Terminator 2: Judgment Day

This week, we’re continuing our look into the Terminator franchise by reviewing Terminator 2: Judgment Day. We'll take a look at the Terminator 2 cast members, best quotes, thumbs up scene, give our own Terminator 2 rating, and more. So let's dive in as we examine how James Cameron was able to construct a highly regarded sequel. And if you haven't already, go back to our previous episode / post as we talked about the first Terminator film in depth as well!

Terminator 2 Cast Members and Crew

While James Cameron, Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger all returned from the previous film, a lot happened for each of them during the time it took to make Judgment Day.

James Cameron - Director / Writer

Cameron would direct two of the most well-regarded science fiction films prior to The Terminator sequel between 1984 and 1991 with Aliens and The Abyss, but there was a lot of legal wrangling that took place behind the scenes in order for Cameron to return to make Judgment Day. He originally envisioned the T-1000 a part of the original film, but the technology didn’t exist in the mid 80’s to pull off that look. However, with the effects he pioneered in The Abyss, he was able to bring his vision of the T-1000 to the big screen.

In addition, this could be considered his master class in how to design and direct an action film. The camera work is some of the best seen in the genre particularly during the freeway chase when the T-1000 has commandeered a helicopter and is chasing our heroes as the helicopter passes under a bridge at high speed and catches up to them as a shootout ensues.

The hallway scene where we meet the Terminators is also among one of the best in the film as the T-800 and the T-1000 converge and we figure out who is the villain and who is the protector. The scene then moves to John as he tries to escape down the Los Angeles canals as the T-800 intervenes and saves him once again. The T-800 definitely knows how to help people escape as he easily dispatches the orderlies at the hospital in order to save Sarah and it leads to another spectacular chase scene.

The film is book-ended by solid action in the first and third act but the second act is crammed with exposition that you almost forget they’re being chased by the T-1000. If there is one negative critique we have against Judgment Day, it would be here in this second act where John is trying to instill some personality into the T-800 and Sarah becomes so focused on her mission that she almost murders a man in cold blood.

There are many scenes we can diagnose and break down, but the bottom line is that no matter what criticisms may be leveled at James Cameron, the man knows how to make a great action movie.

Arnold Schwarzenegger - T 800 / "Model 101"

Arnold was arguably the biggest star in the world at the time of Judgment Day’s release after starring in films like Commando, Predator, The Running, Twins, Total Recall and Kindergarten Cop between 1984 and 1991. Maybe it was because Arnold had transitioned to playing hero roles or maybe not, but the switch of him playing a non-villainous robot in this film compared to the first one was a good choice for his character, it probably would have been a mistake if they made him the ruthless terminato...