So I thought about doing this review of The Terminator Two after scrolling through the TV after watching some BBC America when this popped on. It's been a while since I've watched the movie, and here is a fun fact: I watched the second movie for the first, which didn't make a difference, in my opinion. Watching this movie again made me feel like a kid again simply because this movie is the one that is primarily responsible for my interest in new technology in general.
The acting was impressive, mainly in part of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who I thought brought a certain level of humanity to a machine. I also thought the actor who played John Connor was great because he embodied the sense of a child who has not quite figured out what kind of person he will become because of the seeds of greatness in him. And lastly, I enjoyed the actress who played Sarah Connor--I feel like her character dominates the film.
In this movie, I understand why the authorities and other characters think Sarah's nuts because what she says sounds like something straight out of a science fiction movie. However, in this case, she was correct in the things she said, and it was everyone else who was wrong. I also liked how well the actors of Sarah and John Connor played their roles--they did feel like a family. However, I think when she had a plan to kill the guy who would create Skynet, that was going a little far because all she would need to do was simply break into his house with the Terminator and tell him what would happen. I don’t think she needed to go to the extreme of killing him because she must've known deep inside that even if the creator died, somebody else would somehow re-create the research and complete the project at some point down the line. However, I do understand her line of thinking, even if I think it’s a bit extreme.
I also really enjoyed the fight scenes between the T800 and the T1000 because it is a testament to the fact that even if you have an older model of something, it doesn’t mean it’s not ineffective in what it is designed to do over time. As long as the older model is functioning with proper replacement parts, it should always carry out its intended function.
Some things I did not like in this film include the two stupid orderlies who take Sarah back to her room after her first outburst with the head doctor at the asylum because they are not professional at all. I wish the Terminator had killed them because they represent how messed up the mental health system in this country is. Sometimes, I think the T1000 should have killed that doctor at the asylum just for higher stakes.
I know I’ve stated this in the past, but I still believe that time travel is overused in science fiction films. In this movie's case, the time travel serves a purpose for the story and isn’t overused this time. I also feel that John Connor's foster family was underused, and I feel bad that they died so early in the film because I think, all in all, they were good people. But their small purpose was to highlight John Connor's rebellious phase. I also find it hard to believe that they would get across the border so quickly, given that Sarah Connor is technically an escaped mental patient, and her son is a truant from school, which would bring the authority's attention in the first place. I would think they would have roadblocks set up and at least warned the border patrol, but of course, because of most likely run time and plot convenience, they didn’t show that part. However, I would still like to know how they got past the border patrol.
In conclusion, this movie is terrific, and I recommend it to any action movie fan who hasn’t seen it yet or anyone who likes science fiction. To anyone who has seen this film, what are your thoughts on this film?