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Terminator 2: Judgment
Day (1991) Preceeded by: The Terminator (1984)
The stakes, budget and technical levels were raised in this seven years junior sequel of filmmaker James Cameron's 1984 hit The Terminator. A clever characterological twist combined with inspired, unassailable writing lay the foundation for Judgment Day. This time, John Connor is an enterprising teenager and his mother is locked up in a psychiatric ward when two futuristic terminators return to kill and protect them, respectively. Cameron's slick and energetic direction drives this action film forward, with impressive special effects which were groundbreaking at the time. The same can be said of Robert Patrick's categorical performance as the unrelenting terminator. He largely adopts the edge Arnold had in the original film, but which the Austrian had largely glossed over with his nice streak in the follow-up. The sequel may not be as uncompromising as the original, but there is nothing to take away the sheer enthusiasm and drive which Cameron is able to recapture. He still directs action scenes and creates moods like few other filmmakers, cleverly incorporating and developing the threads from his first film without feeling like copying himself. The film is a stylistic and thematic triumph, even if ad-libbed Arnold-lines such as "I need a vacation" prove that an even tighter artistic grip from the filmmakers probably would have benefited the outcome. Young Edward Furlong does well in his introductory role as John Connor.
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