Terminator vs. Terminator 2. Which is better?

I think T2 is better. Just personal preference, though. Nothing is wrong with the first one, I just liked the second one much better.

hmmmm. tough one. i probably like t2 more due to better effects and lack of 80's cheesiness, but it's a close race

Terminator 2.

T2, because that nuke scene was the bomb.

Yeah but the 80s cheesiness is part of what makes T1 great.

I think I give the edge to T2 but they're both great.

Someone just had to vote for one to be edgy. I was looking forward to OT agreeing on a subject for once.

I like T2 better. Because when that thumb goes up, I get something in my eye.

Terminator 2 was technically better (visual effects, sound, pacing, etc), but it was also a completely unnecessary sequel and also took a giant shit on the first movie's rules. As a movie, Terminator 2 was better, but it sucked ass as a sequel and it set the stage for Hollywood continually fucking up the narrative universe until it made zero sense.

Don't get me wrong, Terminator 2 was an excellently crafted action movie and one of the best demonstrations of James Cameron's talent. I just hate it as a Terminator sequel, and I wish it had been some kind of spiritual successor to The Terminator instead of a straight sequel. The Terminator franchise (movies only, I haven't paid any attention to the other stuff) has been trash for a while. And when I look at what went wrong, a good number of things were started right in Terminator 2.

I'm thinking about voting about Terminator 1, I'm leaning towards there heavily but I'm trying to see "the light" in T2. (Not saying that T2 is a bad movie by itself, but compare to the first one I think T1 is better)

I too had something in my eye. :P

Terminator 2, primarily for the running.

I still haven't voted yet. I want to vote for The Terminator really badly because I love it so much and there's just so much about T2 that I dislike.

But on the other hand, I just can't ignore how accomplished T2 actually was (even if there's so much stuff that I hate about it). It really comes down to whether I'm judging T2 as a movie, or if I'm judging T2 as a TERMINATOR movie. And I haven't quite decided which way I'm gonna go yet.

@uninspiredcup said:

Terminator 2, primarily for the running.

That gif really messed up my eyes and mind for a couple of seconds of staring. :P

But anyway, that running scene was pretty cool.

Is 90's cheesiness really any better?

I voted Terminator 1 because I remember begging my parents to let me see it when I was in pre-school. For god knows reason why they agreed and it scared the ever loving piss out of me.

I bet you cried like a little girl when they took you home.

I remember my Mom took me to see The Cable Guy when it first came out and I didn't sleep well for a week.

I think that's a silly complaint too. I mean, it's a time travel movie. The specific time period obviously ought to be recognizable and have its own identity. Complaining about 8o's cheese is kind of silly. It was set in the 80's and the 80's were cheesy. If I made a time travel movie where a character traveled back to the 1930's, would the 1930's cheese be a valid complaint?

The Terminator took place in the 80's, so it ought to look like the 80's. Terminator 2 took place in the 90's, so it ought to look like the 90's. Both movies succeeded pretty well in that regard, so good for them.

It's my favourite Terminator movie too.

you posting from work?

Terminator is a good movie. T2 is an amazing one.

The first one by far. Not a big fan of T2.

T2. It ups the ante, has better production values and is more entertaining.

Terminator 2, mostly because of memes :D

Overall I find T2 to be better, it is more cheesy but the story is told better and the actors overall seemed to do better. Production values were also way up there (elthough that does not make a movie good, just gives a good first impression).

I like the theme of T1 more, and I think It would have the potential to be the better movie, if it was made with as much care as T2

I much prefer the first. It's concise, laser focused, the pacing is perfect, editing flawless, dialogue perfect, and the acting is spot on. I love that it had a slasher/horror type vibe to it. I know many would disagree, but I consider it to be Cameron's finest work so far (followed closely by Aliens). Nothing about it felt superfluous. It just feels to me what a film needs.

T2 on the other hand was just not necessary. As an action movie it was decent, but personally i found the whole "robot protector" to be far too absurd a notion to buy into. "I know now why you cry". I mean, c'mon. Infiltration unit. Heartless killing machine. A TERMINATOR. In the first movie, Arnold portrayed death. No emotion, that thing had one mission and one mission only. It couldn't be bargained with, it couldn't be reasoned with, It didn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it did not stop, EVER, until you are DEAD!! **** yea. Not cyborg Mr. Rodgers by the end of the movie because they found a way to turn on its chip so he could "learn not to be such a dork all the time". Hell, Furlong made that movie suffer enough. Awful casting choice for a future leader.

Anyway I don't want to get on a long rant. T2 was a fun ride, but I don't consider it to be a superior film.

I don't remember if I cried, but this was a rental so it was at home. Apparently Terminator is too intense for a......I think I was four or five at the time.

@MirkoS77:

It's interesting you bring up Aliens. I consider the first two Alien and Terminator movies to follow the same structure. The first one is a horror slasher flick, and the second one is more of an action movie. That's about where the similarities end however I can't help, but feel like James Cameron saw the winning combination of the Alien franchise and tried to recreate it when making T2.

Slightly Off topic. Aliens Resurrection is a great B-movie. Very underrated.

The 2 are almost completely different movies. T1 was more of a horror movie and T2 was an action movie.

T2

deal with it

T2 wins by a long shot. One of the best sequels of all time.

without the big sequel the original Terminator movie might be one of those forgotten run-of-the-mill 80s sci-fi flicks, same probably goes for Alien, though the original movie was done very well, iit might have been forgotten without the sequel

Both are excellent but I would give it to T2

whats up bud

Just bored as usual

Terminator 1.. I can't watch T2 anymore simply for the fact that I can't STAND Edward Furlong as John Connor.. I can't stand T2's John Connor, I hate his dialogue, and it really detracted from the movie..

T2 is better just because Arnold should be the good guy. His voice, his face the way he moves and interacts you sympathise with him. even though hes a giant you still love him. Its like hodor from GoT. You are forced to love him. Terminator Salvation is just plain bad.

Terminator 2, because that ending. He was the father figure I never had.

T2 by a wide margin.. Judgement Day is the best action movie ever made

Terminator Salvation just really wasn't well thought out. Too many plot holes that they were too lazy to deal with intelligently.

Terminator 2....but not by much