He Be Back.
137 Mins. Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert Patrick, Edward Furlong, Joe Morton & Linda Hamilton. Director: James Cameron.
You're going to need to grab your boots, your clothes...and if you've got one your motorcycle. Because Arnold Schwarzenegger and 'Terminator 2: Judgement Day' is back...but this time Arnie's in 3D. For 'The Godfather Part 2' of action movies and the greatest sequel of all-time to surpass the original not named, 'The Dark Knight'. The 'Tron' light years ahead of it's time special effects of this graphic content digitally rendered and remastered in 3D, 25 years later for its quarter century anniversary. All produced and presided over by definitive 'Titanic' director James Cameron. Who took the live action three dimensions of his three sequel starting awe-amazing 'Avatar' franchise and made the need to wear those Terminator shades at the cinema more than just a novelty outside the light of the Pixar lamp crowd. Back in the 90's when ultimate all action heroes Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone weren't 'Expendable', or caught between The Rock and a Vin Diesel 'Fast and Furious' pace, they were the biggest Hollywood stars not named Tom (Cruise or Hanks) and definitly the brawniest. Hollywood's version of the Lakers vs the Celtics. Frazier vs Ali. Dylan and Springsteen. The Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Batman vs Superman. And 'Terminator' was the ultimate movie machine franchise, with 'Judgement Day' proving to be the biggest movie of the 90's not featuring parks of prehistoric terminators and the best James Cameron one if you let go of that one set on the ship. I mean even this humanoid cyborg learning the emotions of regular folk would budge up on that plank of wood Jack! This sequel sealed the fate of the man who said he would be back being the greatest action hero alive. Sorry Sly! Even if seeing Stallone in this movie as the other Terminator (with all due respect to the only one who could have played the T-1000 with laser like assassin precision) like the mocked up billboard in 'The Last Action Hero' would have been more fitting like the formidable Travolta/Cage hero/villain 'Face/Off' that was amazingly originally meant for them. 'T2' became THE cult classic that kids too young to see the R-rated movie at the multiplex would try to watch through the gap in their parents doors as it made the late night, living room rounds come DVD and T.V. time. Only to be quickly ushered upstairs and back to school where they would pretend they had watched it to their friends who had, only to be caught out by a faux recall of a scene that wasn't in the movie (no...just me?!). And now 25 years later when this millennial generation are adults with kids of their own you best believe it still stands the test of time between all the Avengers and John Wick's they helped inspire from 'The Winter Soldier' calculated killer to Keanu Reeves post-'Matrix' gun-fu. Face it, there's nothing cooler than Arnie spin cock and reloading a shotgun one handed with the other on the reigns of a Harley, riding through the metal gate blasted doors of Los Angeles' storm drains. Is there?
Iconic scenes in 90's action lore don't get much bigger than that. Especially with the real-life lorry crushing stunt set pieces only giving way to crazy C.G. when it came to the liquid metal mesmerizing look of a machine and movie so before it's time (even if some of the silver gunshot wounds look like tinfoil cake cups), it's crazy today hasn't caught up in virtual or reality. Although some of this films subtle fable hints to the future should have served as a better warning to this smartphone distracted age. I'm not saying Facebook is Skynet...but perhaps Snapchat is! But this one is guaranteed to tilt the bowed heads of this next gen up and away from their phones and to an even bigger screen. Because seeing Terminator 2 in cinemas-if you never got the chance-is something special. And seeing 'Judgement Day' in 3D is the closest thing to seeing the live action, three-dimension, "super" ride at Hollywood's Universal Studios. Whether on a movie museum or nostalgia trip, this history rewriting and legendary movie back in theatres gives you relentless robot action with thoughtful precision in this Bay-bashed 'Transformed' age. Now the heads of your video cassette have worn out from all the fast-forwarding and rewinding to the storm drain chase, you can remember all the other powerhouse scenes you forgot for a film that has more car chases than almost all our 'Fast' franchises eight films car-pooled together. Just like the insane asylum escaping car claw crawling one hilariously parodied by Homer Simpson and a set of Tiger Woods irons. Or the "trust me" cop dispering one, preceeded by a lab combustible one with the one cult comedy line only funny to those who have breathed hard through this tense scene. You know the one I'm talking about. "I.Don't.Know.How.Much.Longer.I.Can.Hold.This.Thing". BOOM! This film has all the lights and camera and action all the way down to the irons in the fire of the oft-rebooted molten steel mill finale for this melting pot. But nothing beats the again before it's time ultimate twist before the age of more left turns in modern movies that would leave 'Zoolander' envious. One that is set up precision point perfectly and happens right at the end of the first act of this movie against today type. And to contine this trend in this spoiler age we won't reveal just in case you have been sent back in time to see what real action mettle movies are all about. But we will say this one the roses are dropped for drawn guns you know it's about to get down.
Schwarzenegger has never had such massive presence. After the sand grit and machine head grind of Christian Bale's 'Terminator: Salvation' left those fans fiending for a night laser fight film called 'Terminator: War' that the outstanding opening of 'Judgement Day' promised as disappointed as Terry Crews taking rows of all his friends to see that film only to find his scene cut and left to just a dead body propped up. And the fun 'Terminator 3' complete with Elton John glasses not taking itself too seriously like "talking to the hand", 2015's greying 'Genysis' was an underrated, fun twist on a rebooted homage piece to 'T2'. But back on the big, this is the real thing. And when a butt-naked, buck built Arnie stoically strides into a ZZ Topp bar and leaves a sharp dressed man with Ray Charles, black leather a chopper and a blunderbuss you're brought right back to his time. Where the today critically underrated movie icon and acting legend shows us just how much of a machine he is. As his awesome autobiography attests, learning to load and reload with soldier beating robot precison and to master the motions and tones of a complex, created man/machine requires more actual acting than those wooden splintering voices give credit. It's not Shakespeare but certainly something of note in this often taken for granted advanced age like motion capturing white-dot performers. Cop-beating, Robert Patrick on purging patrol is perfect too in slick liquid form as the ultimate, relentless as the action he makes big bad. A vile looking villain, complete with swiss-army man artillery. With more weapon options than the Green Lantern and eyes that only evoke one emotion...the hell sent hate filled look of death and whatevers in his way destruction. Milk carton or "Wolfie"! All for the kid Jon Connor. Here first played by a dynamic debut from Edward Furlong that's screaming at easy money off his mop-head riding moped. Making Public Enemy t-shirts as iconic as the 80's era hip-hop group as he fights the power. Believe the hype like the ides of Linda Hamilton's incredible Sarah Connor character. Continuing the chronicles she began with Arnie in the formidable first film she began with Schwaranegger. The tense thriller of cinema cat and mouse claustrophobia that almost played like a clever, thinking of the future mans horror. Before this all action where she soldier muscles up as a Ripley and Wonder Woman like all-action heroine. And who could forget the future triggering of character actor veteran Joe Morton? Still messing around with Cyborg technology today in the November forthcoming 'Justice League' ensemble assemble. They are all in together here for Cameron's cinema classic, even if the milk carton directors cut, extended edition isn't. What no Kyle Reese!? Everything else however is brought back here with men in black glasses for a meat and potatoes blockbuster neuralyzed age. They don't make popcorn and candy mouth-opening action stars and movies like these any more. Seeing Schwarzengger's 'Terminator' back in cinemas is the real special effect. Bringing it out of the big screen too is just that more eye-catching. Hasta la vista...3D. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: 'Terminator', 'Predator', 'Total Recall'.
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