Is there anything wrong with Terminator 2: Judgment Day being rereleased in 3D? Not much that I can see. Welcome back Arnie, good to see you again. It’s been too long between blockbusters.
Just when you think it’s safe to forget the early 90s even happened, along come re-releases of the best that era had to offer. This time, instead of remaking the original in a vastly inferior and demoralising manner (Point Break, I’m looking at you), the original is simply remastered in 3D.
Terminator 2 starts out about ten years after the original left off, with Sarah Conner (Linda Hamilton) imprisoned in a mental hospital and her son John (Edward Furlong) in the care of foster parents. John is the future leader of a small resistance of humans against an evil computer regime. John’s life is in danger when the evil robots from the future send a ‘terminator’ back to the present to kill him, thus wiping out the very possibility of the resistance.
Leaving the synopsis there is crucial, as to tell too much gives away the great reveal of the film. Terminator 2 was to befall one of the worst spoiler-in-the-preview scenarios in the history of cinema; this reviewer won’t repeat the mistake with the re-release. Although most of the key demographic of this film’s potential audience will already know the plot twists, there is still a chance that there are people who haven’t seen the film already or who have access to Total Recall style memory replacement technology.
Ordinarily 3D leaves this reviewer cold, but in this instance it works really well. The film is already quite dark, much of it set at night, so the darkening of the visuals thanks to the 3D glasses does not detract from the aesthetic. The special effects of the early 90s lend themselves really well to 3D, and the complete effect is very slick rather than simply exhausting.
At the time of the original release, film critic Roger Ebert wrote, “Schwarzenegger’s genius as a movie star is to find roles that build on, rather than undermine, his physical and vocal characteristics.” That seems like a fair statement, and Terminator 2 is a perfect example of Arnie doing what Arnie does best; be Arnie. Schwarzenegger is almost robotic in his screen presence; he misses subtlety and nuance in conversation, he can’t take a joke, he is an unstoppable man-mountain. He is a foreigner in many ways. All this is perfect for the role of a cyborg assassin sent back from the future.
Terminator 2 is a solid film, and it delivers on its promises: action, action and more action. It is pure escapism and speaks of an interesting period of filmmaking. Rightly the film has been given a great many accolades. Although his career is not what it was, this is one of director James Cameron’s better films.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day – 3D is in cinemas from 24th August through Studiocanal.
