True Lies

I had the idea that True Lies was one of the more digestible films of the acting genius Arnold Schwarzenegger, or rather one of several movies that I can give 3 stars. However, when I repeated the experience years later, it quickly became clear to me that the film contains a lot of nonsense, and the humor it possesses no longer appeals to me. The French original seems to me to be two classes better. Here the American budget and Arnold's myth earn it points. Overall impression: 45%. (04/22/2013)

We, the audience, are lucky that no one has offered Arnold the role of James Bond yet (a terrible idea), but here he fits the role of a secret agent very well. He tryes to act and it doesn't look bad at all. The script is good, the storyline with the irresistible "super agent" Bill Paxton is funny and Jamie Lee Curtis is a born comedian. The horse and motorbike chase is excellent and especially the whole final half hour is one big action orgasm. Arnold should kiss Cameron’s feet. (09/27/2003)

It's been ages since the last time I saw this film... and I don’t regret watching it again today. Sure, it's not an Oscar-winning masterpiece, it does get pretty naïve at times, the action scenes are far-fetched and there are lapses in logic. On the other hand, it’s still great entertainment. Jamie Lee Curtis has been on my good for quite a while (I'll never forget A Fish Called Wanda). I already liked her as Helen the resigned wife, but when she became Doris, I almost laughed my head off. In what other film could I see a future California governor dancing the tango with a rose in his teeth? (04/19/2020)

As I always say, as a rule, mono-genre films are not as attractive as those where there is a genre hodgepodge. And that's what True Lies is about. As much as I don't like action movies, here it's perfectly combined with comedy and a dash of romance, and the result is perfect. On the technical side of things, I have to commend the great cinematography and excellent editing of all the action scenes. As for the actors, I have no words. Arnie is just good at tough guy roles and he really excelled here. Jamie Lee Curtis was very good in the role of the naive desperate wife who can turn into a dragoness, and the icing on the already quite excellent cake was the dopey and unlucky Bill Paxton. In short, if you're going to make an action movie, combine it with comedy, add a great cast and put someone like James Cameron in the director's chair and it's a smash. (07/17/2010)

If James Cameron had realized that sometimes less is truly more and had ditched the runtime of around two and a half hours, this could have been a truly excellent film. The chase with the daughter is indeed action-packed, but after two hours, it still feels unnecessary. The film tries to open and then close too many things, which is probably its biggest flaw. Otherwise, it's a beautiful example of a gritty action comedy that works great in other respects. (10/27/2014)