Flashback Film Fest 2/5.

What a treat, to have been able to watch this film in a theater, in 3D, in 2018! The opening title sequence kicks in, and you’re bombarded with a dramatic theatrical score set to a wall of fire that succeeds in creating an intense atmosphere for what is to come. Everything has been dialed up to 11 from where we left off: the practical special effects are fantastic, Schwarzenegger’s gunplay is badass, and the CGI is well done and unobtrusive, especially in 3D. T2 is overall more action-packed and high-octane than its considerably slower predecessor, but rather than feeling that it is arbitrary and antiquated, one can easily find themselves feeling a profound sense of gratitude to the older previous chapter that allowed this better, explosive sequel to exist. As action driven as Judgement Day is, it still manages to retain a great semblance of depth that keeps you invested in the characters and their relationships: Sarah Connor’s PTSD and nightmares, John’s budding father-son relationship with a terminator model identical to the one that killed his father, and the scientist confronted with the grim truth that his life’s work will lead to the ruination of the world. These are but a few of the moving parts that make this very engrossing film iconic and unforgettable, and as a result it comes as no surprise at all that for many, the Terminator series proper ends here.