton plays a more grizzled version of her character Sarah Conner from T1 and does a fantastic job. Her interviews in the mental hospital and the first time she sees the T-800 again really show her talent. Robert Patrick plays the T-1000 liquid metal Terminator, and despite saying very little manages to be one of the most menacing villains in film history. He isn't immediately threatening like Arnold was which makes the reveal that he has been sent to kill John Conner even more shocking, and after you see what he can do every scene he enters gets much more tense. The other supporting characters all do a good job, I'll mention Joseph Thomas Morton as Miles Dyson because he has the largest supporting role and I think he makes great use of his short screen time.
Next let's go into the effects. This movie makes great use of CGI and practical effects blended together seamlessly. This was one of the first big budget blockbusters to do so and it influenced all that came after. Movies weren't limited to what could actually be built (in miniature or otherwise) and could now include anything you could imagine. While some movies have definitely abused CGI over the years, many more have used it to create wonderful things, and this movie helped make that happen. One aspect that often gets overlooked were the great prosthetic effects used in the movie. The battle damage to both Terminators and Arnold's computer brain really stick out as good examples. As for sound effects the gunfire is given weight by great sound design, as are the hand to hand combat scenes and the motorcycle chase of course.
The soundtrack is amazing and features one of the most iconic themes of all time. The score really strengthens this movie's impact, creating tension, fear, anger, or sadness through sound alone. The song Bad to the Bone also makes a quick appearance and serves to heighten that scene as well. Brad Fiedel did an amazing job on this movie and his soundtrack actually spent six weeks on the Billboard charts after release. I think the score can be what makes a good movie into a great one and T2 doesn't disappoint on that front.
I first watched T2 with my Dad and I've re-watched it at least once a year since. T2 is just one of those movies that never gets old for me. Even though I know exactly what is going to happen I still get excited every time I watch, and I still feel moved at the end. This movie is great and if somehow you haven't seen it yet, go watch it immediately. So far T2 is the best of the Terminator sequels and I don't think it will ever be dethroned, but that certainly doesn't stop Hollywood from trying. They are giving it another try in 2019( with James Cameron back) so who knows, maybe the Terminator will be back one more time.
Thanks for reading!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XblVVbqIHU