Terminator
2: Judgment Day
(1991)
Rated: R
Runtime: 2 Hours and 32 Minutes
Reviewer: Erik
Grade: AWHOO-YEAH! Okay, if you heard this is a "remake" or a "ripoff" of the original, the only thing that's really familiar is the time travel aspect. Yes, in this one, Arnold's back, but this time it's to save Linda Connor and her son from a bigger, badder terminator, the T-1000.
The similarities pretty much end there.
This sets the stage for "Terminator 2: Judgment Day", where the T-1000 wants to cut to the source and kill the young John Connor. Connor gets away with help of Arnold, then persuades him to help rescue his mom from the mental institution.
Once rescued, in a great sequence, the three hit the road to stay away from the T-2000.
Eventually, it all comes down to the big showdown where all four end up in a place with no escape, and a victor must prevail.
WAIT...don't be so quick to write this one off as unoriginal. Shame on you. There's a subplot about Connor wanting to change the course of history by assassinating the creator of the first chip that will be used to create terminators. This leads to an unsuccessful "hit" and a follow-up assault on a technological company, arguably the best action sequences in the movie.
In a human twist, the young John Connor learns that the Terminator must obey his commands. He tries teaching the terminator how to fit in, socially. He orders the terminator to shoot people in the feet, instead of killing them (a brilliant touch to avoid a lot of unnecessary bloodshed).
And Sarah Connor learns slowly that the terminator would make a better father than anyone else, since it would never raise an arm to the child or allow him to be harmed.
There's a lot going on here. The T-1000, by the way, is made of liquid metal, so he reforms after taking shotgun blasts to the head. It's a bit of a stretch, but it's fun so we ignore it.
This movie is action-packed, maybe even moreso than the original. Yet it's also deeper and more thought-provoking. Like the original, this is great entertainment. Just get past the time travel aspect and you'll see that this movie functions well on its own.