True Lies

5/15/2018

I seem to like **True Lies** a significant amount less than most people do. And it's not because it isn't my type of movie either, Schwarzeneggar as a secret agent in an explosive 90s action movie is absolutely my jam. But I don't love _True Lies_, maybe I saw it too late in life (I was 25 the first time I saw the whole movie) and either I aged out of it or the movie aged out of society, but whatever the case, I just can't really understand why it's so beloved. I would never take it away from anyone, and there's absolutely stuff I like, but I can't really recommend it based on personal taste. _Final rating:★★½ - Had a lot that appealed to me, didn’t quite work as a whole._

7/24/2019

Cameron and Schwarzenegger team up again for a riot of an action movie. True Lies sees Arnold Schwarzenegger play Harry Tasker, to his wife Helen (Jaimie Lee Curtis) and daughter Dana (Eliza Dushku) he's a safe husband and father working as a computer salesman. Away from the family home he's a top spy for one of America's highest secret services. When Harry is prompted to believe that Helen is having an affair, it signals the start of a sequence of events that will out Harry and lead them both to a confrontation with a deadly terrorist. To hell with misogyny and stereotypical Arab terrorist (Art Malik so OTT he's off the chain man), Cameron's True Lies really isn't concerned for political correctness. His aim, aided by his on form cast, is to chase, caress and explode stuff whilst h

3/7/2021

The zenith of Arnold's career... "True Lies" not only represents the singular moment in the actor's pre-governor acting career where he played more than a one dimensional action hero. In an homage to the secret agent genre, the film opens with an action / glamour set-piece that is more James Bond than a 21st century 007 film. From there the story breaks into what would a few years later become the mold for numerous of Jackie Chan's "goofy secret agent" movies, although Chan would replace the cutting-edge CGI special effects set-pieces with a variety of more economical but just-as-exciting acrobatic, complex choreography hand-to-hand fights. There is one mano-a-mano beat down scene where Arnold takes down his enemy by flushing his head in a urinal, complete with his attempt at a trade-mar

4/21/2025

A tale of double lives. “Harry” (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a government agent embroiled in tracking down some nefarious Middle Eastern terrorists whilst presenting the façade of a meek computer salesmen to his wife. Meantime, “Helen” (Jamie Lee Curtis) is a bit bored with his timidity and so is seeking a bit of clandestine fun with the enigmatic “Simon” (Bill Paxton) who claims he is also something altogether more “007”. When the jihadist “Aziz” (Art Malik) kidnaps both wife and would-be lover, it falls to “Harry” to use all of his wiles to save the world from devastation and to save his own marriage from the doldrums. Though the story isn’t so new, it’s the engaging chemistry between Arnie, JLC and Paxton that really keeps this entertaining as the adventure kicks in and we have loads of a

1/18/2026

**Score: 10/10 — A Timeless, Flawless Blueprint for the Perfect mix of Action, Comedy and Drama** Watching *True Lies* after twenty-five years is a revelation—a testament to its immaculate craftsmanship. It hasn't aged; it has been **preserved in cinematic amber as a perfect, high-octane joyride.** This film is James Cameron operating at the peak of his populist powers, blending espionage thriller, marital comedy, and globe-trotting spectacle into a single, wildly entertaining package that remains **as good today as it was on day one.** **The Perfect Mix:** The alchemy is precise and undeniable. * **Action:** Cameron directs set-pieces with symphonic brilliance. From the breathtaking, practical-effects-driven Harrier jet dogfight over Miami to the climactic horseback chase, the