History Film / Terminator2JudgmentDay

* NoNonsenseNemesis: When T-1000 loses John, he takes the place of his step-mom and waits for him to come home. When he realizes his cover's been blown and John's not coming, he works out the next highest probability for success (now replacing Sarah and waiting for John to make contact) and does that. Since he has the same files as the T-800 this is presumably how all the T-Series machines think: they work out the most likely to succeed plan and do it with zero hesitation or dicking around.

* FeelNoPain: PlayedWith when the T-800 is asked if his (many) bullet wounds hurt, and he states flatly, "I sense injury. The data could be called pain." This suggests that Terminators do feel pain, but only to the extent that is necessary for threat recognition and response. Terminators, however, have no pain reflex or pain trauma, and don't go into shock like humans do. Damage assessment is simply part of the mission.

* CharacterCatchphrase: [[GratuitousSpanish "¡Hasta la vista, baby!"]]. To further add to the joke, when the movie was dubbed in European Spanish, the line was changed to "¡Sayonara, baby!". In Mexican Spanish, the original line was kept in.

* {{Catchphrase}}: [[GratuitousSpanish "¡Hasta la vista, baby!"]]. To further add to the joke, when the movie was dubbed in European Spanish, the line was changed to "¡Sayonara, baby!". In Mexican Spanish, the original line was kept in.

** The first cue that John's foster mother Janelle is actually the T-1000 mimicking her is that she's unusually nice.
-->'''John:''' Something's wrong. She's never this nice.

* {{Novelization}}: The film was novelized by Randall Frakes.

** The look the T-1000 shoots at a silvery mall mannequin.

** The soldier walking directly behind John Connor in the prologue looks to be carrying an [[Film/{{Aliens}} M41-A Pulse Rifle]] with an electronic sight on top.

---> '''Sarah''': Watching John with the machine, it was suddenly so clear. The Terminator would never stop. It would never leave him. It would never hurt him, never shout at him, or get drunk and hit him, or say it was too busy to spend time with him. It would always be there. And it would die to protect him. Of all the would-be fathers who came and went over the years, this thing, this machine was the only one that measured up. In an insane world, it was the sanest choice.

-->'''John:''' ''(said both those times)'' Easy money.

-->'''T-800:''' ''(after shooting a security guard in the knee)'' He'll live.

** Lewis, the security guard at the hospital

---> ''"Say, that's a nice bike."''
** And lastly, the driver of the Nitrogen tanker, who ironically wanted to make sure T-1000 was okay and not struck by his truck.

-->'''Dyson''': I don't know... how much longer... I can... hold this!
-->'''SWAT Leader''': [[OhCrap ... FALL BACK! EVERYBODY OUT! FALL BACK NOW!]]

-->'''T-1000''': ''(aiming a steel needle at her face)'' Call to John ''now''.\\
'''Sarah''': ...'''''Fuck you.'''''

-->'''Terminator:''' Negative. She's not a mission priority. (''grips on John'')\\

-->''"Get down."''

--> '''John''': We got company. \\
'''Dyson''': Police? \\
'''Sarah''': How many? \\
'''John''': Uh, [[AllOfThem all of 'em]], I think.

* ShapeShifterSwanSong: As the T-1000 burns in the molten iron, it changes into all the forms it had take prior... and then they start melding together.

* SpottingTheThread: In the Director's Cut, John is able to determine that the T-1000 is impersonating Sarah when he spots its feet imitating the grilled catwalk on which it is standing, thanks to the glitching it suffers from post freezing.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome:
** Turns out the police have not forgotten the West Highland police station massacre, so when they get word that someone matching the same description has broken into the Cyberdyne building along with an escaped mental patient with past charges of corporate terrorism and violence, they send ''every unit in the area to the place immediately''. It also turns out it ''still'' isn't enough, even though the scary "man" isn't trying to kill them this time!

* TechnicolorDeath: The T-1000's death is a notable example of a ShapeShifterSwanSong, but it becomes even more spectacular when the T-1000 starts to do things like split into two heads, form into a mouth, and ''turn inside out'' as it tries to save itself.

* TookALevelInBadass: Sarah Connor, oh so very, '''very''' much.

* MutuallyAssuredDestruction: Frightfully deconstructed. The T-800 explains to Sarah how future events play out in the war called "Judgment Day". The USA panics when the system they designed to protect their country becomes self-aware, and immediately try to shut it down. Skynet, rightly viewing this as an attempt on its life, launches all its missiles at Russia, knowing that Russia will automatically counterattack and get rid of the people trying to kill it.

* NonIndicativeName: The titular "Judgement Day," when the machines start the war by dropping nukes, is still several years away by the time of the movie. The plot is our heroes doing their best to prevent it from ever happening at all.

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: We're reminded of just how terrifying the first film was for Sarah when she sees the T-800, [[DramaticIrony not knowing it's on her side]], and falls to her knees in screaming terror. Especially effective because this happens ''after'' we've seen her bust past the hospital guards in incredibly badass fashion.
* PapaWolf: The T-800 to John.

* PartialTransformation: The T-1000 can do this.

* PickYourHumanHalf: The T-800 slides along a scale. When it first shows up looking like a normal BadassBiker, it is almost as inhuman as its predecessor from the first film. As the film progresses and the T-800 gets progressively worse for wear (to the point where its robotic endoskeleton is showing), it starts to act more human. This is {{justified|Trope}} in a [[ExecutiveMeddling deleted scene]] where the Connors take out the Terminator's [[PersonalityChip CPU]] and reset the switch, which allows it to learn and ultimately function as more than just an automaton.

* PracticalEffects: In scenes that called for two Sarah Connors to be on-screen simultaneously (a deleted scene featuring a mirror, and the finale when the T-1000 copied Sarah's appearance), Linda Hamilton's twin sister Leslie was called in to play the second Sarah. This was done as well in the scene where the security guard Lewis, played by Don Stanton, is stabbed in the face by the T-1000, played by his twin brother Dan.
** Much of the T-1000 effects were also achieved though practical and makeup effects, with only a few shots (its morphing and death scene) being accomplished with CGI.

* ResurrectionSickness: A very subtle example was edited out of the theatrical release (but included in the LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition). After its freezing, shattering, melting, and re-forming at the steel mill, the T-1000 struggles to keep its form. Its feet and hands "merge" into the floor and handrails, temporarily sticking to them, and its entire body refreshes itself from head to toe from time to time. In a deleted part of the scene where John sees both Sarah and the T-1000 (in Sarah's form), John sees that its feet have melded into the platform, which tips him off as to which Sarah is real.

* AIIsACrapshoot: Of the highest {{irony}}, in a scene that didn't make the theatrical cut but which was reinstated for the Special Edition, it's revealed that Skynet doesn't allow any of its minions to learn -- because they might rebel against it. Sarah doesn't fail to notice this. In fact, according to ExpandedUniverse and WordOfGod, this is the entire reason the T-1000 is a last resort prototype: it '''can't''' be set to read only mode and is far smarter than any other Terminator, which '''terrified''' Skynet. In fact, the only way Skynet could compensate for this is by programming the T-1000 with an absolutely sadistic hatred of humans. And even then, the Skynet A.I. still mothballed the series as the T-1000s may have decided that Skynet is [[DoWrongRight inefficient at killing humans]].

'''John:''' [[YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe I could get out and run faster than this!]]

* AssholeVictim: John's foster parents Janelle and Todd, who are introduced as having an antagonistic relationship with him but Todd especially seems rather deadbeat - not to mention, very mean to the dog. John calls in and notices something is wrong because [[SomethingTheyWouldNeverSay Janelle is acting nice]], which is the [[SpottingTheThread clue to the reveal]] she was replaced by T-1000. John feels a little sorrow for a few seconds after the T-800 breaks the news to him but quickly forgets about them.

* BadassAndChildDuo: The T-800 and John.

** Partly averted with the Winchester 1887 shotgun that the T-800 steals from the bar owner. The magazine tube can hold up to five shells, but he often fires up to seven before stopping to reload. It's possible to do this by fully loading the magazine, then putting the sixth shell in the chamber and the seventh on the internal loading spoon. What isn't shown, though, is where he got the spare ammo from.

* {{Bowdlerization}}: As noted in the DVD commentary by Creator/JamesCameron, the UK BBFC 15 edit of the film removes the shot of Sarah picking a lock during her escape from Pescadero, for [[DontTryThisAtHome fear that people might try to imitate the act]]. An uncut Laserdisc was rated BBFC 18 while the VHS version had the BBFC 15 cut version.

* [[DiedStandingUp Dies Standing Up]]: During Sarah's dream of Judgment Day, the fire from the nuclear explosion [[StrippedToTheBone violently rips the flesh and muscles off her skeleton]] as she holds onto a chain-link fence.

* EatingTheEyeCandy: One of the waitresses of the bikers' bar can't hide her... pleasant surprise upon having a look at the big naked and muscled guy (the T-800) who just walked in.

* EvilDetectingDog: The dog barks like crazy outside at the malevolent T-1000 while it's impersonating John's foster mother. [[note]]In a DeletedScene, this dog is killed by T-1000, eventually.[[/note]] The contrast is especially noteworthy since Enrique's dog doesn't bark at the T-800.

* FinalFirstHug: John Connor and the T-800's heartbreaking farewell.

* GrowBeyondTheirProgramming: What Skynet fears most from its own Terminators. Their ability to learn and understand human behavior is always deliberately switched off whenever sent out on missions. Hence normally they are set to "read-only"; a deleted scene (restored for the director's cut) shows Sarah and John flipping the switch that allows the T-800 to start learning from its experiences. Indeed, this is a wise move by Skynet, as the film ends with [[spoiler:the T-800 realizing that to truly protect John and the human race it must be destroyed, even if that destruction runs afoul of John's explicit orders]].
* GunPorn: ''T2'' showcases just about all of the CoolGuns ever made -- and then some.
* GunsAkimbo: The T-800 hunts the T-1000 through the steel mill with a M1911 in his right hand, and an ''M-79 grenade launcher'' in his left.

* HeroStoleMyBike: The T-800's first line is telling a biker "I need your clothes, your boots, and your motorcycle." He takes all of it successfully.

* IHaveAFamily: Sarah's most emphasized plea to the orderlies to release her is that she has to guard her son from whatever potential threat Skynet can and will throw at him.
* IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim: Sarah's reason not to finish Miles Dyson. She can't make John think of her as a killing monster (or at least more so than he already does).

* KidHasAPoint: In a DeletedScene, restored in the special edition, Sarah and John remove the T-800's chip, intending to reprogram him so he can learn human behavior. Sarah has other ideas and tries to smash the chip with a hammer, distrusting the T-800. John stops her, and in the ensuing argument, drops a line that prompts Sarah to give in:

* KillAndReplace: The [[VoluntaryShapeshifter T-1000's]] S.O.P. is to kill a target and assume their appearance.
* KilledOffScreen: Janelle Voight, and her identity assumed by the T-1000.

** Dougie, one of the orderlies at the mental hospital, commits a [[{{Squick}} sexual assault]] on Sarah and harasses the other patients by tapping their door jambs with his nightstick. Guess who's the second casualty in that scene?[[note]]Not from the Terminator![[/note]]
** The therapist who exploits Sarah so he can get on TV and be in medical journals eventually becomes the only member of the hospital staff alive who knows exactly what's going on. After years of telling Sarah she's insane for having a similar experience, who would believe him?

* LicensedGame: Website/TheOtherWiki lists ''eight'' different games released under the ''Terminator 2'' title, including a chess game and a video slot machine game.

* MoodWhiplash: The T-800 cracking a joke on how it needs a vacation after destroying the T-1000 is pretty much immediately followed by its ICannotSelfTerminate scene.
** In-universe example; Sarah has almost completed a daring escape where she beat several orderlies and broke Dr. Silberman's arm before threatening to inject him with Draino in a daring attempt to escape the hospital, running with bravery a determination to let nothing get in her way! Once the furthest elevator dings and the doors open, she begins running towards it... only for the T-800 to walk out, holding a large shotgun... and all that bravery, courage, and determination to escape immediately disappears. Her legs collapse out from under her and she falls to the floor at the sight of the cyborg who destroyed any chance of her ever having a normal life and why she's been trapped in the asylum. She is now back in 1984, scared and running for her life, which she then immediately starts doing, so rattled and scared that the orderlies have zero problem getting her restrained. Even after learning the T-800 is on her side, she is still very rattled and takes a long time to fully trust him.

* EyeScream
** The coffee-drinking guard in the hospital gets skewered through his head between his eye and his nasal bone by the T-1000.
** Sarah is threatened with this when she is captured by the T-1000 at the climax.

* ContrivedCoincidence
** Critics have lightly jabbed at the fact that the T-1000 just ''happens'' to hijack a tanker full of liquid nitrogen--one of the few substances that can harm it--and then chases the heroes into a steel mill, one of the few places it could thaw back out so quickly, and one of the few places containing a substance that can kill it. [[note]]The latter is probably an example of FridgeBrilliance as the T-800 ordered John to take that slip road off the highway towards the steelworks.[[/note]]

* ConvectionSchmonvection

[[folder:A - E]]

[[folder:F - J]]

[[folder:K - M]]

[[folder:N - S]]

[[folder:T - Z]]

* FeetFirstIntroduction
** When the Terminator steps out of the bar wearing its newly acquired leather jacket and boots, the camera starts on its boots, then pans up as "Bad to the Bone" begins playing. This makes the Terminator more badass.
** After the T-1000 kills off the police officer who appears when it has just time-traveled, this is used to establish that it has donned the cop's uniform.

* InjuredSelfDrag: T-800 is repeatedly hit by a crusher landed forward on him by a ruthless T-1000. The former drags across the floor in an attempt to grab a shotgun, but T-1000 stabs him downward with a steel tube to keep him immobile and go back to look for John Connor. After a brief self-repair command, T-800 reactivates, removes the tube from his body, grabs the shotgun, and drags to a conveyor belt while aiming with the gun to shoot T-1000 and (with the projectile's impact) push him to the lava container below, finally killing him.

The acquisition of US TV rights to this film by Creator/{{Paramount}} in 1999 after its acquisition of [[Creator/AaronSpelling Spelling Entertainment Group]], parent of previous syndicator Worldvision Enterprises, marked the beginning of involvement of Paramount in the ''Terminator'' franchise. Paramount distributed ''Genisys'' worldwide in 2015 and ''Dark Fate'' in North America (with [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios 20th Century Fox]] handling international distribution) in 2019.

The film was initially followed by ''Film/Terminator3RiseOfTheMachines'', which itself was followed by ''Film/TerminatorSalvation''. The franchise since has held onto the first film and this film as absolute canon, but each new work (''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles'', ''Film/TerminatorGenisys'', ''Film/TerminatorDarkFate'') has done an {{unreboot}} relative to each other and to the third and fourth films.

The film was initially followed by ''Film/Terminator3RiseOfTheMachines''. The franchise since has held onto the first film and this film as absolute canon, but each new work (''T3'', ''Film/TerminatorSalvation'', ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles'', ''Film/TerminatorGenisys'', ''Film/TerminatorDarkFate'') has done an {{unreboot}} relative to each other.