Terminator 2: Judgement Day (released in 1991 and called T2 for short) is one of the few cases in film history where a sequel is considered better than the original film (in this case, 1984's The Terminator). Directed and co-written once again by James Cameron, T2 once again tells the story of Sarah and John Connor (played Linda Hamilton and Edward Furlong, respectively) as they fend off attacks from a seemingly indestructible T-1000 Terminator (the antagonist of the film, played by Robert Patrick) who is sent from the future to kill John Connor, thus preventing him from becoming the leader of the human resistance against the machines. They are, however, helped by a less advanced Terminator, a friendly T-800 (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger).
T2 is often regarded as one of the best sequels -- and one of the best science fiction films -- ever made. Famed film critic Roger Ebert loved the film, giving it a spectacular rating of 3.5 out of 4 stars and singling out its tremendous special effects and writing that "The key element in any action picture, I think, is a good villain. Terminator 2 has one, along with an intriguing hero and fierce heroine, and a young boy who is played by Furlong with guts and energy." Richard Corliss of Time Magazine, however, did not like the film, calling the film "humongous, visionary parable that intermittently enthralls and ultimately disappoints. T2 is half of a terrific movie—the wrong half."
Still, the film was a hit at the Academy Awards. It was nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing; it won the Academy Awards for Best Makeup, Best Sound, Best Sound Editing, and Best Visual Effects (likely due to the liquid metal sequences). Made on a budget of $102 million, T2 made back $523.7 million back at the box office. T2 was also remastered into 4K/3D, which was released in theaters in 2017 and earned $552,773 in its opening weekend. A bona fide classic, T2 will no doubt be remembered as one of the best science fictions films ever to have been produced.
