Linda Hamilton's performance when seeing Arnold step out of the elevator is one of my favorite things in this movie. You nailed it - every nightmare she'd had for years coming true. It's blocked perfectly so that she's already bolted before John steps into view.
yeah and it was shot really well too.. the music and the slow-mo just reminds you of the magnitude of what her character would be feeling right then. and it reminds us, the audience of what she went through
Linda Hamilton went deaf filming in that elevator. Forgot to put her ear plugs in before 1 take, even the blank 12 gauge round was enough to blow out her ear drum permanently
The thing I really appreciate is that she just falls, flails helplessly for a second because she can't get traction, and then runs away screaming. She has limits, and she knows them. She's strong and tough and only human--and that's okay!
Yes! So good to see her built up as a badass for the first 20 minutes of this film and then when she spots Arnie her voice shoots up three octaves and she hightails it.
the actor playing Miles Dyson does a fantastic job portraying the shortness of breath because at some point in his past, he was in a horrible accident where one of his lungs was punctured. So he is playing it from personal experience.
people don't give arnold enough credit for his acting job in this movie. he really sells the idea that he's actually a robot. great physicality and line deliveries
The theatrical release leaves you not knowing if judgement day happens or not and Sarah's "If a machine can learn the value of human life, maybe we can too" is more her being hopeful about an uncertain future.
@@moonlitegram Yes and no. The ambguity is fucking awesome. The part where it left things open enough for Fox to do like 4 more sequels ranging from mediocre to complete shit makes it a bad ending. The postive at least to this ending is its a 100% wrap up.
In a stroke of marketing "genius," the role of Arnold as the protector was shown in the trailers. That moment of surprise you got with the reveal in the arcade hallway was something none of us had a chance to experience.
Yep, I made sure that when my son watched T1 and T2 for the first time that he didn't watch the trailers. I showed him the trailer once he was finished T2 and he totally lost his mind and could not believe that they did that! :O
yeah everyone knew arnie was the "good guy" back then.. didn't stop us from loving every minute of the movie though. but yeah it's crazy seeing people react to this movie who had no idea.. kinda like the people who never heard of the movie Alien and watch that one particular dinner scene lol. always fun seeing those reactions
The song that is played while John and his friend are on the dirtbike is "You Could Be Mine" by Guns N' Roses. Later, in the back halls of the Galleria, Arnold pulls out the shotgun in the box of roses. That was director James Cameron's nod to the band.
GnR music video was great. Expected the song to be in every scene! Disappointed at the time but I was only 11. The radio playing it is a really nice touch!
I remember how exciting it was when the music video came out, and it featured Arnold interacting with the whole band. This was actually BEFORE the "Use Your Illusion" albums finally released, so this was the first new stuff from G n' R that the public was getting after what felt like an eternity.
Older John Connor must told Doctor Mack to programmed the T-800 to carry the shotgun in a box of roses, as a clear message to his younger self to say that he is his protector with the clear *Catchphrase* reference to the band he was listening to on his way to the Galleria. (Guns N Roses/Gun in Roses) Edited: In the delete scene, it was established that Public Enemy # 01 is the second group that John Connor liked (via T-1000 searching through his room for clue on his whereabout). It's also pretty clear that his terminator protector is public enemy no. 1 due to the police massacre from the first film done by the first terminator that looked like him.
That moment where the Terminator says to Sarah “Come with me if you want to live”-- is suppose to be not only a call back to Kyle Reese’s first words to her in the first film, but also they were intentionally in Future Jonny’s reprograming of the terminator so that, Sarah would believe and trust this terminator.
The actor who played Miles did what in Mt opinion is the best death scene on film. The struggle to stay alive mixed with the struggle to complete the mission of changing their future. Miles would gladly die as any father would in order to prevent his child from facing such an apocalyptic future.
@@grife3000 The cops who just shot him, no less. Even when they've wronged him, he wants to protect them. 100% consistent with a character who wants to make the world better.
James Cameron had an incredibly close relationship with his mother, and that's why his films often feature strong, well written female heroes, as a tribute to his mom.
She put him and his two brothers through school working as a waitress which is why that's Sarah's job in the first movie. One of his brothers is a Navy SEAL and the other is an engineer.
Off top of my head, the added scenes were: - The bad terminator experiencing glitches due to some damage, like a glitch after the truck explosion at the beginning of the movie, and after reconstituting himself after getting frozen. - The good terminator needing a chip intervention so he can learn. In the theatrical version, he simply says something like "The more I stay around humans, the more I learn". - The Kyle Reese cameo / dream sequence was missing entirely from the theatrical release. - The ending scene is different, it's a footage of an empty road at night, with Sarah's voice over saying a bit of the monologue about "If a terminator can learn the value of human life..." etc.
Also the scene of the T1000 searching the house and John's room as well as the scene of the dog being killed. Theatrical release showed the step-father get killed for drinking from the fountain then cut away after changing back into the cop.
I see some more- Arnold explaining that the T-1000 can turn into steel weapons, and the step-mom turning back into the T-1000. Are those added? They both seem clunky and, like most special additions, totally unnecessary.
One of the scenes in the directors cut that did not make the theatrical cut was the scene where they open his head to enable his AI. It's a shame because it's one of the craziest practical FX shots at a time when it was still cheaper and faster to do things that crazy instead of just using CGI, and took brilliant advantage of Linda having twin. The "mirror" is not a mirror, it's a *window* into an *exact duplicate of the set built in reverse* on the other side, to *simulate* the reflection of the room. We're looking at the back of a puppet Arnold with his head open on the "real" side and *real* Arnold is sitting on the "reflection" side facing us. Both of the Sarah Connors in the shot are real, one is Linda and one is her sister.
When he said, "I'll be back," I'm pretty sure the theater's reaction was laughter. Delighted laughter for sure. An epic yet slightly silly moment, just how it should be.
I couldn't stand this version TBH. I didn't watch this until i was like 30, 15 years after this came out. I thought it messed up the pacing especially.
I love that you came in blind to the fact that Arnold is a protector this time. They ruined that in the TRAILERS when this movie came out. Something they totally didn't learn from. They've ruined twists for future sequels in trailers in years since this as well.
Man, Terminator Genisys was probably the most guilty of this. The trailer basically told you the whole story. I was thinking do I even need to go see it?
@@pokeygorilla9368 that is the first and best example I think of. I still enjoyed the movie, but I can't help but think it would have been a fantastic reveal if I hadn't known.
@@daffy8995 in the US trailers, you saw, well the major twist in the movie. and It basically gives you of cliffnotes of what is going to happen. First ballot hall of fame terrible trailer
My friends and I saw this at a midnight showing, the night before it opened in general. It was a full theater with an electric excitement like a concert. The movie blew us away that first premiere showing, having no warning of the big moments and reveals at all. It became a hit because it was an incredible theater experience, and it still looks amazing to this day.
It looks like it coulda came out yesterday. The kid's haircut and some computer screens are really the only things that appear dated. The 1st movie came out 7 years earlier but looks a generation older.
I've always really liked the part where Sarah tries, and fails to kill Dyson, because in a sense it's a very good meditation on the human condition In effect, the reason she *fails* to kill him is that she tries to be a machine - a Terminator, basically - even though this is the thing she hates and fears most; she ultimately fails because she is a human being, with human emotions - including a mother's instinct, which causes her to empathize with Dyson even in the height of her rage, and leads her to realize what she has done And ultimately, I think it is this distinction that makes the ultimate point of the film (at least in the theatrical version) more poignant: that maybe the thing that separates us from machines (i.e. Skynet) is that we humans can feel emotion, and therefore feel connection to other beings - which is why it's so important that the T800 (Arnie) learns the value of human life itself
The T-1000 was malfunctioning due to being frozen. That's why it turned into the bar when he touched it and had to concentrate to change back. The feet turned into the floor grate is less impactful though in my opinion.
These scenes also only appear in extended versions. Most likely because it made more sense for Cameron and the audience to believe John would figure out the real Sarah pretty easy without seeing the feet knowing his mother.
@@Gealaiche i always assumed that as it continue to be damaged and having to reform it was losing its "power" or as all machines, becoming broken down.
@@trulybtd5396 When you make a movie you may make more scenes then you end up using. Sometimes you discover too late that a scene doesn't work after all the work is done.
It was so sad when Linda Hamilton's identical twin sister passed away a couple of years ago. Props to JC for using her in the scene with two Sarahs. I love practical effects.
@@AlleyKatPr0 I think he was hitched at the time to Kathryn Bigelow?? I think they married after his divorce from her if I'm correct on my timeline?? I know he was wed to actress Suzy Amis, too
Saw this in the theater. Movie etiquette back then was different, and cheering / applause was frowned upon during the movie; to be saved for the opening and/or closing credits only. The mood or vibe in the theater is best described as "in jaw-dropping awe". At the time, this movie was on an entirely new level of special-effects, CGI and visuals. It. Was. Epic.
Months before it came out, my friend's brother enthusiastically said, "It's gonna be 2 hours of constant action!" I thought that sounded pretty good. And then when I saw the movie, it occurred to me that it was much better movie than "2 hours of constant action". I really love these characters.
Re: the Director's Cut, the most important addition (I don't know if it's the biggest) is the entire scene in which they reset the Arnold T-800's CPU to make him capable of learning again, and especially Sarah's conflict over whether to destroy the Terminator or not while she has his CPU out. The movie sort of worked without that scene, but virtually every instance of the Terminator becoming more human comes after that point. The famous "hasta la vista, baby" catch phrase is a pretty iconic movie line, and it worked well enough on its own in a '90s camp way. But it's so much more meaningful as something he spontaneously does after John teaches him a bunch of now-dated '90s slang: the fact that he says it without John or Sarah there to hear it means he's trash talking on his own initiative and for his own benefit. It's an expression of humanity, and in that moment it's a human triumph: the old, obsolete robot triumphs over the newer, better hardware because there is no sufficiently advanced robot to outdo humanity. By giving the Terminator some spark of humanity-for Sarah that involves not just "reprogramming," but treating a carbon copy of the machine that killed Kyle with trust and forgiveness-the Connors give the Terminator just enough humanity to overcome a superior machine than it was. A few extra inserts, e.g. of the Terminator learning to smile, don't really count as "deleted scenes" but really hammer home the question of whether the Terminator can in fact be human.
virtually all scenes added by the directors cut don't add anything meaningful to the movie. Especially the last scene with old Sarah is just ... weird and kind of destroys the iconic thumbs up scene when the T-800 sinks into the liquid metal. One of the rare instances where I clearly prefer the original cut.
@@chitoryu12 I know that the more Terminator movies they make, the less well they're received; but Dark Fate was definitely one of my favourites, and not just for nostalgia reasons. The one thing I noticed in Dark Fate, and it sounds like you did too, is that it's the first time he's become so human that his dog no longer recognizes him as a threat. The whole thing about dogs barking at his approach is maintained throughout the franchise. To fool a human is not much of a problem for an infiltration unit, but to fool a dog is another thing entirely. I like that the movie asked the question of whether he could become human, and for me it was the dog that gave us a very firm "yes" as the answer.
Not only was the film huge. But it also coincided with the breakout of Guns-n-Roses, and “You Could Be Mine” was a massive music video that helped boost the movie even more. (Note how Arnie pulled a shotGUN out of a box of ROSES in the shopping mall hallway).
YES! I don't know why these young reactors react to director's cut or other versions of popular films. The theatrical version of T2 is perfect. The Patreon subscribers sometimes lead these reactors astray.
The amount of times I watched this on VHS as a kid is ridiculous. T2 is definitely the greatest action film of all time, and will always be my favorite of the franchise.
I'm still waiting for my Terminator 2 animated series. Beetlejuice, Robocop, and the Toxic Avenger all got cartoons, why not this one? It could have been about Sarah, John, and the Terminator still on the run from the T-1000 while tracking down various Skynet maguffins to prevent the Dark future. Each episode could end with the Terminator learning a new lesson about being human. And the T-1000 would get new dumb lackeys from Skynet each new episode. I still want this show!
saaame. terminator, terminator 2, the thing, the blob are THE movies of my childhood. oh, and forest gump, too, but that's a different genre entirely. i basically destroyed the vhs tapes, that's how often i would watch them. good times.
This is the only movie that moved me emotional,that ending monolog.If a Terminator,a machine,can learn the value of human life,maybe we can too.My head dropped down with SHAME.That's the first and only time a film made me feel SHAME.
I have a few thoughts about the writing and the somewhat understated themes in this movie. At first the film seems to be a relatively straightforward action movie. And it can be viewed that way. But there are also very well presented themes and character arcs that are well developed. Sarah Connor, who superficially seems to represent humanity, is gradually turning into a terminator. She’s been through a traumatic experiences, she is losing hope, she is losing humanity, and she is becoming more and more like a remorseless killing machine. Eventually she reaches a crisis point and unable to cope with the stress she literally becomes a terminator on a mission to kill Miles Dyson. The terminator seems to superficially represent the machines. But he is becoming more and more human through his experiences. His initial drive to solve problems by killing slowly evolves into a much more human set of motivations and actions. Ultimately he saves countless human lives and even sacrifices himself for the good of humans. He becomes the most human of all the characters. Miles Dyson represents the dual nature of science and technological achievement. He is a good man who only wants to better the world. But he simply doesn’t fully comprehend The nature of the power he possesses. He represents a tragic aspect of humanity, The fact that our own brilliance and good intentions can result in disaster. John Connor appears to be a misfit child, but even as a child he embodies the characteristics of a great leader that Kyle Reese described. He is the one who turns Sarah back from her dark path. He is the one who teaches the terminator the value of human life. He Helps miles Dyson gained the wisdom to use his intellect in a better way.
Good analysis of Terminator 2, one minor quibble about Terminator though it's much closer to a horror slasher movie than a straightforward action movie. It never feels like they have any chance against the terminator in that movie and while the T101 in Terminator 2 isn't a match for the T1000 physically he is shown to be clever and capable enough to slow it down significantly while keeping a calm demeanor which cuts down on the feelings of dread we feel as an audience in contrast with Sarah being terrified out her mind for most of the first movie.
Miles taking his last breath while completing his mission is one of the best death scenes ever filmed in my opinion, right up there with Robert Shaw in Jaws!
"This whole movie he's never touched a metal pole?' Being frozen caused permanent damage. He was glitching and losing control of his ability to transform.
I love an idea behind 1st and 2nd movies. Two most scientific theories about time travel. First movie was about "the fate" - showing us that future can't be changed. And as examples of that, movie shows us two infinity loops: -John Connor sends Kyle Reese back in time > Kyle fell in love with Sarah > John Connor is born > all repeats - Skynet sends Terminator back in time > Terminator destroyed but some parts of him remain > By studying these parts humans creating Skynet > all repeats In both cases the result is the reason. Second movie was about "there is no fate" - showing us that future can be changed. But only for those who are not involved in that future yet. Only those who are in present can change their own future. Example of that we see in the happy ending of movie with aged Sarah and John, where Skynet wasn't created and Nuclear war not happened. And as there is no third option for time travel result - there was no intention to make another Terminator movie. Cameron did a great job with two movies and ended his story. But greedy bastards from Hollywood made a decision to create another shit sequels and ruin everything.
I saw this movie in theaters when I was in the Army in Germany. The first time was in Garmisch Partenkirchen (a theater there ran some movies in English) and then a few weeks later on post. The German audience was much, much more reserved than the American military crowd.
Best Terminator movie, can watch it any time. Despite the mixed reviews personally I loved the Terminator 3 as well, not epic but still worth the time for me. Not ground-breaking but good film with a bucket of popcorn. Loved the reaction, this is why reaction channels excist. Your excitement is contagious.
I liked T3 well enough, won't say I loved it. It was the last one where they added a little bit and didn't really upset anybody. The rest of them just recklessly stomp all over the property like drunk toddlers.
@@shanester1832 For me (though I really need to watch it again to really nail down my opinion of it) 4 is the only one worth watching after 2. 2 was 1 again but bigger and better whereas three is the same thing yet again but worse. 4 at least is trying to do something completely different though it did suffer a lot from its trailers as most people went into it expecting to finally see John Connor as the resistance leader and instead the movie is about how he becomes that and not even really told from his perspective. All the ones after 4 basically just exist to make 3 look better (its a lot like the Alien franchise, I still remember growing up with 3 being the bad Alien movie and then every entry that has come out since has retroactively made 3 look better).
@@Henrik_Holst ???? I can answer that with 12 facts, however all of them are spoilers, details of the film so WARNING SPOILER BELOW! . . . . . WARNING SPOILER BELOW! . . . . . . WARNING SPOILER BELOW! . . . . . - First time stating Skynet is unavoidable, referencing current times rushing towards making smarter and smarter AI. - Shows how the AI convinces it's controllers to let him free to do it's thing using smart virus on the internet first - Shows an advanced AI can excist in the internet cloud with no computer to destroy - Shows a more mature John, not a kid. - Explains how John finds himself on a commanding position - First time John has a love intrest - Shows first series of terminators - First female terminator - First terminator with ranged weapons - First terminator that can take over machines using nano robots - Arnold both good protective good and controlled evil terminator ..And everything is adopted to modern technology.
A movie that shows the progression of Edward Furlong's (young John Connor) acting that I highly recommend is American History X. It's a movie with very heavy themes but I think everyone should watch it at least once. Also stars Edward Nortan in what I think is his best performance.
''I know now why you cry, and thats something I can never do'' Hes not talking about the production of tears, but actually experiencing the feelings that cause them 😭
Best Action Movie Ever made! Fun Fact: rock star Billy Idol was almost cast as the villainous T-1000, but got into a motorcycle accident injuring his leg. Robert Patrick was cast instead. There is even earlier storyboard concept that bear a striking resemblance to Idol.
13:22 -- She's Jenette Goldstein, the same actress who played Pvt. Vasquez in Aliens. It's over thirty years old, and the effects still hold up. In the theatrical release, we don't see the T-1000 kill the dog, and we don't see his feet when he's posing as Sarah. I saw it on opening weekend -- it was wild. I was fifteen, at the time.
And now for The Abyss (special edition of course) - another great Cameron movie somehow everyone seems to have forgotten. It would be a movie *not* everybody else's reacting to for a change.
The special edition of The Abyss is a must. Most special editions are nice extras but you can usually live without them. The Abyss's special edition transforms it into a far better film. I experience extreme frustration when I see reactors watch the theatrical release!
It’s impressive in its set pieces and story development. The special effects by and large still hold up and we get real feels. I never get tired of seeing it, and all the actors elevate the script.
This was so epic seeing it in the theater when it first came out. I got to see it before trailers/teasers came out that ruined the reveal that Arnie was the "good" guy. And yes, people cheered at some of the call-back lines like "I'll be back" and "Come with me if you want to live." Also, for the time, the CGI was amazing and we all loved the character growth that Sarah had since the previous movie.
This movie was so good back in the early 90's. So much crazy new visuals on the cgi and stuff. Seeing the "new bits" is just strange being so used to the original format I saw back in 91.
I saw in theaters. When he did "I'll be back," our theater laughed with some people going into a cheer. Action-packed yet punctuated with very well-paced and well-placed humor at all the right moments.
Seen it also in the theaters. It was so packed they actually let people sit in the aisles. This was 2 of the biggest theaters side by side and showings were at the same time. I'll never forget it
I saw it in the US in the theater in 1991. It was quite amazing at the time. I don't remember too much, but I do remember that when Arnold walks down the stairs and the song "Bad to the Bone" started playing, the theater erupted in cheers.
My friends and I drove to Los Angeles to see it on opening night. The lines were going around the block. The cheering crowd and the atmosphere made for one of the best movie watching experiences I've ever had.
The nuclear explosion scene stuck with me to this day. Linda Hamilton was excellent in both her acting and her physical form. She trained hard to get that ripped. Joe Morton who played Miles Dyson is an excellent actor. I recommend watching him in the 2005 season 1 episode 17 of "House" called 'Role Model'. Incredible acting, similar job with being out of breath.
fun fact, the reason he is so good at being out of breath is he was in a pretty bad accident where one of his lungs was punctured. so the incredible acting comes from personal experience.
Mr. Morton is also excellent in Executive Decision, which is just an amazing film. It also has Kurt Russell, John Leguizamo (tolerable for a change), David Suchet, and Halle Berry. Just a stellar movie!
I remember back in 1991 seeing this in the theater, when T2 walked out of that fire, it was literally the first time CGI was used in a movie in this way. Everyone in the theater just GASPED. It was a huuuge shock! :D
First movie I cried at. A 10 year old couldn't survive that thumbs up. 👍 Between this and Jurassic Park, the early 90's were pretty legendary times at the cinema!
After seeing Edward Furlong here, may be interesting to jump to American History X next. I'd love to get your take on that one. Great reaction here, keep up the great work!
Edward Furlong was cast in this role after a casting agent saw him at a Boy’s and Girl’s club here In Pasadena, California. No real reason why, the kid just fit the part. And yes his voice goes through changes as he was going through puberty at the time of filming.
Rest in peace to Leslie Hamilton ,, Linda Hamiltons identical twin She died from COVID-19 She also played a part in this movie when there's two of her on screen.
I have to give HUGE respect to the scene where the Chevy S-10 was smashed into the guardrail. That scene literally took me years to realize to notice, and appreciate. No one talks about that.
I'm glad that you liked this. I greatly enjoyed it in the theater and several times on VHS, DVD, and Blu-Ray. It is in my top 100. By the way, Arnold's Terminator was in AFI's list of 50 Greatest Movie Villains for the first film, and on their 50 Greatest Movie Heroes list for this one.
This is one of my favorite movies ever. It, by FAR, the best in the entire Terminator franchise. The story, the action, the acting, an epic journey indeed. And the CGI was literally groundbreaking for the time. It is my third-favorite all time movie. Now I need to tell you, you watched the wrong version. You watched one with all the deleted scenes, which was fine, until the final scene. That was an alternate ending that, if you watching Terminator 3, won’t make any sense, which is all I’ll say to avoid spoilers. The real ending of the movie left the future somewhat uncertain.
This is one of my favorite movies ever but it’s also very nostalgic for me. My father recently passed away and he too loved both the Terminator movies. I was 13 when Terminator 2 came out and he took me and my younger brother to see it in the movie theater. It was a great experience and a very fond memory of mine. I loved seeing this in the theater!
It is so much fun seeing first time viewers in 2022 react to this. Living it in real time in 1991 was an experience itself, but the twist at the beginning with Arnie being the good terminator had been exposed in interviews and advertising for months. So we didn't get that surprise reveal like people seeing it now. It's so cool to see the confusion on reactor's faces when it happens.
Your reactions are fun and love how you discuss trivia and other aspects of movies. Props to Linda Hamilton's great acting/ physical training. Its incredible how believable Sarah Connor's transformation from slightly naive friendly waitress to buff military commando in T2. Sarah almost became what she feared and hated. A terminator had she killed Miles Bennett Dyson. It's cool how the scene when Sarah go nuts during a recorded interview at the psychiatric hospital and her face is freeze framed on a tv monitor calling back to when Kyle Reese is interrogated by police and he looses his temper and he is also freeze framed on a tv monitor. It's very cool that Linda Hamilton's twin sister Leslie is seen in a playground with young John in the nuclear blast dream sequence. Leslie looks very much like the Sarah Connor from the original movie in that scene. Its crazy how Sarah's skeleton is still holding onto the fense during the blast. So intense. This movie has such great visual effects especially for 1991 Robert Patrick is awesome as the T-1000 Shanelle incase you didn't realize the T 1000 was glitching after reforming in the steel mill. This caused him trouble keeping his human shape when in contact with various surfaces. Such as the yellow striped railing or In one scene his feet start to be blending into the metal floor. The first time I saw cgi effects similar was in 1989 the Abyss also directed by James Cameron and has actor Michael Biehn aka (Kyle Reese) he played Hicks in James Camerons 1986 Aliens. Another Aliens alumni is John Connor's foster mom actress (Jenette Goldstein) who played badass soldier Vazquez. Shanelle if you haven't seen the Abyss please consider a reaction to that. Clearly you watched the Special Director cut with deleted scenes like the Kyle dream and the alternate ending with much older Sarah. Iv never seen that scene before. Wow this comment went long.
Fun facts. 1. Linda Hamilton has a twin sister, she played all the scenes where two Sarah's were needed. 2. Edward Furlong has never acted before this film. He was scouted at a local YMCA. 3. John's Stepmom was played by actress Jeanette Goldstein, you most likely know her as Vasquez from Aliens. 4. After the liquid Nitrogen, the T-1000 did sustain damage, that's why it was "glitching".
Shanelle my dear, you are good. Right on the money, Edward Furlong had to re-record pretty much all of his dialogue because his voice changed so much during production. The only original dialogue Cameron ended up using was from some of the desert scenes. Because of the tone of the scenes he thought it sounded better as is because Edward's voice of course had a more innocent child like quality. Made the dialogue even more impactful. Cameron was a genius. I say was because he fu*ked me with Terminator Dark Fate and I'm still sore!
To me this movie set the new standard for action movies for the '90's. To this day it still holds up incredibly well including the CGI. This and many other reasons are why this is in my top 3 movies along with Return of the King and The Dark Knight. It's also great to watch reactions to those who don't know the first act twist of the T-800 being the protector this time, the trailers back in the day unfortunately spoiled that.
I was obsessed with this movie when it first released in theaters. When consumer DVD players came out some years later, I bought a player just to watch this movie in higher fidelity. A few years ago, Cameron re-released a 3D remaster in theaters. It was great! They made great production choices and did not over do it at all.
Loved your reactions and analysis! Yes, this was a GREAT action movie. Now, for another really great Arnie action movie, you really MUST do "True Lies" starring Arnold and Jamie Lee Curtis. Tons of action, stunts, and humor. I promise--you will love it!!
What's absent from the theatrical cut is the forced medication scene (8:22), the Kyle Reese scene (9:10), dog killing scene (13:50), T-1000 searching John Connor's bedroom scene (13:58), the whole resetting the chip/switch scene (16:47), learning to smile scene (18:05), Miles Dyson explaining the chip to his wife scene (18:30), the underground weapons bunker scene is in the theatrical cut but it's shorter-- Arnold's "I have to stay functional" line and John Connor's mocking him ("I'm important") were cut (19:01)-- but the part where Arnie picks up the mini-gun at 19:07 is in the theatrical. Also, the moments where the T-1000 is "glitching" were cut (28:03, 29:26), and the "30 years later ending" is not in the theatrical (31:25)-- the theatrical ending is just Sarah Connor giving a monologue and it's a better ending, look it up. There may be other moments, but I'm just going by what scenes are shown in this video. Also, this is the first film to have a budget of $100 million (exact budget was $102 million). And it's also the film that sent CGI into the stratosphere. At the time of its release, T2 was the second highest grossing film of all time at $519 million unadjusted for inflation, surpassing the box office gross of "Star Wars" in its original 1977 release of $503 million-- "Star Wars" was re-released multiple times afterwards, making even more money. "E.T." was still #1 at $600+ million, until "Jurassic Park" surpassed it in 1993 at $900+ million. Then "Titanic" then "Avatar".
You mean those are the scenes IN the director’s cut… or those are the scenes absent from the THEATRICAL cut. Why did no one warn her not to watch this inferior version first? It’s just a bonus for fans… not something you watch as your first (and likely only) T2 experience… ugh. Fans really let us down. (I wish I had known she was doing these… I take partial responsibility…
@@mrhobs Yea, that's I meant. How did I mess that up? And yea, I agree. I do like some of the extra scenes (forced medication scene, the smile scene), but theatrical is the way to go. The new ending is terrible.
@@rustincohle2135 Exactly. Maybe a few shots/scenes are debatable... could maybe add something, but overall, nope. Forced medication I can maybe see, but the smile scene (as funny as it is) is just a tiny bit too indulgent in the a subtler version of the same scene already in the film... the part where John is teaching him how to talk naturally. I feel like the director's cut slows things down a little too often to have teachable moments with John's new Terminator pal. Its cool though if you like that one. As long as we can agree the scene with Kyle showing up in a dream was utter eye scratching cringe, heh. (But you already said it, theatrical is the way to go. Seemed like for awhile it disappeared, but I feel like the director's cut is finally not being promoted as the only version... thank goodness.)
This must be a director’s cut, as I have seen this movie before it was released to the public. I saw a screening at the DGA because a friend of mine’s dad had developed optical audio with Kodak to do all the audio for this film. I never saw some of the scenes being shown in this version, and yes, I have T2 on dvd and those scenes were not included. BTW, Miss Riccio, you are cute as hell😊
I had the biggest crush on Linda Hamilton when I first watched this movie when I was 14. My brother introduced me to the terminator films and I loved both the 1st and 2nd films.
This is a different version than the standard movie. Several extra scene were present, and also it's the alternative "happy" ending. The ending in the real movie was different. I watched Terminator II many many times as a kid, but these scenes I only saw few years ago. I personally like the original cut much better.
I've said this before but I'll say it again. As much as I really do think this a masterful sequel, there's still something about the gritty ness of the original that I think kinda makes it better. T2 just looks a little too polished if that makes any sense!
I've always thought lower budget films can contain more creativity in them than bigger buget films. To me the first Terminator is exactly that. Plus, I wasn't too crazy with the idea of all T-100's looking exactly the same. The flashback scene that showed a different terminator sneaking into the survivor's bunker was where I wanted the sequels to go.
@@jamminjohn yeah I agree! Like em or hate em RLM really spelled it out in their review of The Phantom Menace when they called the problems working on A New Hope "art from adversity"
The first is a young talented director and artist with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove on a minimal budget. The sequel was a director that had already already conquered hollywood and had practically unlimited recorces, plus new tech to play with.
There's no need to choose Jon, that's the best part about the two movies being internally consistent. I love the grittiness of the first movie too. But then I love the polished flashiness of the second movie just as much.
It’s a bummer a lot of people watch the Cameron “directors cuts” for reactions. Whether it’s this, Aliens, or The Abyss. He’s actually better when he’s being edited, his full movies are bloated and heavy handed. I wish reactors would just watch the theatrical releases
One fact that always blew my mind is that Robert Patrick had to train to be able to sprint flat out with his mouth closed, breathing through his nose, while not appearing fatigued at all throughout the entire take when chasing John. Running that fast is hard enough, but being able to keep up that pace without being able to breathe through your mouth, and not appearing tired at all? Wild.
I remember being so excited for this movie!! There were at least 5 of us going to see it on the opening day and none of us got to sit with each other. Of course we came back the next weekend and got there super early!! One thing I am happy to brag about, I was the first of my friends to notice this.... when the helicopter was chasing them, the T-1000 was shooting a pistol.. reloading a different weapon, and flying all at the same time. A minimum of 4 hands needed for all of that.
The scene in the garage with Arnold's head open, the T-1000's hand with the yellow stripes in the factory, and the final scene with them in the park 30yrs later were all extra.
One of the extra scenes is the sequence of John and Sarah removing the chip from the Terminator’s head. In the theatrical cut, he says when they’re pulling bullets out of his back, “the more contact I have with humans, the more I learn,” then it cuts to Sarah watching him stand guard. The extended version has one of my favorite practical effects tricks in all of cinema. There’s a shot where the camera crabs behind John holding the light, Terminator sitting in the chair, and Sarah undoing bolts in his skull all reflected in a mirror… except not. The “mirror” is a frame cut out of the wall and the real actors are standing in the “reflection.” The ones in the foreground are Edward Furlong’s stunt double, a dummy of Arnold with a gimmicked hole in his head covering the chip, and Linda Hamilton’s twin sister. Logically, it would be impossible to shoot that shot practically in any case, you’d see the camera crew in the mirror and CG removal of things like that would have been cost prohibitive in 1991, but shooting it they way they did could be done in a low budget movie at any time. I just love magic tricks like that done practically, especially on an insanely high budget movie like T2.
Shenelle your comprehensive breakdown at the end of the reaction is the best thing I've seen from a reaction channel. I still can't believe other channels aren't copying it. People will even questionn things out loud during the movie but then we never see it get resolved. How they havnt realized a quick rundown of trivia and facts is everything. Just wanted to say good job, it's unique and if it ever catches on I've got your back that you were the OG
Saw this opening night, and it was the biggest movie premiere I've been to since. The theater we went to was so packed that no one in our party could sit together. And in the middle of the movie the projector "broke down" and there was a friggin 5 minute magic show! A magician was in the audience and did a show until they "fixed" the projector. Talk about movie magic!
I was 11 when I watched this at the movies. My uncle took me to see it. When the T800 lowers himself into the lava, I could feel myself wanting to cry but held it in as hard as I could. Eventually I just let it all out and cried hysterically on my uncles shoulder. I’m 41 now and I have yet to watch a movie that moved me the way this one did. Therefore, it remains as my all time favorite movie. They don’t make them like this anymore. Vibrant characters, a memorable soundtrack, impressive effects for it’s time, great chemistry between the T800 and John and a story line that will captivate you. For me, nothing tops this.
"Can [Arnold] keep his promise [not to kill anyone]" Not only does he keep it after being given the order, but this is one of the few Arnie movies where he doesn't kill _anyone_
You wanted to know what wasn’t included in the theatrical cut: Sarah’s dream of Reese; T1000 killing the dog and searching John’s room; Dyson’s home life; opening Terminators head (replaced by a dialogue change); the smile scene; T1000 glitching, including his feet being how John knows it’s not the real Sarah; the future scene with old Sarah and grownup John. Just stumbled on your videos and I got to say, I love it! Your maybe a few years older than my daughter and somehow the joy of seeing someone else see that one movie for the first time never wears off! I will have to check out your other videos, and maybe I will make some suggestions for future watches!
Fun fact - in the scene where they pull the chip out of Arnie's head, they used Linda Hamilton's twin sister to match her movements to make the mirror effect. Total Orphan Black
16:36 I LOVE the way this scene is shot. And you're lucky to see it. The theatrical version just has Arnie saying that he is a learning computer and he learns by observing...the "surgery" is not in the other version.
Not just the callbacks, but the reversals. The false victory in Terminator was when a truck went up in flames. The false victory here was when a truck went up in ice.
This movie shattered the movie industry on release. Greatest sequel ever made, one of the greatest sci-fi actioners as well. They also only used CGI when it was absolutely necessary. Most, if not all effects shots were practical, using camera angles, actual vehicle crashes and helicopters actually flying under bridges. CGI was used only on the T-1000. Even then, they would sometimes wrap Robert Patrick in tin-foil for the quick shots, and used prosthetics and bullet squibs, instead of just CGI on everything. The future war at the start was done using real people on a set in the foreground... and they had a backlit screen in the background showing footage of miniature footage, all done in camera, in real time. The scene where they open the Terminator's head for the chip, is done with stunt-doubles, a puppet, Arnold, a fake mirror, and Linda Hamilton's twin sister. Linda Hamilton in T1 and T2, is next to Ellen Ripley in Alien and Aliens, as the best female character ever put to movie imho. T2 paved the way for Jurassic Park, another masterpiece in combining practical and CGI. Glad you liked T2, Shanelle :) I was 9 when it came out, and it was a huge hit. Toylines, games, bedsheets, you name it, they made it all for kids lolol! Edit: Ignore T3, Salvation, Genesys and Dark Fate. They're solid gold poo.
I was about 9 years old when I first saw Terminator 2 (hadn’t seen the first one and was watching this one edited for television). I really resonated with John’s character and this was the first movie to make me openly ugly cry. Such a freaking masterpiece. And I love the added scenes in this extended version, except for the happy future ending. Leave off those last couple minutes.
My dad tool me to see this on my 5th birthday while my mom was out of town. She didn't know until my 18th birthday. It wasn't my first time seeing a movie in theatres, but I remember being absolutely amazed at the action and special fx.
Fun facts: John's foster mother is Vasquez from Aliens -The Arnold on the Nitro truck is a action figure! -Robert Patrick did several nearly naked walk-throughs, with a grid painted on him, for the animators to reference. -The little red haired girl, that ID's john, is a young Nikki Cox. -A lot of what we *think* is CGI are actually a series of physical model shots -The creepy orderly scene had to be added to make Sarah look like a victim and not a psycho. -The Harley jump scene, was the first use of "Frame away". A technique of digitally removing guide wires and such from live footage. I love how well this movie holds up. Even though some effect shots seem dated by today's standards, it's still a great film!
The SWAT cop at the 24:59 mark is played by Dean Norris, who is known for his career playing minor characters in various movies. He eventually went on to play Hank Scraeder, DEA field agent & brother-in-law to Walter White in 'Breaking Bad'
My mom watched this in theaters the day it came out and the nuclear blast dream scene TRAUMATIZED her. She had nightmares for years afterwards because of it. Also a bit of trivia: any scene that involved 2 Sarah Connors (including the dream and the end), Linda Hamilton’s identical twin sister, Leslie, was used. Leslie passed away in 2020 with this movie as her one and only acting credit.
In the beginning of the movie when the Terminators arrive, if you’re really paying attention you’ll be able to pick up the key to knowing which is which. The Arnold Terminator doesn’t kill anyone (although probably severely injured), but the T-1000 killed a cop, a protector. Visual storytelling, you gotta love it.
