Thursday, February 9, 2012

23. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)


He said he would be back, and he meant it. Like Aliens, Terminator 2 is better than the original in every conceivable way. The explosions are bigger and the story this time around is actually heartfelt. After failing to go back in the past and destroy the human resistance leader's mother, Sarah Connor, the machines try to return one more time, this time targeting the rebel general himself, John Connor, only as he’s a boy. The machines send their best Terminator, the T-1000 to do the job. This machine is composed of liquid metal, and can reform itself even after being heavily damaged. All seems lost, until the humans from the future send their own captured Terminator back to help John. This is where the story gets really good, because the Terminator they send, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger as in the first Terminator film, actually develops feelings for John. The ending is so good because Arnold’s Terminator actually commits a noble sacrifice that shows that all beings can love, if given the chance. It may sound a bit mushy for an action film, but it works.

5 comments:

  1. I enjoyed the first film and the CGI animation in particular, but this just blew all that out of the water. Bit weird having the Terminator as a good guy but it does work.

    "I need your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle."

    "You forgot to say please."

    So many memorable quotes :)

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  2. Heh. Yeah man, I can watch Terminator 2 every day and it wouldn't get old. Thanks for commenting by the way!

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  3. and thanks for following me too!

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  4. I prefer the original but still think 2 is great. I wouldn't use the term "better" for me it's "different". For a start you can't sympathise with John Conner as the protagonist, as he's quite simply a snot faced, horror!Sarah's character is excellent and you really felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. I think the film relies on it's set pieces (really? It's an action film fool!) and the effects for the T1000 which are common place now. But I guess I'm just being a little picky. I wouldn't fault it as such, but as somebody who saw both when I could appreciate them in different ways, the original is far darker and less friendly. T2 feels like a ride, Terminator feels like drama

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  5. Thanks for commenting Anonymous! I get your point, I agree that the original is much darker, but I preferred the sequel due to its humanity and noble sacrifice at the end. Still, I love both movies.

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