Terminator 2: 10 Biggest Differences Between The Theatrical & Director’s Cuts

The theatrical cut of Terminator 2 is most widely known to moviegoers, but diehard fans know that Cameron’s Director’s Cut is where it’s at.

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Terminator 2: Judgment Day is one of the most important and pivotal sci-fi action films ever created, and it took the world by a colossal storm when it came out in 1991. James Cameron managed to outdo his original Terminator flick by tripling the intensity, the action sequences, and the scope of the story with pure perfection.

The theatrical edition of Terminator 2 is most widely known to moviegoers, but diehard fans know that Cameron’s Director’s Cut is where it’s at. This cut threw in tons of scenes that were deleted from the original release which helped flesh out the story considerably. It’s the definitive way to watch Terminator 2, and here are the main differences between both cuts of the film.

10 A Change In Focus

The theatrical version of Terminator 2 was very heavy on setting up a follow-up premise where John Connor becomes the target of SkyNET in its attempt to defeat the future human resistance. As such, it was necessary to provide an appropriate protector for him that would also take on some fatherly elements at the same time.

While this was hinted at in the original version, the Director’s Cut turns the story inwards and makes it more about humans, rather than humanity. Relationships are better fleshed out and the pacing turns the film from a chase vehicle to a sort of family road trip – dysfunctional as it is.

9 More Sarah At The Hospital

Sarah’s incarceration at the mental hospital helps set up one of the principal action sequences of the entire film, but the Director’s Cut expands more on Sarah herself, and how she has been affected. After successfully destroying the first Terminator, Sarah has gone off the rails and turned a paranoid vendetta against SkyNET into a trip to the insane asylum.

The theatrical cut hints at Sarah’s psychological state, but it’s implied that she’s relatively in control of her mental faculties as she seeks to escape. The Director’s Cut shows a Sarah that is far more traumatized both by her memories and the hospital staff, and that helps set up her later attack on Miles Dyson to a much better degree.

8 The T-1000’s Behavior

Robert Patrick managed to knock his performance out of the park as the ultra-sleek T-1000 advanced prototype, but the theatrical cut touched only briefly on his rudimentary infiltration and hunting methods. The Director’s Cut expands on the T-1000’s inventive way of seeking out clues it can use to pursue its target.

This includes posing as John’s foster mother before killing his foster father and their dog, earning him a top spot on the list of brutal Terminator kills. He learns that the T-800 managed to dupe him with a trick question, knowing full well that the house lead had dried up. From there, the T-1000 scours John’s room for any clues as to where he might go next – eventually finding a stash of unread letters from Sarah Connor during her time in the mental hospital.

7 The CPU Reset

The single-largest change from the theatrical cut is the one that has the most impact on the overall story. It’s a variation on the severely trimmed scene just following the escape from the mental hospital when Sarah and John work on repairing the T-800’s wounds. One can tell by watching the theatrical cut that a quick edit was needed to cut away from the scene and push the narrative forward.

The Director’s Cut takes its time by fleshing out a scene where Sarah and John open up the T-800’s cranium and remove the CPU which resets a switch allowing it to think for itself without any barriers in place. This is a highly pivotal scene that might detract from the pacing in a theater, but it’s absolutely vital for establishing why the Terminator begins to take on a more humanistic attitude throughout the rest of the film.

6 The Terminator’s Behavior

The theatrical version showed the T-800 adopting a few human characteristics, some obvious, and others in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment. The Director’s Cut capitalizes fully on the CPU reset scene by immediately showing a Terminator free to mimic human behavior to a greater degree.

Some of these scenes are downright funny, such as when John tries to teach the Terminator to smile, which backfires in a big way. This helps establish the Terminator as more than just one of SkyNET’s most lethal killing machines. It allows the machine to become a character in his own right, which makes much more sense in the final act.

5 Miles Dyson’s Family

Some have argued that the original introduction of Miles Dyson’s family in the theatrical cut was a more effective approach, and the debate will no doubt rage for years to come. The Director’s Cut introduces Dyson’s family much earlier during a bright sunny day and introduces audiences to an entirely new set of characters.

This helps establish a narrative showing Dyson not as a greedy capitalist in pursuit of breakthrough, but a family man who sees his work as the path to saving human lives and bettering humanity. This sets up a far more effective and sobering scene when Dyson is forced to listen to the reality of what his work will actually bring about.

4 Dyson’s Anger

Another key scene in the Director’s Cut is one of the more overlooked ones. After leading Sarah, John, and the Terminator into CyberDyne Systems to destroy the original Terminator’s hand and CPU, Dyson is forced to come to grips with the fact that his entire life’s work is about to end.

He helps them pile up computers, files, and other items related to his research before setting his sights on a model of the Terminator’s CPU. It’s the physical representation of everything he worked so hard for, and he attacks it in a rage with a fire axe for the sake of catharsis and closure.

3 The T-1000’s Invulnerability

The theatrical cut of Terminator 2 describes the T-1000 as an “advanced prototype,” but the character seems to have absolutely no physical weaknesses except the ability to be melted in a steel mill at the end of the film. For some reason, Cameron sought to chuck out any scenes showing the T-1000 slowly coming apart at the seams.

These scenes manifest immediately after the T-1000 is frozen in liquid nitrogen and shattered into pieces. When it reconstitutes itself, audiences watch as the T-1000 begins glitching. This is the first time fans got to see that the advanced prototype in question was exactly that – a prototype prone to bugs and defects. Still, he’s one of the coolest villains ever to grace a movie screen.

2 An Altered Future

The original ending for Terminator 2 was very much the way Sarah Connor’s voiceover described earlier – as a black highway at night. The audience is left to wonder if their actions at CyberDyne and the destruction of the Terminator were enough to avert Judgment Day and the horrors to follow.

The Director’s Cut makes it very clear that the future has indeed changed. Judgment Day has been averted, and humanity has been ushered into a new and prosperous age with Sarah looking on as a proud grandmother.

1 A Change In The Franchise

The Director’s Cut cannot be considered canon due to the events which take place in the highly convoluted and nonsensical Terminator: Dark Fate, and that’s a shame. Every sequel following Terminator 2 has been a problematic letdown, with each one getting progressively worse.

Cameron’s Director’s Cut was his perfect wrap-up of the franchise he helped create. It told its story and sent it off with a salute that shut the door on the sequel concepts. For many fans, Terminator 1 and 2 represent the “official” story, and the Director’s Cut of T2 drives that point home admirably.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/terminator-2-theatrical-director-cut-differences/