Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

The Terminator makes a superb machine-driven chase; the sequel asks whether a machine can learn to care. Sarah Connor's hardened physical presence and John's uneasy bond with his protector put feeling inside the action, while the T-1000 makes safety look permanently provisional. For a first viewing, the theatrical cut keeps the pursuit taut. The gain is a richer makeshift family, not merely a more expensive enemy.