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?!)

Avatar

Unranked at time of writing.

James Cameron (or at least his marketeers) claimed that Avatar will change cinema forever. Having watched the preview in front row seats at IMAX last night, I finally understand what he means.

Avatar is a stunningly beautiful, comprehensively realised vision that absolutely must be experienced in a cinema. That’s the kicker – I doubt this film would have anywhere near the same impact on a TV screen. Two dimensions would not do this movie justice.

So if Avatar changes cinema it will be by making it more like going to the theatre – you have to see it live. More likely, I think, is that this movie - which is James Cameron’s first outing since 1997’s record-smashing Titanic - will precipitate the advent of 3D in our living rooms (for one thing, they might have to sell a lot of DVDs to break even – the production is rumoured to have cost $300m and as much again is being spent on marketing).

3D films often feel fairly flat, apart from the occasional thing jumping out at you, but the 3D in Avatar has an incredible depth of field. The landscapes of the planet Pandora seem to stretch away for miles. Another bar raised is the CGI. The attention to detail is breathtaking.

Yes, the story uses every trick in the Hollywood book to hook you in, but – wow! – Mr Cameron is a master of those tricks. The pace and interest don’t flag for a moment in the 162 minutes running time. It’s truly epic; it feels like the three Lord of the Rings films rolled into one.

You might argue that the characters and the plotting are a little close to formula, but as an aesthetic and dramatic experience, Avatar is – without exaggeration – the film of the decade. Truly hypnotising.