Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
It's nothing personal.
Ten years after the events of the original, a reprogrammed T-800 is sent back in time to protect young John Connor from the shape-shifting T-1000. Together with his mother Sarah, he fights to stop Skynet from triggering a nuclear apocalypse.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 3 July 1991 |
| Genre | Action, Thriller, Science Fiction |
| Director | James Cameron |
| Starring | Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton and Edward Furlong |
| Runtime | 137 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 8.5/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 90% · Metacritic 75/100 · IMDb 8.6/10 · Letterboxd 4.3/5 · TMDB users 8.2/10 |
| Budget | $102 million |
| Box office | $521 million worldwide |
Where to watch Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is streaming on Prime Video ($8.99 a month) in the US. It is also on Fubo and Paramount+ ($13.99 a month). If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Prime Video is $8.99 at list price.
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What kind of watch this is
Cameron’s 1991 sequel swaps the hunter for the bodyguard. A reprogrammed T-800 protects young John Connor from the shape-shifting T-1000, while Sarah Connor fights to stop Skynet’s nuclear apocalypse. It is 137 minutes of practical effects and kinetic violence. The tagline says, "It's nothing personal." The film proves that mechanical indifference is the scariest kind. It remains the benchmark for action blockbusters that care about their stakes.
What the critics said
Critics greeted the film with acclaim, largely driven by effects they called "revolutionary" and "spectacular." Rotten Tomatoes reports a 90% Tomatometer score as of July 2026, while Metacritic assigns a Metascore of 75 as of January 2026. Janet Maslin likened Cameron’s direction to Stanley Kubrick at his peak, a comparison that lands with quiet weight. Not everyone bought the moral argument. Critics noted the message about using extreme violence to save humanity felt "muddled" to some, a logical knot that tangles the otherwise slick action.
How it did with audiences
Terminator 2: Judgment Day opened to a $52.3 million five-day haul, setting a record for R-rated films. It took in $517 million to $521 million worldwide against a $102 million budget. Audiences rated it 8.6/10 on IMDb as of February 2026, while TMDB users give it 8.2 out of 10. Kids showed up in force, a detail industry observers found slightly concerning given the rating.
Awards
The film swept 6 awards from 6 nominations. It took home the Oscars for Best Makeup, Best Sound, Best Sound Editing, and Best Visual Effects, with Stan Winston, Tom Johnson, Gary Rydstrom, and Dennis Muren named as winners. It also claimed the Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film and the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. The 45th British Academy Film Awards added 2 more wins, while the 1992 MTV Movie Awards gave it 6. The Academy recognized it as the first film to win when its predecessor had not been nominated. A tidy sweep, technically speaking.
What came next for the cast
Schwarzenegger had already survived The Terminator and Predator. After 1991, he returned to the franchise in Terminator 3 and Terminator Genisys, alongside an Expendables entry. Hamilton, known for Children of the Corn, later appeared in Dante's Peak and Stranger Things. Patrick moved from Die Hard 2 to Bridge to Terabithia. The credits cannot say this film caused that trajectory. They simply mark the point where separate paths diverged.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
Read more: The Terminator
Sources
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q170564 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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