I was saying on Facebook the other day how it’s funny that the best film of the year happens to be from 1991; it’s been widely reported that last weekend was the worst in terms of box office since 2001 and I believe it. There are no new interesting movies out for a while (until Blade Runner/Kingsman/The Foreigner) and Canada’s cinema chain Cineplex has made all movies half price for the next week because profits have been so low this year. That’s mainly because this Summer has been absolutely pathetic for great movies.
Don’t get me wrong, earlier in the year we had John Wick: Chapter 2 and Logan but this has to be the worst Summer I can remember with only Wind River and War for the Planet of the Apes making any kind of impression on me. The fact that we got a trailer for a re-release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind as well as other old classics coming to theatres soon said it all.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day was a true event movie in every sense; I remember when I saw it in the theatre for the first time in 1991, I was utterly blown away. The special effects were unlike anything we had seen before but they were only a part of it and never became the sole focus. We actually had a thrilling story, characters we cared about, solid performances and it also preyed on human fears like how our reliance on technology will eventually destroy us… which is arguably even more relevant today.
The funny thing is that it’s a sequel but (for me at least ) it surpasses the original in nearly every way; not just with the visuals but the music score from Brad Fiedel helped to create the feeling of impending doom and it all still holds up today.
I’m not normally a big fan of 3D as you all know but I just wanted an excuse to see this classic on the big screen again and it didn’t disappoint. It has been beautifully remastered with clear picture and stunning sound. My only complaint was that it wasn’t in IMAX which would have been amazing to watch. I only ever really noticed the 3D during the stunning opening sequence but it never got blurry or dark so it helped to immerse you even more into the action.
I picked up a few little things with this viewing, despite having watched the movie a million times only now did I notice that the little gas station in the desert was called Cactus Jack’s after the early Arnold movie. I also picked up how dogs are always barking when the T-1000 was round as they were always used in the future to let the humans know when a Terminator was near.
I know I’m not the sharpest tool in the box never having noticed that before but in my defence my brother hadn’t either.
In terms of flaws I still think John Connor is a dick but also if the T-800 has detailed files on human anatomy then why doesn’t he know what crying is? Yeah, we’ve all asked that before but it always mildly irked me.
I still loved every second of it though and it just took me back to an era of better movies where people weren’t afraid to take chances and make something different all while telling a great story.
This was the age when action movies were truly at their peak and the fact that people would still come to the cinema today to watch Terminator 2 after 26 years shows what a classic it really is. So… next weekend I’ll be going to see Close Encounters.