Every week, we in Her.ie towers will provide you with a blast from the past, a film that you cannot live without but nor should you, the classic film that you simply need to watch.
This week we take a look at the film that is still regarded as having some of the best special effects the big screen has ever seen, Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
Released in 1991, Terminator 2 took the box office by storm, bringing in a total of €519 million in total but we bet that is nothing in comparison with its total DVD sales as it is just one of those films that people return to over and over again. The film also won a whopping four Oscars, which in terms of the sci-fi genre is just virtually unheard of, for Sound, Sound Effects, Visual Effects and Makeup. Never have awards been more entirely deserved.
Judgement Day is the sequel to the hugely successful Terminator, which in itself deserves a place as a Classic Movie of the Week. Revolving around a cyborg who is sent from the future to protect John Connor, we are first introduced to his mother, Sarah, who is now a resident of a psychiatric ward following the events of the first film. In the future, mankind struggles to survive after Skynet, a computer operating system, becomes self-aware and basically destroys the entire planet. A group of rebels who attempt to resist the machines is led by Sarah's son, John Connor.
John is being hunted by a new type of cyborg, one that is made of liquid metal and is virtually indestructible but he is protected by a machine that just happens to look a lot like the Terminator (Arnie) from the original film. John and Arnie decide that Sarah is as much in danger as they are and in order to stop Skynet before it takes over the world, they need her on board.
In terms of special effects, there is literally no other film that looks as good as T2. Despite the fact that it is over 20 years old, it still looks as good as any film that would have been released recently. The scene in the kitchen in particular is certainly one of the fan's favourites and of course, that epic highway chase. Forget the other Terminator films, this is simply the best. You have to hand it James Cameron, he simply made a sci-fi classic.
On top of that, the performances are simply brilliant, Arnie was BORN to play the Terminator and that's no insult of any sort. Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor is brave, courageous and probably the strongest person in the film. The sound and soundtrack are second to none and the running time will simply leave you craving more as the credits roll.
It's time to revisit it. Take out your steelbook right now. Amazing.
