Terminator 2: Judgment Day
1991
D: James Cameron
**********
Pros: Direction, Action, Score, Characters
Cons: Not as Tight as the First Movie, Some Tone Problems
This is the 30th anniversary of Terminator 2, a movie many people site as their favorite blockbuster and (wrongly) assert to be the quintessential example of an improved sequel. In fact, this is a movie that many people will forgive for its alleged flaws. In recent years, I’ve learned of the error of logistical nitpick film criticism, and yet even those reviewers always give this movie a pass. I suppose that might betray a sort of hypocrisy.
Now before I discuss this movie’s synopsis, I want to make a little speech concerning spoilers. It really annoys me when people argue that there’s some kind of statute of limitations for them, that if enough time has passed, they can say whatever they want. It’s an example of one's annoyingly trying to defend a lack of consideration as if they’re standing up for some principle of etiquette. It’s like the people who complain about babies on airplanes; there must be a term for this. I say, if someone is lucky enough to watch a classic movie blind, then don’t ruin it for them; that person is a rare, beautiful flower and I envy them. That being said, the first act of the movie has a decidedly effective twist with well-executed misdirection.
Taking place years after the events of the first movie, T2 focuses on protection of a young John Connor (Edward Furlong) when a second T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is sent back in time. The twist is that this one has been reprogrammed by the resistance to protect him from the T-1000 (Jason Patrick), a more advanced Terminator made of liquid metal that can imitate any person it touches. This model is even more impervious to gunfire and can form itself into any shape at its convenience.
The movie does a great job of hiding this fact from the viewer until a great reveal in which both converge on John. I wish I could have appreciated this, but the movie’s toy commercials made no effort to cover things up for my childhood self. Robert Patrick is unassuming enough to work decoy protagonist while consistently coming off as the cold-blooded killer he is (he still shows a slight sardonic demeanor and kills at least twice out of annoyance). He’s a more sophisticated model in contrast to the 800’s being a tank. Arnold is enjoyable as always in the role while being allowed to show some personality after he is reprogrammed to adapt to learning experiences by the heroes. One scene I have a problem with is Arnold’s introduction in the biker bar. First, I find it odd that he doesn’t murder anyone in there despite having no reason not to. Later in the movie John has to stop him from killing a random person, and has to tell him not to kill without reason (It makes sense for a Terminator to act within its nature while pursuing a different primary objective, but not so such programming it to obey your childhood self.). This softer approach not only lessens the tone, but somewhat spoils the otherwise good misdirection. The absurdly unserious use of George Thorogood’s “Bad to the Bone,” while synced well with the movements onscreen, doesn’t help, either. Terminator's use of "Burnin' in the Third Degree" made sense while being more tense.
This scene also solidified a meme that would plague all subsequent Terminator movies: the Terminator must wear leather and sunglasses. It made sense in the setting, but it has a certain artificiality to it that underscores how the first movie is still the best in the series. In that movie the T-800 began its mission in a bulky punk jacket. Being seen and injured in public during the first shootout compelled it to cut its hair, hide its damaged eye with shades, and don a slimming leather jacket, all which was surprisingly effective as a disguise. The plot is what drove the stylistic choice. Little things like that make the first movie work better as a self-contained film of its own. Another example of this is a decidedly cringe forced slang that feels like a unsuccessful attempt to start another meme. John attempts to train the Terminator to talk more organically by sayings things like ”Hasta la vista, baby,” and the Terminator, of course, mimics it. The phrase never really caught on outside its association with the movie. It’s one of those examples in which the work was so popular it even made like a bad part of it. Not exactly the naturally great line that was “I’ll be back.”
Still, Terminator 2 adds a lot with its seemingly gimmicky twist. The Terminator develops as a character. It’s a rare movie which gives us the scenario of a heroic version of a cool villain while making it work. After the T-800 rescues John, he reluctantly assists the boy in rescuing Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) from a mental hospital before she is acquired by the T-1000. Connor has also evolved from the normal young woman in the first movie to a tough, lean fighter. Her attempts to raise John as a future savior of mankind have branded her a crazy woman, while turning John into a bitter delinquent until he finds out the truth. Her initial distrust of the T-800 (who eventually learns the value of human life) lends to the movie’s drama, and her nightmares about the coming nuclear apocalypse in 1997 are truly frightening in execution. Hamilton is great in the role, and I’d love to see grizzled, bad-ass grandma Hamilton in a movie that’s not an atrocious sequel.
Despite his delinquent-like demeanor, John turns out to be the conscience of the movie. It makes him a stronger and more likable protagonist while sacrificing his believability as a child. Perhaps I could go more in depth on this quandary if I ever get to DuckTales (2017)
As for some of the apparent fridge logic, I have some defenses and some concessions. While some would question why the Machines would not send a Terminator back earlier to take Sarah out before the events of The Terminator, the decision makes sense. Said events were part of a deterministic timeline. Skynet would obviously not prevent its own existence by going back further, any more than the AI in Roko's Basilisk would counterintuitively act against its own existence and punish people out of irrational spite, but I digress.
I think there’s an unwritten rule that makes movies like Terminator and Back to the Future Part II possible. Instead of the assumed effect of the original timeline’s being erased the instant the first person goes back in time, there’s a period during which both timelines coexist until a significant act is made. For example, if Person A goes back in time and it takes him five minutes after arriving in the past to kill Person B, then Person B has five minutes to go back in time and stop him before he’s erased from existence. Of course, there are insignificant changes happening in the time line gradually from the moment person A infects it with his presence. The past and future are combined while the former is constantly modifying the latter. I don’t know if anyone else has codified this: The Timeline Permutation Rule.
Also, I suspect the T-1000 doesn’t break the in-universe rule of time-traveling because as an energized, fluid material, it’s not “dead” like a metal endoskeleton. I still question its ability to mimic the complexity of a human body while not being able to form even simple mechanical moving parts.
This sequel takes a different direction than the heroes’ simply protecting John so the machine war can be won. They decide to go directly to Cyberdyne Systems in order to destroy all its research and thus prevent Judgment Day (the nuclear war leading to the Machine War) from happening.
Meanwhile, the T-1000 is seriously considering giving up and starting a family.
John’s youthful optimism contrasts with Sarah’s cynicism in that he stops her from murdering Cyberdyne researcher Miles Dyson (Joe Morton) before his work unwittingly causes disaster. After convincing him of the reality of the situation, they recruit him to destroy the company’s headquarters while minimizing casualties. The epic final action scene summons the T-1000 and leads to a great chase scene followed by the T-800's poignant self-sacrifice. With hope that Judgment Day has been averted, T2 justifies its existence as a sequel further by changing the stakes and giving us a more optimistic ending. Unfortunately, T3, while being fun, ruined this with a more fatalistic retcon; at least Alien3 respected our subjectivity enough not to act fun right after tearing our hearts out. One almost wishes that the vaguely cringe epilogue was included so as to prevent people from getting ideas. I find the part about kids’ playing with toy guns as a microcosm for what’s wrong with humanity (not to mention a bit hypocritical) a bit pretentious, but other than that the movie checks out.
T2 is also bolstered by phenomenal direction by James Cameron. The action scenes are brilliant, and the film earns its R-Rating more than Terminator does. It feels modern with its sleek atmosphere (I still prefer the grungy 80’s feel of the first movie, though), and Adam Greenberg deserves respect for the cinematography. There are also memorably creative moments that add to the appeal. One decision that slightly annoys me is Cameron’s baffling choice of replacing the awesome roar of a minigun with a more generic and slower machine gun sound effect. Like that of the Gargoyle shades (?) in the first movie, the Harley-Davidson Fatboy gets a subtle product placement. A Winchester 1887 is also used to cool effect. The movie also foreshadows Cameron’s increasingly antiseptic dependence on digital picture and CGI. His last hurrah as a writer would be Kathryn Bigelow’s Strange Days while his directorial swan song would be the well-executed bad idea that was Titanic. The special effects were truly praiseworthy and revolutionary; the T-1000 does a great job showing detailed reflections while remaining within limits of the time. Like Jurassic Park, however, the revolutionary CGI still pales in comparison to the great practical set pieces. Boomer directors like Spielberg and Cameron understandably thought there were gradually making practical effects obsolete, but they would soon start using it as a crutch. Thank goodness for Christopher Nolan.
Brad Fiedel enhances the already great score of the first movie with a more traditional sounding score with its own atmospheric cyberpunk touches. The introductory scene, which features the dark future with improved special effects, allows the viewer to watch this movie without having to see the first one. Sarah Connor’s narration adds depth and exposition without being too frequent or intrusive.
Other cast members include Earl Boen as Dr. Silberman, S. Epatha Merkerson as Mrs. Dyson, Castulo Guerra as Sarah’s arms dealer friend from her survivalist days, Danny Cooksey as John’s mulleted friend, Michael Edwards as adult John Connor, DeVaughn Nixon as Dyson’s son, and Michael Biehn as Kyle Reese. John’s foster parents, Todd (Xander Berkeley) and Janelle (Jennette Goldstein), are an interesting case as they seem a bit abrasive while apparently trying their best to raise a clearly troubled youth, but TVTropes doesn’t hesitate to assume they’re abusive people without conclusive evidence. Linda Hamilton’s identical twin sister Leslie Hamilton Gearrean (RIP) doubled for Hamilton as T-1000’s mimicking her as well as at least one effects trick. Uziel Gal (inventor of the Uzi) trained Hamilton in weapons handling.
Terminator 2 is one of the best sequels out there and a must see. It’s a truly great film while still being qualified as a “popcorn movie.”
