Terminator 2: Judgment Day poster

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

1991137 minutesR
4.6
Arcplot Score
📝 Unconventional
Unverified
⭐ 8.6IMDb
🍅 91%Rotten Tomatoes
Ⓜ️ 75/100Metacritic
🎬 8.1TMDb
📊 10.8Popularity
🏆Won 4 Oscars. 39 wins & 33 nominations total
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Directed by: James Cameron
Over 10 years have passed since the first machine called The Terminator tried to kill Sarah Connor and her unborn son, John. The man who will become the future leader of the human resistance against the Machines is now a healthy young boy. However, another Terminator, called the T-1000, is sent back through time by the supercomputer Skynet. This new Terminator is more advanced and more powerful than its predecessor and its mission is to kill John Connor when he's still a child. However, Sarah and John do not have to face the threat of the T-1000 alone. Another Terminator (identical to the same model that tried and failed to kill Sarah Connor in 1984) is also sent back through time to protect them. Now, the battle for tomorrow has begun.

Box Office

Budget:$102.0M
Revenue:$520.0M
Profit:$418.0M

Arcplot Score Breakdown

Beat Timing Precision5.9/10
Emotional Arc Impact3/10
Thematic Consistency5/10
Overall Score4.6/10

Beat Sheet

15 plot points

Terminator 2: Judgment Day Arcplot
1
Opening Image
1 min
2
Theme Stated
5 min
3
Set-Up
15 min
4
Catalyst
25 min
5
Debate
40 min
6
Break Into Two
50 min
7
B Story
60 min
8
Fun and Games
75 min
9
Midpoint
90 min
10
Bad Guys Close In
105 min
11
All Is Lost
120 min
12
Dark Night of the Soul
125 min
13
Break Into Three
128 min
14
Finale
135 min
15
Final Image
137 min

Emotional Arc

+100-10

Plot Points

#1

Opening Image

1 min

Post-apocalyptic future with machines ruling. Introduces stakes of Judgment Day.

#2

Theme Stated

5 min

Theme of fate, free will, and human survival hinted.

#3

Set-Up

15 min

Present-day Los Angeles. John Connor’s life and mother Sarah’s vigilante state introduced.

#4

Catalyst

25 min

T-1000 sent from future to kill young John Connor. T-800 sent to protect him. Stakes established.

#5

Debate

40 min

John struggles with trusting the T-800. Sarah questions survival strategies. Tension builds.

#6

Break Into Two

50 min

Escape from T-1000. Crossing threshold into high-action pursuit and confrontation.

#7

B Story

60 min

Fatherly bond develops between John and T-800. Humanization of machine. Emotional stakes deepen.

#8

Fun and Games

75 min

Chase sequences, Cyberdyne infiltration, confrontations with T-1000. Action-driven thrills.

#9

Midpoint

90 min

Cyberdyne destruction attempt. False victory: T-1000 still active. Stakes rise.

#10

Bad Guys Close In

105 min

T-1000 relentlessly pursues. Emotional tension escalates. Survival in jeopardy.

#11

All Is Lost

120 min

T-1000 seemingly overwhelms T-800 and John. Dire situation.

#12

Dark Night of the Soul

125 min

Sarah and John reflect on fragility of life and hope for the future. Emotional pause.

#13

Break Into Three

128 min

T-800 makes strategic sacrifice to defeat T-1000. Human ingenuity and courage prevail.

#14

Finale

135 min

T-1000 destroyed, future averted (for now). Emotional and action resolution.

#15

Final Image

137 min

John and Sarah alive. T-800 sacrifices itself. Hope for humanity restored. Themes of love, sacrifice, and choice reinforced.