Movie trailers these days can sometimes give far too much away, sometimes even spoiling key narrative elements. A good preview should pique viewer curiosity, not render it entirely unnecessary to see the film partially depicted within. If you’re curious about what I mean, check out the original teaser trailer for James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Now, that’s a trailer. The proceedings focus on a recognizable character from the original film without giving us even a sliver of information about where the narrative is headed. The teaser provides a good look at the overall vibe and aesthetic, then finishes with an iconic quote.
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This Terminator 2 Teaser Is One of the Greatest Trailers of All-Time
Seeing as the storyline of the sequel features a significant divergence from the narrative of the first film, the less is more approach is a smart one. In the sequel, we learn that Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 has changed teams. This time around, the robotic entity covered in human tissue has been sent back in time to protect John Connor, rather than eradicate him before he’s born. You certainly can’t deduce any of that from the preview above, though.
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The full Terminator 2: Judgment Day trailer spills the beans on that particular twist, however, the reprogramming aspect is a major plot point and it would be difficult not to address it in some capacity. With that said, the full preview is from a bygone era and still leaves plenty of surprises for viewers to discover within the film’s runtime.
The Full Terminator 2 Trailer Delivers Something Else Entirely
Terminator 2 has the impressive distinction of boasting a GOAT-level teaser and standing as one of the best science fiction films of our time. T2 features state-of-the-art effects, compelling performances, a strong emotional core, and some of the most engaging action scenes ever committed to celluloid.
Judgment Day is nearly 35 years old, yet it delivers CGI that puts a lot of newer films to shame. I’ve thought a lot about why the FX stand the test of time so well and the answer is pretty simple: CG looks really good when it’s depicting fluid motion. The T-1000 (Robert Patrick), the replacement antagonist in this sequel, is made of liquid metal, which is smooth and easier to render digitally. Though the subject matter lends itself well to computer-generated imagery, the fact still remains that the VFX in this film are light years ahead of their time and remain timeless still.
Also timeless is the film’s profound storyline with a poignant emotional core. Young John Connor (Edward Furlong) has never met his dad and naturally craves a sense of connection with a father figure. The T-800 unexpectedly steps in to fill that void as John’s de facto guardian, making the final moments of the film completely devastating to endure.
T2 also delivers a profound message about the nature of destiny. One of the picture’s core themes is that the future is unwritten and that we have it within us to change the course of our own destiny. That’s an evergreen message that is still every bit as relevant today as it was in 1991 when the film first bowed before the moviegoing public.
The picture’s admonitions about AI have become even more harrowing through a contemporary lens, not to mention prescient. Machines are replacing humans, robots are creating so-called art, and new technology continues to emerge faster than our government can legislate. We could all take a page from the Connor family playbook and stand up and fight as the machines continue to rise up among us.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is an all-time great, a film that only gets better with time. The flick features a killer narrative, explosive action sequences, a profound emotional core, and effects that were years ahead of the curve. Not to mention, T2 also boasts a teaser that puts contemporary trailers to shame.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is streaming on Paramount+.
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Image Credit: Warner Bros.
