---
title: "Terminator 2: Judgment Day"
year: 1991
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/terminator-2-judgment-day"
fi1m_id: "terminator-2-judgment-day"
imdb_id: "tt0103064"
tmdb_id: 280
wikidata_id: "Q170564"
fi1m_score: 88
critics_score: 82
critics_reviews: 19
published: "2026-09-13"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:14.700130+00:00"
region: "JP"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Directed by James Cameron · 2h 17m · Action, Thriller, Science Fiction

## Identity

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/terminator-2-judgment-day
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** terminator-2-judgment-day
- **IMDb ID:** tt0103064
- **TMDB ID:** 280
- **Wikidata ID:** Q170564
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103064/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/280, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q170564

**Fi1m score: 88** · Critics 82 from 19 reviews

*In a sentence:* The liquid-metal killer is alarming, though Linda Hamilton looks considerably less open to negotiation

> James Cameron’s excellent action sequel makes the machines frightening and the people worth worrying about, with Linda Hamilton giving the violence its urgency. The middle drifts into sentiment, but the set-pieces remain precise, inventive and involving.

## Synopsis

Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and John Connor (Edward Furlong) face a conflict between people and machines, with nuclear destruction at stake. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays the Terminator, one of two cyborgs in the struggle; Robert Patrick plays the other, the liquid-metal T-1000. As the confrontations unfold, the film follows the human relationships caught up in the violence. Earl Boen appears as Dr. Silberman, alongside Joe Morton as Miles Dyson and S. Epatha Merkerson as Tarissa Dyson. James Cameron directs this science-fiction action sequel and writes the screenplay with William Wisher.

## Review

James Cameron asks *Terminator 2: Judgment Day* to make us enjoy the machinery of destruction while worrying about what it can do. That is an awkward job for a science-fiction action film, and he gets much further with it than we might expect. This is excellent entertainment, forceful and funny, with people worth following through the noise. At 137 minutes, it has a slack middle and a tendency to explain feelings that are already clear. For most of its length, Cameron earns the time.

Robert Patrick’s T-1000 makes the liquid-metal effects frightening because the performance does not compete with them. Patrick gives the threat a plainness that makes its impossible body more disturbing. We felt a chill at the ease with which that metal changes form; there is no reassuring sense of a body reaching its limits. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator supplies a useful contrast, with a physical solidity and dry humour that make the human exchanges work. Cameron understands how much comedy that stillness can support.

Linda Hamilton gives Sarah Connor enough anger to stop the film becoming cosy. Her performance makes the danger feel personal even when the action threatens to overwhelm everybody in it. Edward Furlong’s John Connor brings a less controlled energy, and his rough edges are useful beside Schwarzenegger’s composure. We care about these people partly because they do not seem built to agree with one another. Hamilton’s severity also keeps the humour from making the threat feel harmless.

Adam Greenberg’s cinematography is crucial to the action’s clarity: the human figures remain readable amid effects that could easily swallow them. Editors Richard A. Harris, Conrad Buff IV and Mark Goldblatt give the confrontations a firm sense of progression. The cutting lets us register a threat and measure a response, rather than simply endure a succession of impacts. That makes the violence more involving, and sometimes more uncomfortable. The pace stays fast without making the people seem incidental.

Joseph C. Nemec III’s production design keeps the physical world convincing around an enemy whose body can change shape. The T-1000’s transformations would be less alarming without that sense of ordinary objects having weight. Brad Fiedel’s score adds pressure without making every confrontation feel celebratory. The music is a useful reminder of the dread beneath the excitement, especially in a film that wants its violence to carry an anti-nuclear warning.

The weakness is in Cameron and William Wisher’s screenplay, which occasionally stops to insist on the humanity we can already see. Schwarzenegger and Furlong are persuasive enough together without every softer moment being underlined. As the middle slows, the humour loses some of its bite and the sentiment becomes harder to accept. A firmer cut here would have protected both the warmth and the pace.

Action sequels often treat character as the business to get through before the next set-piece. Cameron’s advantage is that we want his people to remain on screen, even when nobody is fighting. That does not excuse the slower stretch, but it explains why the warmth belongs here. Give it the largest screen available and enough volume for Fiedel’s music to become slightly unreasonable.

*Fi1m score 88, published 13 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

With only 5 reviews in so far, the consensus is positive, with praise clustering around Cameron’s action sequences and the T-1000’s liquid-metal effects. Linda Hamilton’s performance also earns recognition for giving the spectacle a human centre. Reservations concern pacing and purpose rather than technical execution: the middle section draws complaints, while Empire finds fewer ideas than in the original. Time Out argues that sentimentality weakens the humour; The New York Times welcomes the stronger characters and wit but finds the violence exhausting and the plea for peace confused. The differences are within broadly favourable responses.

## Straight answers

**Is Terminator 2: Judgment Day worth watching?**

*Terminator 2: Judgment Day* is worth watching for anyone who wants an action film with people worth following through the noise, and we scored it 88. The set-pieces are precise and inventive, Linda Hamilton gives the violence its urgency, and Robert Patrick's liquid-metal killer is properly frightening. The middle drifts into sentiment, but at 137 minutes James Cameron earns most of the running time.

**How long is Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and what is it rated?**

*Terminator 2: Judgment Day* runs 2h 17m. It is an action and thriller film.

**Where can I watch Terminator 2: Judgment Day in Japan?**

*Terminator 2: Judgment Day* is streaming on Amazon Prime Video in Japan, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from ¥300. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and is it suitable for children?**

*Terminator 2: Judgment Day* carries a UK 15 certificate, and the violence is sustained, loud and sometimes uncomfortable, with an anti-nuclear dread running underneath the excitement. The T-1000's shape-shifting body is the frightening part; there is no reassuring sense of a body reaching its limits. It is not for younger children, though most teenagers of certificate age will take it in their stride.

**How does Terminator 2: Judgment Day compare to The Terminator?**

*Terminator 2: Judgment Day* is the bigger and warmer film, and we think the better one; [*The Terminator*](https://film.one/film/the-terminator) is the leaner and more frightening. The earlier film is a pursuit thriller with some numbing stretches of violence; the sequel adds humour, a mother and son worth worrying about, and a liquid-metal enemy that outdoes the original's menace. Those who want pure dread should start with the first; those who want spectacle with people in it should choose the second.

**Do you need to have seen the other Terminator films before Terminator 2: Judgment Day?**

*Terminator 2: Judgment Day* can be watched without seeing the earlier film, and it is a reasonable place to start the series. Cameron sets up the conflict between people and machines clearly enough for a newcomer, and Sarah Connor's anger explains itself. Seeing [*The Terminator*](https://film.one/film/the-terminator) first deepens Linda Hamilton's performance and the joke of Schwarzenegger's changed role, but it is not required.

**What should I watch after Terminator 2: Judgment Day?**

After *Terminator 2: Judgment Day*, try [*RoboCop*](https://film.one/film/robocop) (1987, Fi1m 91): Another armoured body, with sharper satire and considerably less faith in institutions. Then [*The Iron Giant*](https://film.one/film/the-iron-giant) (1999, Fi1m 88): A gentler machine story that earns its feelings through patient character work; and [*Metropolis*](https://film.one/film/metropolis) (1927, Fi1m 87): For machinery, human vulnerability and effects whose inventiveness survives their age.

**What order should I watch the Terminator films in?**

Release order is the safe choice for Terminator, and it is the order [our collection page](https://film.one/collections/terminator) lists them in. *Terminator 2: Judgment Day* is number 2 of the 6 Terminator titles on Fi1m; before it comes [*The Terminator*](https://film.one/film/the-terminator) and after it [*Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines*](https://film.one/film/terminator-3-rise-of-the-machines). [The full order.](https://film.one/collections/terminator.md)

### Reviews we read (19)

- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (4/4): The film delivers spectacular special effects and action sequences centered on the shape-shifting T-1000 villain, while balancing a story of protection and human resistance against machines. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/terminator-2-judgment-day-1991)
- **Little White Lies**, Taylor Burns (90/100, inferred): The critic hails T2 as one of the greatest action films ever made and a high-water mark for genre cinema, crediting its groundbreaking visual effects and set pieces for changing Hollywood filmmaking. [Read](https://lwlies.com/in-praise-of/terminator-2-greatest-action-movie-ever-made)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Duane Byrge (90/100, inferred): The critic hails the film as a massive box-office hit driven by its relentless intensity and revolutionary special effects that push the sci-fi action genre forward. Cameron and his team are praised for blending apocalyptic Man vs. Machine themes with quirky human moments, with standout performances from Edward Furlong and Linda Hamilton providing emotional depth. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/terminator-2-judgment-day-review-movie-1991-1249476/)
- **The Times**, Kevin Maher (★★★★☆): The critic recommends catching the 3D re-release on the big screen for its enduring narrative urgency and effects. He singles out Robert Patrick's T-1000 as a flawless piece of visual trickery while noting the story as the film's true strength. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/terminator-2-judgment-day-3d-1991-205b3q0jj)
- **Variety**, Variety Staff (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the sequel as more impressive than the original in expanding the concept with two cyborgs and strong visual effects, noting Schwarzenegger's assured performance and the film's innovation in the liquid-metal villain despite some script issues. [Read](https://variety.com/1990/film/reviews/terminator-2-judgment-day-1200428733/)
- **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (8.6/10): Cameron delivers a worthy sequel with hard-edged humour, rollercoaster action and groundbreaking liquid-metal effects from the T-1000. Linda Hamilton's committed performance gives the high-octane mayhem a necessary human centre. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-snn8tv/terminator-2-judgment-day/)
- **Empire**, Kim Newman (85/100, inferred): The critic calls it top-flight kick-ass entertainment with astonishing effects and untoppable action set-pieces, though notes it is less idea-driven than the original. The T-1000 is singled out as one of cinema's great monsters. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/terminator-2-judgment-day-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (85/100, inferred): Cameron has crafted an elaborate, shrewdly constructed wild ride that combines the best elements of the first film with new twists, showcasing his mastery of action filmmaking mechanics and psychology. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-07-03-ca-1467-story.html)
- **Slant Magazine**, Justin Clark (85/100, inferred): The review celebrates the film's groundbreaking spectacle and audacious storytelling as a high point of Cameron's career, highlighting the innovative T-1000 effects and Linda Hamilton's intense performance as Sarah Connor. It notes the film's blend of nihilism with a ultimately hopeful message about humanity. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/summer-of-91-james-camerons-terminator-2-judgment-day/)
- **The Guardian** (75/100, inferred): The critic praises Cameron's skillful direction and the film's verve, imagination, and special effects, noting it retains the original's enthusiasm without sloppy compromises, though it sags slightly in the middle. The effects, particularly the molten lead sequence, are highlighted as memorable. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/1991/aug/15/1)
- **Sight and Sound**, J. Hoberman (70/100, inferred): The critic views T2 as a spectacular, expensive blockbuster that redeems the Terminator while delivering relentless action and pyrotechnics, positioning Schwarzenegger as the ultimate embodiment of 1980s Hollywood excess. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/features/he-blockbuster-given-human-form-j-hoberman-arnold-schwarzenegger)
- **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a swift, exciting special-effects epic that improves on the original with better characters and wit, though it is tirelessly violent and ultimately exhausting with a confused purpose as a plea for peace. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/03/movies/review-film-in-new-terminator-the-forces-of-good-seek-peace-violently.html)
- **Time Out**, GA (70/100, inferred): The film largely repeats the first with more spectacular effects and an anti-nuclear message, but the story sags in the middle and sentimentality undercuts the wit; the opening hour and finale show relentless bravura. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/terminator-2-judgment-day)
- **The New Yorker** (40/100, inferred): The sequel is far less satisfying than the original, with a lumbering narrative, heavy-handed anti-nuclear message, and spectacular effects that fail to compensate for the monotonous plotting and absurd premise. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1991/07/29/4-12)
- **Den of Geek**, Adam Sloman (5/5): The Blu-ray release showcases the film's enduring quality, with excellent transfer, audio, and extras that highlight its status as a franchise high point. It praises the effects, performances (especially Robert Patrick and Linda Hamilton), and overall impact as a fantastic action film. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/terminator-2-judgement-day-skynet-edition-blu-ray-review/)
- **Digital Spy**, Sam Ashurst (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Terminator 2 as a timeless, fast-paced action classic that remains fun and profoundly moving decades later. They single out the practical effects work, Sarah Connor as the ultimate action heroine, and the emotional robot-son relationship for particular acclaim. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/re-viewed/a654283/re-viewed-terminator-2-judgment-day-james-camerons-ground-breaking-sequel/)
- **Polygon**, Adam Barnhardt (90/100, inferred): The film remains one of the most near-perfect action sci-fi movies ever made and one of the rare sequels better than its predecessor. Cameron excels at staging blockbuster spectacle through practical effects, stunts, and CGI, while Linda Hamilton's hardened Sarah Connor and the emotional bond between John and the Terminator provide real depth. [Read](https://www.polygon.com/best-sci-fi-movie-terminator-2/)
- **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (85/100, inferred): The critic praises T2 as a game-changing, hopeful blockbuster that inverts the original film's grim tone by emphasizing family, emotional warmth, and the possibility of changing fate. It singles out the groundbreaking effects (especially the T-1000), strong performances (particularly Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor), and the film's reassuring message about humanity. [Read](https://collider.com/terminator-retrospective-t2-judgment-day-revisited/)
- **Eye for Film**, Scott Macdonald (80/100, inferred): Terminator 2 is a wonderful sequel, dramatically satisfying and a fine entertainment in its own right. The film delivers strong action sequences and groundbreaking effects, with standout performances from the cast including a compelling turn from Edward Furlong. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/terminator-2-judgment-day-film-review-by-scott-macdonald)

## Details

- **Director:** James Cameron
- **Director:** James Cameron
- **Writer:** William Wisher Jr., James Cameron
- **Cinematography:** Adam Greenberg
- **Editor:** Mark Goldblatt, Richard A. Harris, Conrad Buff IV
- **Music:** Brad Fiedel
- **Production design:** Joseph Nemec III
- **Costume design:** Marlene Stewart
- **Producer:** James Cameron, Van Ling
- **Cast:** Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator; Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor; Edward Furlong as John Connor; Robert Patrick as T-1000; Earl Boen as Dr. Silberman; Joe Morton as Miles Dyson; S. Epatha Merkerson as Tarissa Dyson; Castulo Guerra as Enrique Salceda
- **Runtime:** 2h 17m
- **Release (Japan):** 24 August 1991
- **Genres:** Action, Thriller, Science Fiction
- **Part of:** [Terminator](https://film.one/collections/terminator.md) · 2 of 6
- **Budget:** $102 million
- **Box office:** $518 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuBD2s2NmEM

## Where to watch in Japan

- Amazon Prime Video: add-on
- Amazon Prime Video: rent ¥300, sd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy ¥1, sd

*Checked 2026-09-13.*

Also available in: AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, IN, IT, JP, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PL, PT, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1992: Best Cinematography (nominated); Best Film Editing (nominated); Best Makeup and Hairstyling (won); Best Sound (won); Best Sound Editing (won); Best Visual Effects (won)
- Hugo Awards 1992: Best Dramatic Presentation (won)
- Saturn Awards 1992: Best Science Fiction Film (won)

## If you liked this

- *RoboCop* (1987), Fi1m 91: Another armoured body, with sharper satire and considerably less faith in institutions — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/robocop.md)
- *The Iron Giant* (1999), Fi1m 88: A gentler machine story that earns its feelings through patient character work — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-iron-giant.md)
- *Police Story* (1985): Physical action staged so clearly that every risk feels close enough to hurt
- *Metropolis* (1927), Fi1m 87: For machinery, human vulnerability and effects whose inventiveness survives their age — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/metropolis.md)
- *The Host* (2006): A monster film that keeps its difficult, argumentative family worth worrying about

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/terminator-2-judgment-day