'Terminator 2: Judgment Day' 3D

In cinemas August 25th

After 26 years one of my all time favourite films returns to cinemas. And not just that, but we are being treated to a polished version with pristine picture quality that will rival anything out today and James Cameron threw some 3D on top of it. What else do you need?

In short: a ticket! Cos you won't want to miss this. Especially if you've never seen 'Terminator 2' on the big screen - or never seen it at all (yes, I found proof these people do exist!). For all the lucky sods who get to experience the brilliance that is now merely known as T2 for the first time, let me give you a rough idea what it is about. Everyone else, topple your furniture and give me some chinups!

After dispatching the Terminator at the end of T2's predecessor, Sarah ended up in a mental institution. Her son John, the last hope of mankind in the fight against Skynet (a computer which has become aware and taken over the world), is now a teenager and has to live with uncool foster parents; and lo and behold a new Terminator is on its way from the future to deal with this nuisance of a human to ensure Skynet's survival and world reign. But a new saviour is also on its way. Who will get to John first? Does that even matter as we can just make numerous attempts at this scenario until we get the desired result? Time machine, hello! Does that mean endless Terminator films?

The time travel paradox will make your head hurt so better forget about this altogether and enjoy one of the best sci-fi action films ever made. Arnie returns as the famous T-100 and he gets to have even more fun with this role than the first time around. Linda Hamilton is back, better than we could have ever dreamed of (her transformation still wows me). We get to see young John Connor and his transformation as he realises his mother isn't crazy and has been training him for a good reason. And then there are the first few steps towards creating Skynet. Oh, and did I mention a new, even more badass Terminator makes an appearance? This one is made of liquid metal. The effects were ground-breaking in 1991 and still look fantastic today. It can't be said of many FX films with 26 years of age that they hold up against the current fare of blockbusters. But this one does. 

The script is tight. No fat to be found here. Everything is set up for easy digestion and builds upon the story of its predecessor nicely. The character choices make sense and everyone grows throughout the film. Something that doesnt seem to be standard procedure  anymore nowadays. The performances are great. Nuanced. Layered. The characters interesting and relatable. And the action is top notch! This is a James Cameron film after all.

The newly added 3D doesn't really add much to the film in my opinion. And that's not a bad thing. There are no jojo effect gimmicks (thank god) even though I half expected the metallic finger might be protruding towards the viewer. Instead we get a 3D treatment the way I like it, giving the picture depth as if you were truly seeing it with your own eyes. Does that make for a more immersive experience? I'm not sure as I have always found the film engaging and did again this time (plus surfing on a huge wave of nostalgia). It's not the 3D that makes the film and it wasn't the reason I was so amped up about seeing this version. Getting to see T2 on the big screen is the highlight here, not the 3D. Technically very well done - I was sitting off centre and didn't experience any halo effects around shapes as is sometimes the case in more recent productions - I would have never thought the 3D was done in post. Other than some scenes that would have been obviously framed differently if shot for 3D, it all worked well together and makes T23D THE version of T2 you should make sure you see. Fighting for the future of the human race has never looked better.

Review by Melanie Radloff.

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