#39 Terminator 2: Judgment Day

In Summary

Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a classic example of how a sequel can be bigger and better than the original.

With the stakes - the survival of humanity - just about the same as in the first Terminator film, Terminator 2: Judgment Day raises the threat, via the upgraded, almost invincible, T-1000 Terminator.

However, in response, Sarah Connor is stronger and tougher than in the previous film, now capable of fighting for herself, and is bolstered by the arrival of her former would-be assassin, the T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger), who has been sent from the future to protect her son. The sum total is that both sides are prepared for a bigger battle.

A key thread running through Terminator 2: Judgment Day is the malleability of fate. Even though an apocalypse scenario had been avoided in the previous film, it simply caused events to shift until later in the future. Furthermore, Sarah Connor's knowledge of an impending apocalypse has changed her behaviour, thus affecting the way in which she raised her son, sending a rippling effect upon the future of humanity.

Though Sarah Connor has toughened herself up physically, she has become mentally frail, incapable of trusting anyone, and more than capable of killing. It is her paranoia that has driven away potential partners and lost her her son. She may be alive, but she is barely living a life.

The T-800 doesn't just free Sarah Connor from the mental institution to which she had been consigned, but frees her mind from the prison of fate she had been trapped in. It is through her journey with the T-800 - afforded greater charisma in this film - that she reconnects with her son, that she learns to let go of some of her paranoia, that she is allowed to eventually live again.

Of course, what Terminator 2: Judgment Day is best remembered for are the several iconic action sequences, as well as some groundbreaking computer-generated effects. By creating two almost invulnerable characters in the two Terminator robots, it allows James Cameron to escalate the film into some jaw-dropping set-pieces - from the early car chase to the battle of attrition in the forge at the film's climax.

A Memorable Quote

Hasta la vista, baby.

Things You May Not Know

• The film took so long to make that Edward Furlong - John Connor - notably aged during the production. His dialogue had to be altered in pitch in post-production due to his voice breaking and he had to stand in hole during a re-shoot because he had grown taller.
• Michael Biehn - Kyle Reese in the first film - was initially set to play the T-1000, in order to represent a complete reversing of the roles, only for the idea to be rejected as too confusing for audiences.
• Robert Patrick - the T-1000 - trained to only breathe through his nose when exercising so that he didn't show visible signs of fatigue.

One of the Greatest of All Time?
I'll always think of the action sequences when I remember Terminator 2: Judgment Day, this is because, until recently, more only experience of the film was my dad showing it to me, skipping through the scenes with any dialogue. Upon watching it all the way through, what struck me is how well it works on an emotional level.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a case study in how to make a successful action film, as well as a sequel.