Terminator 2: Judgment Day - 1991

Carolco Pictures, Pacific Western, Lightstorm Entertainment

Written and Directed by James Cameron

Cast:

• The Terminator – Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Sarah Connor – Linda Hamilton
• T-1000 – Robert Patrick
• John Connor – Edward Furlong
• Dr. Silberman – Earl Boen
• Miles Dyson – Joe Morton
• Tarissa Dyson – S. Epatha Merkerson
• Enrique Salceda – Castulo Guerra
• Janelle Voight – Jenette Goldstein
• Todd Voight – Xander Berkeley

Story: Skynet has sent another Terminator to kill his human nemesis, John Connor, this time to the year 1985, when Connor is about 14 years old. John is living with foster parents while Sarah Connor is being held in a State Mental institution, where she is under the care of Dr. Silberman, the doctor who originally interview Kyle Reese in the first film. This new Terminator is an experimental model that can adapt to its environment like a chameleon, and can change shapes at will. The resistance has sent through another protector, this time a reprogrammed copy of the original Terminator. With the protector's help, Sarah Connor attempts to stop the construction of Skynet by eliminating the man most responsible for its creation, Dr. Miles Dyson.

Review: Technically, this is a superb film that combines excellent sets with exceptional use of computer graphics and photography to create a better feeling than Terminator 1. However, as far as the plot goes, I have two problems. Problem #1 is this conversation from the first movie between Kyle Reese and Dr. Silberman:

Silberman: “Is that when you captured the lab and found...the time displacement equipment?”
Reese: “That's right. The Terminator had already gone through. Connor sent me to intercept and they blew the place.”
Silberman: “How are you supposed to get back?”
Reese: “I can't. Nobody goes home, nobody else goes through. It's just me and him.”

Therein lies the rub, as the Bard would say. How did the second Terminator get sent through by Skynet if its defense grid was smashed and the resistance had won? Now, to be fair, since Reese came from 2027 and the newly touted year in T2 is 2029, perhaps the resistance was premature in their boasting of victory and Skynet was able to rebuild the lab. But you have to admit, since we are talking about time travel, it does seem like a bit of an inconsistency.

Problem #2 is a bit more profound. At the end of T2, we witness the destruction of all of Dyson's work, the broken chip from the first Terminator, and the meltdown of both the T-1000 and the Protector. Therefore, if Skynet is never built, there is no Judgment Day, there is no time displacement device, Kyle Reese is never sent back from the future, and John Connor cannot exist. This would seem to preclude the making of a third film, but when logic and fantasy conflict, fantasy usually wins out.

There are a few other problems with T2, but they are not plot related. Edward Furlong, who was introduced in this film, does an excellent job of transitioning from budding juvenile delinquent to accepting his role as the destined leader of the resistance, but he is the only character that truly develops in the plot. Joe Morton and S. Epatha Merkerson do a fine job of portraying a family caught up in unbelievable circumstances, but overall this film relies heavily on the special effects and much less on the characters of the story. Somehow Cameron has lost the vision of Harlan Ellison and settled for the box office blitz as the purpose of the film. Rated R for violence and language, I would have to disagree and say PG-13. Collectible as the sequel to the original, by itself, not particularly.

The Terminator - 1984

Hemdale Film, Pacific Western, Euro Film Funding

Written and Directed by James Cameron

Cast:

• The Terminator – Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Sarah Connor – Linda Hamilton
• Kyle Reese – Micheal Biehn
• Dr. Peter Silberman – Earl Boen
• Lt. Ed Traxler – Paul Winfield
• Det. Hal Vukovich – Lance Henriksen
• Matt Buchanan – Rick Rossvich
• Future Terminator – Franco Columbu
• Punk Leader – Bill Paxton
• Punk – Brian Thompson

Story: SkyNet, a self-aware computer system in 2029, has waged an on-going war against the human race for more than thirty years, but the humans are about to conquer the machines. In an act of desperation, SkyNet has sent a Terminator back to 1984 to kill Sarah Conner, and prevent the leader of the resistance from being born. A soldier from the future, Kyle Reese, is sent back in time to protect Sarah Connor, the mother of John Connor. The Terminator is a cyborg, a machine with human flesh surrounding its components, so it appears human. While running from the machine, Kyle confesses to Sarah the reason he volunteered for this one way mission: he has fallen in love with Sarah. In a moment to themselves, they make love, and unknowingly conceive John Connor.

Review: Based on the writings of science fiction author Harlan Ellison, James Cameron's dark vision of the future was a launching pad for several careers in Hollywood. Arnold Schwarzenegger was at the height of his career and appearance in 1984, so his size and musculature made him the perfect choice to play the killing machine from the future. Linda Hamilton became a star after a somewhat lackluster career by portraying Sarah Connor, a role she reprises in T2: Judgment Day. Micheal Biehn, a heretofore minor character actor, gained overnight popularity as Kyle Reese and went on to film other action films, including Navy Seals and Aliens. Even Lance Henriksen can claim a large amount of his success on his role as Det. Hal Vukovich, and both Bill Paxton and Brian Thompson were seen early in their careers thanks to their brief but memorable roles as the punks who first confront the Terminator.
While the special effects were not what we would expect to see now, for 1984 they were exceptional. The mechanical movements of Arnold were timed and precise, and the skeletal movements of the Terminator at the end of the film are matched with his character. There are some disparities in the plot, but those are the normal disparities that come with any time travel story. The action, once we get past the initial introduction of characters, is fast. Even when the action slows, the plot moves forward with a consistency rarely seen in action films, and the on-going development of the characters is well written and acted. Its popularity is apparent, since it has spawned no less that three sequels which manage to cover every question, including how John Conner got the scars across his face. Rated R for sex, language, and violence, older teens will probably not find the solitary scene between Sarah and Kyle too embarrassing, and the younger kids should be in bed. Definitely a collectible for any good collector.