In the future a war rages between humans and the machines controlled by Skynet: a sentient military computer. Skynet is losing to the human resistance lead by John Conner, so Skynet sends back in time a killing machine, an advanced model T-1000 terminator to kill John as child (Furlong). Humans send back an older model T-800 (Schwarzenegger) to protect him. Its a race to see which one gets to John first.

This is one of the best sci-fi movies made, and is carefully directed by James Cameron. So for instance at the start you don’t know which of the terminators is which or anything about the advanced abilities of the T-1000. And advanced they are: able to morph into any shape and take on the appearance of anybody it touches, all of which leads to some of the most memorable special effects seen on film. But as the effects are integral to the story they don’t feel like a show off. Good stuff.

It’s easy to think that the blank emotionless cyborg played by Arnie required no acting ability, but I’d disagree. One way to judge a good performance is to ask if you can see anyone else in that role. Who else could be the terminator but Schwarzenegger? Exactly. Yet even played deadpan, you still end up rooting for him and his final farewell is nicely touching.

Ignoring the obvious paradoxes of time travel to alter the past (sorry, its my Physics degree), the film rips along in a full-on action movie. And you are forgiven if you sometimes wish the T-1000 luck against the squeaky voiced aspartame hyper 10 year old John.