2. Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
Writer/Director/Producer As the film studies class in
Scream 2 (ironically a sequel) will tell you, or would have told you if half of them hadnt ended up dead: sequels suck; yet somehow James Cameron has not once, but twice made sequels that not only do justice to the original but actually surpass them (and yes, before anyone quotes that scene from Scream 2, I most definitely do have a hard-on for Cameron.) When you look at what Cameron achieved on a comparatively small budget with the first film, it was a no-brainer that he would multiply everything by ten for the sequel. Terminator 2: Judgement Day doesnt just have greater action sequences, it has more heart, more character development and is all round just a more polished film. T2 features two of the greatest cinematic role reversals of all time: first we have Arnold Schwarzenegger going from being one of the most brutal and fearsome screen villains in history to becoming one of modern films greatest heroes. Then we have Sarah Connor evolving from frightened damsel in distress in the first film to a hard-as-nails soldier with bigger balls than most action heroes in T2.
Linda Hamilton gives a performance in T2 that she could never have expected to emulate and it will undoubtedly be the defining role of her career. To put it simply - T2 has it all; over the top, insane action sequences, pioneering special effects, infamous lines ("Hasta la vista, baby"), sub zero coolness (the one handed shotgun reload) and a thumping
Guns N Roses lead single. If we were discussing any other director, T2 would have to feel pretty aggrieved to not have made the number one spot, but this is James Cameron were talking about