Reel Snippet – Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day has earned its rightful place in history as an action classic, both surpassing the original and standing on its own. Everything in this movie is written incredibly smart, from the situations to the dialogue to the way the characters acted. Gone is the 80s cheese that held back the first one; instead we are given a heartbreaking look into Sarah Connor’s psyche, an absolutely breathtaking combination of visuals and music, and terror in the form of the T-1000. The T-1000’s liquid effects are impressive and still hold up today (barring a few moments), but it’s the acting of Robert Patrick that really brings the chills.
The only element the feels contentious to me is John Connor, in that I don’t know fully how to feel about him. I get the feeling that he was meant to appeal to kids, what with his attitude and slang. That said, he’s still a good character and I did care what happened to him. He even had a really heartwarming relationship with the Schwarzeneggar Terminator, one that I thought worked a lot better than the awkward romance Sarah Connor had in the first movie. Also, I can’t really say that Terminator 2 is more kid-friendly than its predecessor because the content is much darker and more graphic than the first one.
In my mind, this is a near perfect action movie. On top of juggling complex themes and concepts, it respects its audience immensely. It drives the plot forward not with impressive explosions, but with carefully crafted characters, drama, and pathos. The writing is smart and the relationships between the characters are really gripping and meaningful. If the Terminator series ended here, it would be the perfect ending. But we have three more sequels to go, so we’ll see what comes of that next time on the Road to Genisys.
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