Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Published · Watched 2026-09-08 5/5
Watched in a 4DX cinema, in 3D, with a French audio track! Not normally what I’d choose, but it’s what was available!
The 4DX thing, with the chairs shaking around and water spraying, wind, and smoke machines and stuff; well it’s a total gimmick, and the chairs in the place do not suit someone who’s 6’2”; I think they’re made for kids or miniature people. Anyway, it’s not what I’d have chosen, but it was my chance of seeing T2 on a big screen here, so I wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity!
The 3D. Again, I’d rather see it without the 3D, but at points it did look really nice, mainly just in scenes with nice basic composition rather than the frenetic action scenes, to my mind.
I have the film on 4k, and this 2017 restoration has been a little controversial. I think it works OK with 3D. Having the absolute visual fidelity somewhat compromised by 3D and the 4DX nonsense throwing you around distracts from the overdone DNR, and I actually thought it was really nice looking in a lot of places.
I don’t want to sound negative; this is an incredible film, and I really enjoyed seeing it a lot tonight. It maybe represents the best of a golden era of physical effects and stunts, but it also hails the ushering in of a new era, with the CGI, but before films became just disconnected from reality; people with ping-pong balls on their elbows and knees pretending to be somewhere while in a green-screen room.
Overall, I’m really glad I got to see T2 on a big screen. Hopefully we’ll get a good restoration of this film one day, and I’d like to see it on a big screen with a comfortable seat that doesn’t move around and spray me with stuff, and without 3D.
I’m giving it 4.9 stars, because T1 will always be my favourite, and because of the questionable choices made in the restoration.
