Seven years after the events of THE TERMINATOR, single mother heroine Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) is in a mental hospital, whilst her young son – and the future of humanity – John (Edward Furlong) is in the care of foster parents, Todd and Janelle Voight (Xander Berkeley (AIR FORCE ONE) and Jeanette Goldstein (ALIENS)).
However, into the zone come two Terminators, the T-100 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and T-1000 (Robert Patrick), a liquid metal advanced version, the latter which replaces the older 1984 model which has now been programmed to be a good copy to protect John.
John learns of this whilst he is out with a friend at an amusement arcade – and encounters the two of them in the back corridors, where the two do battle. John escapes on a bike pursued by the T-1000, who commandeers a truck and goes in hot pursuit. The good Terminator pursues also on a bike he picked up from a bar along with some clothes at the outset of the film and rescues John in the nick of time.
John then learns that the T-1000 is after Sarah as well as John and heads to the mental institute. With help from the good Terminator, the pair decide to attempt to rescue Sarah…
Effectively the same film with a bigger budget, TERMINATOR 2 does play off some interesting ideas about how technology can be used for the sake of good and progression. Arnie is perfect once again in the role and the visual effects, which were developed out of the morphing techniques used to create a ‘water tentacle’ in Cameron’s 1989 ocean adventure THE ABYSS, contain some memorable and real moments involving the T-1000 courtesy of Industrial Light and Magic.
More sequels followed, but this remains the pinnacle of the franchise to date along with the 1984 original.