--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Although The Terminator is arguably the…" description: "\"Although The Terminator is arguably the more visionary of the first two films, [Terminator 2] is the more visually and viscerally satisfying. It's an e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/james-berardinelli-18367_exhausting_although-the-terminator-is-arguably-the_1946306.jpg" --- # Although The Terminator is arguably the more visionary of… ![“Although The Terminator is arguably the more visionary of the first two films, [Terminator 2] is the more visually and viscerally satisfying. It's an exhausting experience and, even 18 years after its release (as I write this review), few films have matched it within the science fiction genre for…” quote by James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/james-berardinelli-18367_exhausting_although-the-terminator-is-arguably-the_1946306.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/james-berardinelli-18367_exhausting_although-the-terminator-is-arguably-the_1946306.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/james-berardinelli-18367_exhausting_although-the-terminator-is-arguably-the_1946306.jpg) > “Although The Terminator is arguably the more visionary of the first two films, \[Terminator 2\] is the more visually and viscerally satisfying. It's an exhausting experience and, even 18 years after its release (as I write this review), few films have matched it within the science fiction genre for sheer white-knuckle exhilaration.” [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The sequel surpasses its predecessor in visual impact and visceral excitement, delivering intense, lasting thrills in sci‑fi. **In simple terms:** Terminator 2 feels more thrilling than the first. Key Takeaway Prioritize visual storytelling for lasting impact. Themes cinema visual storytelling excitement science fiction film criticism Mood thrilling intense nostalgic Type critical analytical enthusiastic When to use this quote - movie night with friends - film studies class - creative brainstorming - advertising campaign - theme park ride design Key Concepts spectacle immersion emotional intensity Questions to Reflect On - How does visual intensity shape audience memory? - Can spectacle replace story? A Different Perspective May prioritize on narrative depth over visual spectacle. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Exhausting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exhausting/) [Exhilaration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exhilaration/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Films Terminator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/films-terminator-603194/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Genre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genre/) [Knuckles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knuckles/) [Matched](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matched/) [Release](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/release/) [Reviews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reviews/) [Satisfying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satisfying/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Science fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-fiction/) [Sheer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sheer/) [Terminator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terminator/) [Terminator 2](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terminator-2-184833/) [Terminator Arguably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terminator-arguably-3131584/) [Terminator Visually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terminator-visually-3131585/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Visionaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visionaries/) [Visionary Films](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visionary-films-3131586/) [White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > ['Terminator' is one of my favorite films, and so is 'Terminator 2.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zal-batmanglij/terminator-is-one-of-my-favorite-films-and-so-is-terminator-2/) [Zal Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zal-batmanglij/) > [“Ever since the robot was first invented, there have been people who swear up and down that this marks the first step towards the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/weston-locher/ever-since-the-robot-was-first-invented-there-have-been-people-who/) [Weston Locher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/weston-locher/) > [Listen and understand. That Terminator is out there. It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-biehn/listen-and-understand-that-terminator-is-out-there-it-can-t-be/) [Michael Biehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-biehn/) > [I cant wait for them to convert old movies to 3D. I am 100% confident I want them to convert Terminator 2 to 3D…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-goldberg/i-cant-wait-for-them-to-convert-old-movies-to-3d-i-am-100-confident-i/) [Evan Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-goldberg/) > [And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-biehn/and-it-absolutely-will-not-stop-ever-until-you-are-dead/) [Michael Biehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-biehn/) > [Simon had drawn three pictures. In the top left corner, like a salutation, was a ghost. The middle had a big sketch of Arnold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/simon-had-drawn-three-pictures-in-the-top-left-corner-like-a/) [Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/) > [I went from being the Terminator to being the governator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schwarzenegger/i-went-from-being-the-terminator-to-being-the-governator/) [Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schwarzenegger/) > ['The Terminator' is grounded in so much realism. It's again a story that centers around a woman that isn't a 'woman's picture' necessarily. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zal-batmanglij/the-terminator-is-grounded-in-so-much-realism-it-s-again-a-story-that/) [Zal Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zal-batmanglij/) > [Arnold Schwarzenegger blew away dozens of cops as the Terminator. But I don't hear anybody complaining about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-t/arnold-schwarzenegger-blew-away-dozens-of-cops-as-the-terminator-but/) [Ice T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-t/) > [If I would do another 'Terminator' movie I would have Terminator travel back in time and tell Arnold not to have a special election.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schwarzenegger/if-i-would-do-another-terminator-movie-i-would-have-terminator-travel/) [Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schwarzenegger/) > [“He looked like a cross between The Terminator and a secret service agent— a really hot secret service agent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-humphreys/he-looked-like-a-cross-between-the-terminator-and-a-secret-service/) [Sara Humphreys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-humphreys/) > [People asked if I could have played the Terminator. Are you kidding? Not a chance, I never could have played the Terminator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/people-asked-if-i-could-have-played-the-terminator-are-you-kidding/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [“I submit that an emergent AI that’s smart enough to understand its place in our world would find it terrifying. Terminator fans would want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-reid/i-submit-that-an-emergent-ai-that-s-smart-enough-to-understand-its/) [Rob Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-reid/) > [I was really young, like nine, when I saw the first 'Terminator', and I was amazed by the world they created, and everything James…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalia-reyes/i-was-really-young-like-nine-when-i-saw-the-first-terminator-and-i/) [Natalia Reyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalia-reyes/) > [You can argue that the Terminator movies reboot their world each time they go back in time, but that doesn't negate the value of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hayter/you-can-argue-that-the-terminator-movies-reboot-their-world-each-time/) [David Hayter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hayter/) ## More by James Berardinelli > [There's nothing terribly wrong with The November Man in a serviceable late-night cable TV sort of way but neither is there anything terribly right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/there-s-nothing-terribly-wrong-with-the-november-man-in-a-serviceable/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [Live Free or Die Hard may work better for an audience that doesn't know much about the series is than it will for Die…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/live-free-or-die-hard-may-work-better-for-an-audience-that-doesn-t/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [Parodies are hard to do well, as is shown by the mediocrity of so many recent attempts. No matter how ripe a genre is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/parodies-are-hard-to-do-well-as-is-shown-by-the-mediocrity-of-so-many/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [Seventeen years after its intial release, The Empire Strikes Back is still as thrilling and involving as ever. Because of the high quality of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/seventeen-years-after-its-intial-release-the-empire-strikes-back-is/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [Despite his reputation as one of America's foremost "serious" filmmakers, Oliver Stone's name under the "director" caption does not guarantee a good movie. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/despite-his-reputation-as-one-of-america-s-foremost-serious/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [The Phantom Menace is not a masterpiece, but it's an example of how imagination, craftsmanship, and technological bravura can fashion superior entertainment out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/the-phantom-menace-is-not-a-masterpiece-but-it-s-an-example-of-how/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [The term "godawful" should be used sparingly in connection with motion pictures. With Angels & Demons, however, it seems oddly appropriate. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/the-term-godawful-should-be-used-sparingly-in-connection-with-motion/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [John Wick is a rousing action thriller of the sort rarely encountered in theaters these days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/john-wick-is-a-rousing-action-thriller-of-the-sort-rarely-encountered/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [For the most part, however, Lady in the Water comes across as a movie that's too bad to be good, and not bad enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/for-the-most-part-however-lady-in-the-water-comes-across-as-a-movie/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [This is as brain-dead as a movie can be and it assumes the audience will have the I.Q. of a rutabaga.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/this-is-as-brain-dead-as-a-movie-can-be-and-it-assumes-the-audience/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [Aside from a couple of signature flourishes, there's nothing to mark Paycheck as the product of acclaimed action director John Woo. In fact, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/aside-from-a-couple-of-signature-flourishes-there-s-nothing-to-mark/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [Those who delight in bad movies and enjoy producing their own unfilmed versions of Mystery Science Theater 3000 may gain a measure of semi-masochistic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/those-who-delight-in-bad-movies-and-enjoy-producing-their-own/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [There's good news and bad news about 2 Fast 2 Furious, the moronic follow-up to The Fast and the Furious and a contender for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/there-s-good-news-and-bad-news-about-2-fast-2-furious-the-moronic/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [Looking back at Batman from a distance - after all the hype has dried up and the franchise has at least temporarily been abandoned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/looking-back-at-batman-from-a-distance-after-all-the-hype-has-dried/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [Side note to parents: Anyone who thinks 'Dude, Where's My Car' is more appropriate for children than 'American Pie' because it obtained a PG-13…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/side-note-to-parents-anyone-who-thinks-dude-where-s-my-car-is-more/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) [Explore all 35 James Berardinelli quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) ## More Exhausting quotes > [I talk a lot, and that is probably exhausting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-whittaker/i-talk-a-lot-and-that-is-probably-exhausting/) [Jodie Whittaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-whittaker/) > [I'm OK with my appearance. I have made my peace with it after a long and frankly exhausting battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-perkins/i-m-ok-with-my-appearance-i-have-made-my-peace-with-it-after-a-long/) [Sue Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-perkins/) > [Friendship is a difficult, dangerous job. It is also (though we rarely admit it) extremely exhausting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bibesco/friendship-is-a-difficult-dangerous-job-it-is-also-though-we-rarely/) [Elizabeth Bibesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bibesco/) > [“It was exhausting being a schizophrenic, which he was still convinced he was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/it-was-exhausting-being-a-schizophrenic-which-he-was-still-convinced/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [It is utterly exhausting being Black in America - physically, mentally, and emotionally. While many minority groups and women feel similar stress, there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/it-is-utterly-exhausting-being-black-in-america-physically-mentally/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [One day I would want to be an Egyptologist, the next day an ornithologist. I was an exhausting child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-perkins/one-day-i-would-want-to-be-an-egyptologist-the-next-day-an/) [Sue Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-perkins/) > [It's exhausting trying to impress someone and be a version of yourself that might be attractive to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-martin/it-s-exhausting-trying-to-impress-someone-and-be-a-version-of/) [Mae Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-martin/) > [Seeing people I've been friends with for well over a decade just turn on me. It was just so exhausting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-sandoval/seeing-people-i-ve-been-friends-with-for-well-over-a-decade-just-turn/) [Tom Sandoval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-sandoval/) > [Today's competitiveness, so much imposed from without, is exhausting, not exhilarating; is unending-a part of one's social life, one's solitude, one's sleep, one's sleeplessness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-kronenberger/today-s-competitiveness-so-much-imposed-from-without-is-exhausting/) [Louis Kronenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-kronenberger/) > [“Existing is exhausting. I want to live - How to be”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-a-bitez/existing-is-exhausting-i-want-to-live-how-to-be/) [P.A. Bitez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-a-bitez/) > [It's literally, if I'm not working out, I eat the whole time I'm not working out. It's exhausting. You have to force-feed. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-watt/it-s-literally-if-i-m-not-working-out-i-eat-the-whole-time-i-m-not/) [J. J. Watt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-watt/) > [The endless definitions for feminism are exhausting. It's this, it isn't this, it's only this if you're this, etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cazzie-david/the-endless-definitions-for-feminism-are-exhausting-it-s-this-it-isn/) [Cazzie David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cazzie-david/) > [“To be in a long-term state of limbo, not knowing the outcome or length of time waiting, is utterly, shatteringly exhausting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanya-marlow/to-be-in-a-long-term-state-of-limbo-not-knowing-the-outcome-or-length/) [Tanya Marlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanya-marlow/) > [Oh, but my treasure, it is so much less exhausting. You only have to forgive once. To resent, you have to do it all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-l-stedman-2/oh-but-my-treasure-it-is-so-much-less-exhausting-you-only-have-to/) [M. L. Stedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-l-stedman-2/) > [Playing live, you can't survive, certainly not in England. We used to work daytime jobs and play gigs at night. It was very exhausting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-rossdale/playing-live-you-can-t-survive-certainly-not-in-england-we-used-to/) [Gavin Rossdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-rossdale/) [Browse all 485 Exhausting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exhausting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Although The Terminator is arguably the more visionary of the first two films, [Terminator 2] is the more visually and viscerally satisfying. 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