Terminator 2: Judgment Day to enrich its 1984 predecessor and cement the franchise's central characters as science fiction icons.
Since then, however, subsequent Terminator titles have failed to hit the heights of Judgment Day. Despite many of these movies continuing to utilize franchise stalwart Arnie in various cameo roles, none have captured the character depth that T2 managed to eke from each of its core players. Titles such as 2009's Terminator Genisys butchered the T-800 character in the name of fanservice.
As a result, Terminator 7 needs to restore the qualities that made Terminator 2: Judgment Day's T-800 such a beloved and iconic character. T2's T-800 is a wholly unique proposition, delivering funny one-liners while never losing the menace his character earned from the original Terminator movie. Arnie's T-800 seen in Judgment Day earned his status as a hero by the end of the film through his actions rather than franchise history, which is a formula Terminator 7 would do well to utilize.
In Terminator 2: Judgment Day's director commentary, legendary filmmaker James Cameron states as much. Cameron talks about striking the perfect balance between the T-800 being a funny, albeit dry, character without losing his edge. This balance between the threat of an android originally programmed to kill John Connor (Edward Furlong) and Arnie's heroic portrayal of the character is finely attuned, adding depth and heart to an otherwise robotic killing machine.
In contrast, subsequent attempts by the Terminator franchise at striking this fine balance have fallen decidedly flat. The worst offender is undoubtedly Terminator Genisys, which brings back the T-800 as a young Sarah Connor's (Emilia Clarke) guardian. The T-800 shown in Genysis is also described as "reprogrammed" just as T2's was, but Arnie's T-800 used in the 2015 movie is been stripped of all his menace, translating as a decidedly human character across the entirety of the film.
In this way, Terminator 2: Judgment Day such a rampant success.
