Terminator 2: Judgment Day

#36 at time of writing.

Terminator 2 left an indelible impression on my young teenage mind when I first saw it, and some 20 years later it's still very impressive. James Cameron really knows how to make a movie.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is at his best as the indomitable T-101, ultra cool right from the start. And, geniusly, even though he was such a terrifying bad guy in the first movie, by the end of this one you're rooting for him all the way.

But the film's antagonist, the T-1000, is one of the all-time greatest bad guys. Invincible, cunning, relentless - my heart races when I think of him clawing his way onto the back of the police car. And he makes thrilling use of his powers in the final battle. The special effects were mind-blowing at the time, and hold up well.

And despite these two epic rivals trying to steal the show, Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor more than holds her own. She is a beautifully complex character, strong yet flawed, who's story is intrinsic to the film's excellent plot.

There is no fate but what we make.

(On a side note, according to IMDb trivia Arnold Schwarzenegger was given a slightly used Gulfstream III airplane, worth about $14 million, by producer Mario Kassar for accepting the role. I wonder what the Governator got for T3?!)