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Terminator 2: Judgement Day – A Review by Film Nerd

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Director: James Cameron

Cast: Arnold Schwarzenneger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick, Earl Boen, Joe Morton

Synopsis: Given that the T-101 was unsuccessful at killing Sarah Connor prior to John’s birth, they send back a more advanced model to kill John himself when he is still but a teenager.   The resistance manage to send back another protector, this time a T-101 they have reprogrammed to protect John, and obey his commands.   However, the T-1000 that has been sent by the machines is made of liquid metal, capable of taking any shape, and more than a match for the T-101.

A review by Film Nerd.

This film cements for me a belief that James Cameron is the master of the sequel.   He has an ability to make a superior film to the original, despite the high quality of the predecessor.   He made a sequel to Ridley Scott’s masterpiece Alien, and here he surpasses his own original.   Seriously, if anybody could make a Titanic 2, this is the man.

Why am I so enthused??   Simply put, there is not a flaw with this film.   On a very superficial level, it revolutionised what could be achieved with computer graphics.    The liquid metal effect rightfully won awards, it simply was unmatched by anything seen on-screen before, and remains flawless by today’s standards.    The dated look of the original that I quibbled with in my previous review simply was not an issue.    In addition to this, you have a great story, believable character arcs, and incredible acting, each point which shall be covered in further detail.

I will start with the story.   The narrative of this film is truly the platform on which everything else lies.   Sure, the stakes are higher for our heroes, with a more substantial villain, but there is more to it than that.    It addresses all the questions of what life would be like with the knowledge of humanity’s impending destruction.    Sarah Connor has been institutionalised.   If you heard a woman raving about machines taking over, killing us all, and giving a specific date, would you not think her mad.   And the son, raised with this knowledge then told his mother is nuts leaving him with nothing in which to believe anymore would become an absolute delinquent.   Then throwing this pair right back into the thick of it with another assassination attempt, there is vindication, but perhaps even more desperation as the fate of humanity seems almost sealed.   Throw in a protector that is identical to the model that once tried to kill Sarah, you have quite a heady mix.

I shall discuss the acting and the character arcs together, as they are intertwined.   Edward Furlong is John Connor.   In his first film role, I will admit at times he grates on my nerves.   I also remember, though, as a teenager at that time, his attempts to seem cool seemed much more realistic to me.   So I guess the thing that makes him annoying is that he is a believable teenaged.   When called on to show real emotion, however, he does not fail.   His sense of justice is also very clear early, and it is feasible that this kid can grow up into an almost mythical savior.    The T-1000 (Patrick) basically mimics Arnie’s performance from the original, yet as his mission is identical this seems the most intelligent choice.   Linda Hamilton reprises the role with the hardness developed by the end of the original, and perhaps has the toughest role.   She is convinced of the impending “Judgement Day”, the nuclear attack initiated by the machines, she fears for her son and for her race, and she is in a race against time to do what she can.   So she has to be tough for most of the film, and yet softness does come through when concerned with the safety of her son.   Finally, Arnie, though still having to play the automaton, gets greater scope here,   The MacGuffin that his CPU has been switched to learing new skills allows for greater personal interplay with his charge, and of all the ironies, the greatest heart in the film derives from this relationship between boy and machine.

There are many films I can type for hours about, about theme, context, how impact is established.    Judgement Day may not be a serious drama, and its science fiction element will alienate anyone who is not a fan of that genre.   But this is regardless an incredible film.   It entertains at both the adrenalin level, at the level of emotional satisfaction, as well as at the level of self-evaluation.    This is the true peak of the franchise, with Cameron completing the story he set out to tell.

5 stars (out of a possible 5)

 

Terminator 2: Judgement Day on IMDB

Terminator 2: Judgement Day on Rotten Tomatoes

Trailer

The Terminator – A Review by Film Nerd

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Director: James Cameron

Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton, Paul Winfield, Lance Henriksen, Earl Boen

Synopsis: A deadly killing machine called a Terminator, model T-101 (Schwarzenegger), has been transported back in time from the year 2029 to the year 1984.   His target is a simple waitress, Sarah Connor (Hamilton).   She has been selected for termination given that her unborn son, John, will one day lead the resistance against the machines that have taken over the planet in the Terminator’s time-frame.   Luckily for Sarah, John also sent a colleague, Kyle Reese (Biehn) back in time to protect her.

A review by Film Nerd.

After having reviewed a new release, I felt it was time to return to an absolute classic.   Return to a film that, though dated now, was revolutionary for the time.   A film that was a defining moment in cinematic history.   A film that introduced an iconic character with his most famous, most often quoted line.   All together now;

“I’ll be back!”

Having already referred to the special effects, I will begin there.   To bring the more visceral elements of the T-101 to life, make-up effects were more than effectively used.   However, by today’s standards, the make-up was not perfect in the more complicated scenes (the T-101 removing a defective eye for instance).   Also, when the opportunity to observe the Terminator exoskeleton alone in action (Terminators are cyborgs, robots with flesh covering to appear human and infiltrate resistance cells), the stop-motion style filming does come across as a little choppy.   But this is 1984, we are talking about here, and I have no doubt that this would have scared audiences at the time, the efforts being made to bring this to screen really expanding on techniques that would have been previously available.

What makes the film stand up to viewing to a modern audience is the action, the story and the characters.   The story is quite complex, with time travel, attempts by the Terminator to alter the timeline while Reese tries to preserve it, causality loops indicating Reese’s future would not have been the same if he had never come back in time in the first place… basically the type of stuff that scares a lot of people away from science fiction.   If you are into this stuff, it can lead to hours of entertaining debate.   If you are not, you can at least get the gist and wait to enjoy the next action sequence.   Said action sequences early on do not rely on visual trickery so much as they do great car chases, fight scenes, and various attempts to by our heroes escape by the skin of their teeth.   The 80′s was a great period for that stuff, or course generally matched to a heavily synthesized soundtrack.

The final element I mentioned above was characters.   Schwarzenegger is perfectly blank the entire film, a relentless automaton that will not stop, will not feel pain, will not be deterred.   I am not sure if it is a lack of acting that manages this or a perfection of acting, but to this day it remains positively chilling.   Reese comes across as a capable soldier, a man who has grown up in time of war, and yet whose humanity has not been destroyed despite the bloodshed.   Hamilton’s Sarah Connor has the most interesting story arc, moving from being entirely incapable to even wait tables, yet by the end, with the knowledge of the war to come, is able to step up and respond.

Most of you reading this have probably already seen the film.   Trust me, it is time to revisit it, it is a masterpiece, despite the effects of the passage of time.   For those few whom have not seen it, just like my Bride, it is time to correct this grievous error.

4 stars (out of a possible 5)

The Terminator on IMDB

The Terminator on Rotten Tomatoes

Trailer