Terminator 2: Judgement Day (T2) is arguably two improbable things: the best sequel of all time, and / or the best action movie of all time. Like Jurassic Park, another early ’90s masterpiece, T2 is a film that seems to transcend space and time. Loaded with a slick look, straightforward plot and special effects that mostly look better than anything in Terminator: Genisys, T2 is a thrill ride that has rarely been equaled.
And now, on August 25, more than 26 years since the original release, it is returning to cinemas. That’s good! But it is in 3-D. That’s less good. However, the film’s director, James Cameron, was responsible for one of the greatest uses of cinema 3-D with Avatar, and personally oversaw the 3-D restoration of his Oscar-winning Titanic. I hope that as long as he had a little bit of input, that the conversion to 3-D has been done with care, and that it won’t be a hasty, muddy mess that post-production 3-D has been in other films, such as Clash of the Titans. And on top of the 3-D conversion, there has been a complete 4K digital restoration. The trailer below shows just how gorgeous the film looks.
Two decades and several lackluster sequels (along with one underrated TV series) later, it can be hard to understand the affect that T2 had on the cultural landscape. It is one of those films that seems to come from nowhere, and blows everyone away. It’s the kind of movie that changes the shape of the genre, and makes everyone sit up and take notice. It’s the type of movie that only comes around once or twice a decade. Terminator 2: Judgement Day even made critics cheer, taking home four Oscars, a feat not bested by an action film until Mad Max: Fury Road.
If you’ve never seen Terminator 2, now is your chance. And if you have seen Terminator 2, here’s your chance to finally see it on the big screen again. What are you waiting for?