Why ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ is an iconic fixture in pop culture

Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”. Tri-Star Pictures

Masterpiece is the first word that comes to mind when I watch “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” It is a movie that helped redefine Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career in the film industry for the rest of his acting career. It is career-defining for him and proves that a sequel can be even better than the original when the timing is right.

I can’t remember the exact year or time frame when I first watched this movie, but I do know that I did not watch it all in one sitting; instead, I watched it in its entirety during the early ’90s. My appreciation for “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” grew as I took the time to reflect on it in my youth. As I grew older I would make a conscious effort to rewatch this movie more and more, as each time I do, I discover something new and unnoticed in previous viewings. This is a testament to the superior quality of the movie, as there is always something there that you did not notice or slip through the cracks.

Flashback to 1991, a flurry of blockbuster movies were released in Hollywood over the summer, all with box office potential. However, this particularly long-awaited movie eventually surpassed them all. After all, it would have been seven years since the last Terminator movie was made, during that time, Arnold Schwarzenegger became a household name and built up his résumé with box office hits that proved he was one of the most bankable actors for any major movie studio in Hollywood. It was only a matter of time before a Terminator sequel would be his next movie; it is because this is where his momentum in appearing in bigger budgeted movies truly began with his stunning portrayal of the cyborg killing machine from the future.

In “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” unanswered questions from the previous one were answered, but a comprehensive background was also provided in complete detail. The film explores the future role of “John Connor” and the significance of his mother, “Sarah Connor”, in shaping him into a resistance fighter against Skynet, and various Terminator models. The sequel effectively addressed all the unanswered plot holes left hanging after the first Terminator movie.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was in his prime here. He was at his physical peak, and it showed in his ability to add a light personality to his Terminator on-screen character without making him appear off but a natural progression, making him more endearing to moviegoers who were either scared by the first Terminator movie or only watched it after this one. In “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” his portrayal of the T-800 model of the Terminator made him a favorite due to the “father-and-son” type of relationship he portrayed with a young John Connor. I have highlighted below the powerful monologue by “Sarah Connor” while observing the T-800 model interacting with her son, “John Connor.”

“Watching John with the machine, it was suddenly so clear. The Terminator would never stop. It would never leave him. It would never hurt him, never shout at him, or get drunk and hit him, or say it was too busy to spend time with him. It would always be there. And it would die to protect him. Of all the would-be fathers who came and went over the years, this thing, this machine was the only one who measured up. In an insane world, it was the sanest choice.” – Sarah Connor.

What a magnificent exposition! The narration in this important scene shows that “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” has a lot of heart at the appropriate moments and exceeds expectations. First of all, who would have ever thought that Arnold Schwarzenegger would return as a good guy in a big twist from the previous movie? The T-800 has become a protector of the younger version of “John Connor” against another, more advanced Terminator sent back in time. I consider this one of the greatest sequels, proving that in rare cases, the follow-up movie can outperform the first and become the most celebrated entry in its existing movie franchise.

I have rarely let a month pass without revisiting or rewatching specific scenes from “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” since YouTube was created and streaming sites. These scenes are some of the finest I have ever seen for their movie genre, and very few in any action genre can match up to those rewatchable iconic scenes. It made me realize what can happen when all the stars align (the actors, the director, the movie studio, the plotline, the action, etc.). “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” is a mega blockbuster hit. Upon reflection, it became the highest-earning entry at the box office that year, outperforming every other movie released during its year of release.

Since “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”, there has not been a new Terminator movie—whether it is a prequel, sequel, or remake—that has been able to meet all the criteria that this superb sci-fi action movie accomplished. This is because “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” was carefully pre-planned, developed, and structured to the point that there were no flaws, plot holes, or mistakes. This movie was clearly in the hands of a perfectionist director (James Cameron), writer, and lead actor, none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger, who at that point in his career was one of the biggest stars in the world. Everyone knew who he was and the movie he starred in.

I will not be ashamed to say that this movie made me cry as a child when the T-800 model Terminator had to sacrifice himself to ensure that no traces, remnants, or reminders of the Terminators existed. To me, that ultimate sacrifice, a selfless act defines the hero that the T-800 is. The climactic final scene, before the final voice-over narration by “Sarah Connor,” is the epitome of an ender of all-enders in movie history that remains “immortal” for the emotional, surreal, and reflective impression left on moviegoers.

“Terminator 2: Judgment Day” is a well-balanced movie in every regard. Even though it is categorized as a sci-fi action movie, it never goes overboard with violence. It takes time to settle in the minds of young moviegoers and paces itself well. There is character development, and the story progresses with you, the moviegoer, going along for the ride. “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” is responsible for making the Terminator movies a legitimate franchise, and a permanent fixture in popular culture for all its iconic onscreen characters, cinematic achievements, classic scenes, and memorable lines. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800, model Terminator both in the first and sequel, is an onscreen icon of movie history. “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” deserves to be selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.