Tumey

The twist in the sequel to the frankly quite good sci-fi actioner The Terminator is that this time, Arnold Schwarzenegger is on our side, with Johnny Cash's dad / Sopranos debt ower Robert Patrick on the other. The Terminator is here to save John Connor, and, consequently, Linda Hamilton, from the new T-1000 which, through some very impressive special effects can change into a liquid, among other things. Edward Furlong, he who could act in American History X, does not do so well here, with his character of John Connor rather annoying. An irritating voice-over from Hamilton is also peculiarly brought in halfway through that seems out of place as well, while Arnie is his usual self. Despite all this however, the sheer scale of the special effects of the action sequences is more than enough to make the film passable, with many scenes that linger in the memory. Even with some spelt-out 'sub'texts, this is almost the perfect action film. 4 / 5

Rated by critics as Oliver Stone's best film, Salvador shows the time of Richard Boyle in war-torn El Salvador, as he attempts to capture photographs for measly pay. James Woods is reliably good in the lead role, and Belushi is surprisingly adept at the small moments of drama as well as the comedy relief. The film is also well-directed, particularly the action sequences, with Stone creating a claustrophobic, dangerous atmosphere. Unfortunately, the story seems somewhat sensationalised, with the realism diminished due to this, while the film somewhat drags during the middle section. Despite this, an intriguing portrayal of politics is shown, with the director doing well not to take sides and presenting an unbiased view. 3 / 5

The first in Sylvester Stallone's action franchise, First Blood is a good 80s actioner, managing to avoid the campness of similar genre films as Commando. Vietnam veteran John Rambo escapes from police and hunts them in a jungle. Stallone does well in both the action sequences and the drama; he manages to portray the traumatised man sympathetically. The horror movie staple of being tracked through the woods is cleverly reversed, although the tension does not have time to build and thus results in a missed opportunity - similarly, brief flashbacks to Rambo's time in a POW camp look interesting but are not expanded upon. Overall, a solid action film with good enough acting, but it doesn't include that extra something.

3 / 5