Time: 141 Minutes
Cast:
Arnold Schwarzenegger as Harry Tasker
Jamie Lee Curtis as Helen Taskeer
Tom Arnold as Albert “Gib” Gibson
Bill Paxton as Simon
Tia Carrere as Juno Skinner
Director: James Cameron

A secret agent’s life takes a shocking turn when he learns about his wife’s extramarital affair. He must now not only save the world but also save his own marriage.

I had been meaning to rewatch True Lies, I remember liking it when I first watched it. It’s still pretty good upon revisiting it, although out of James Cameron’s post Piranha II movies, I think this is by far his worst. 

The story is complete nonsense, and the movie knows it. It’s a comedic parody of a James Bond-esque secret agent and the double life he leads, especially with his family. Even the casting of Arnold Schwarzenegger as a secret spy who hides in plain sight must’ve been intentional. There’s plenty here that is outdated, from the Arabic terrorists to the film’s attitude on gender roles. Thankfully, True Lies is blatantly self aware, over the top and a parody, and most of the comedy is funny. It starts off pretty well with a solid and entertaining first act. The second act is my biggest problem with the whole movie; it takes a bit of a detour in which Arnold discovers that his wife may be cheating on him. It’s not all bad and has its funny moments, especially with Bill Paxton. However, it just wasn’t as fun, and some of the jokes really miss. Most of all though, it’s where it contains the movie’s more problematic aspects and while some of it can be chalked up to parody, it isn’t really easy to watch. Thankfully, it greatly picks up in the third act and is very entertaining, with plenty of set pieces, action sequences and one liners.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is really good and entertaining, he sells both the action and the comedy. Jamie Lee Curtis is equally great, she and Schwarzenegger share great chemistry. Tom Arnold and Bill Paxton are quite funny in their parts too.

James Cameron’s direction is incredible, and it’s certainly no slouch on a technical level. The visual effects are on point, and the action sequences are great. The third act in particular is where the movie is at its best, the movie is worth watching for that alone.  

True Lies is far from James Cameron’s best, the second act is a little mixed, and it doesn’t hold up that well. Overall though, it is a pretty good action comedy, with solid set pieces and particularly entertaining performances from Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis.