Opinions of a Wolf

Summary:
The machines didn’t just send one terminator back in time; they sent two.  The second is a T1000 made of molten metal that can morph into the shape of anything it touches.  It’s out to get Sarah’s son, John, who is extra vulnerable since his mother is locked up in a mental institution.

Review:
This is a fan favorite, and people tended to be floored when they found out I hadn’t seen it yet, so I finally got around to watching it.  It is deliciously 90s, and when I found out the special effects are phenomenal for the time period.  In fact, I wouldn’t be too disappointed to see a movie made today with this level of special effects.  The T1000 looks believable, and the fight scenes are dramatic and powerful.

I enjoyed the twist and new approach to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character.  His accent is perfect for playing a robot, and this was truly great casting.

Anyone who knows me won’t be surprised that I disliked the mental hospital part of the plot.  It presents a very false example of what mental institutions were like in the 90s and demonizes the doctors and other mental health workers.  Obviously mental health workers aren’t going to go around believing people who claim to be visited by time traveling robots, but they will and do treat them kindly.  Other scifi stories have handled similar plot lines much better, and I was disappointed to see such harsh treatment of a helping institution.

Also, the voice overs by Sarah Connor were completely unnecessary, overly dramatic, and full of cringe-inducing dialogue.  It kind of reminded me of the voice over in Blade Runner.  Blech.

These two negative elements did not take up much of the screen time, however.  That mostly consisted of John Connor and Arnold Schwarzenegger both of whom were quite pleasurable to watch.  If you enjoy action movies, you will definitely enjoy this film.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Source: Netflix

Previous Movies in Series:
Terminator

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