T2 Special Edition
Linear Notes

I see it not as a fix, but as an opportunity to do greater justice to the characters who live and breathe winthin the 136-minutes confines of the film. This Special Edition in no way invalidates the threatrical cut. It simply restores some depth and character made omissible by theatrical running time and now made viable again by the home theatrical/laserdisc format.

The Terminator films are all about trying to change history, and the importance of the individual within the grand scheme of things. More often than not, we find that even if we cannot alter the events of our lives, we certainly have the ability to shed more light on them, to see them from a slightly different perspective. I think that not only the viewers, but the characters of these films understand this empowerment theme quite clearly. Not just Sarah Connor, but Dyson, Terminator, John, the T-1000---and even the late Kyle Reese--- have all come calling to alter our view of the evenets in their lives as seen in the theatrical release of T2.

In this age of interactively, special editions give viewers a choice between seeing a film as it was shown in the theater and seeing essentially a finished version of the inital conception of the movie. It's a look behind the curtain on the creative process that got the filmmakers to the version of the film that was released; one can see the ideas that were being explored. I think it's a good lesson for people who are interested in film, to see what is necessary---and what is not---to tell a story.

Pioneer and Carolco have worked closely with me and my tireless staff at Lightstorm Entertainment to give you this glimpse into the alternative realities of T2. We have restored more than fifteen minutes of material to the film, to give you a different refraction of the T2 story, with new facets and old faces. Gary Rydstrom and his crew at Skywalker Sound have once again performed their audio master to mix the new scenes, and the THX Laserdisc Program has helped to ensure that our work on the Special Edition comes through to you loud and clear. I hope you enjoy it.

Jim Cameron