After 'Terminator 2' in 1991, it was thought that Arnold Schwarzenegger could do no wrong at the Box Office. Then came 1993's 'Last Action Hero' which, despite me appreciating it, went some way to prove that he couldn't turn any concept into gold. So, it looked like he returned to Terminator collaborator James Cameron to get him back (as he always states he will be!). And back he came in the form of 'True Lies' which is effectively a 'spy movie,' but don't go thinking there's too many similarities to our every own Bond, James Bond. This is Arnie's take on the genre. And it works.Instead of a lone spy effectively saving the world from a nut-case in a volcano single-handedly, Arnie is actually a family man. It's just his family don't know that he regularly saves the world from nut-cases (just not nut-cases who live in volcanos). What you get is a two-plot story. Naturally, Arnie has to uncover a plot with some terrorists who are threatening to blow up one major city unless he gets a new battery for his camcorder (you'll have to watch the film to get that one!). On the other hand, you have Arnie juggling his chosen profession with his wife (expertly portrayed by Jamie Lee Curtis) and his daughter (a young Eliza Duskhu) who is beginning to grow up, almost without him.In fact, either story could almost exist as its own film and, whereas the beginning of the film starts off more 'spy orientated' the middle veers dramatically off into 'family drama' territory, before finally coming full circle and giving us some classic Arnie action set-pieces towards the end. It's a fun ride all in all. It never takes itself seriously (like today's spy thrillers, i.e. Bond/Bourne) and there are plenty of genuinely funny moments from all the cast (especially in the middle part courtesy of Bill Paxton's character). Then you have the action for us Arnie fans and overall a decent story which still holds up today. It's worth noting that when the 'true' action comes in the final act, it's on a pretty spectacular level - I'm thinking of the chase across the bridges in the Florida Quays and the subsequent fight on top of a moving harrier jumpjet which had to have a new form of bllue-screen special effects room created for the task. However, I guess looking at it some twenty-four years later, I can see how some may feel like the representation of women has come a long way. Depending on your political viewpoint you could say that Jamie Lee Curtis does get a little 'exploited' here and there and, for a director who has become well-known for his portrayal of strong women (Ripley/Sarah Connor) this could be seen as a step backwards.But, if you can bring yourself to forgive this little social blooper then you should be in for a fun ride. It's not 'family friendly' enough to be enjoyed by the whole family (due to its bad language and violence), but if you like comedies, spy movies, or just Arnie-style action then you should get your fill here. Just one thing... why no 'I'll be back' here? Surely it could have been worked in somewhere?!

Although Arnold isn't much of an actor and action comedies are not highly appreciated genre, this movie is awesome. It's full of twists and surprises, Arnold's trademark shame-transfer-oneliners and it's extremely entertaining. Story is uncommonly complicated for Schwarzenegger movie, if we excuse Arnold, acting is pretty good, and directing in combination with special effects will keep you at the edge of your seat almost whole movie. I say "almost" because occasionally you may fall from laughter. During first hour I thought it will be mediocre action 6/10, but then madness starts and last for hour and a half more. I thought that Jamie's "I'm married to Rambo" exceeds all Arnold's retarded oneliners, but soon he took the throne back with "You're fired," oneliner that, in my eyes, exceeds even legendary "I'll be back."8/10 (I barely refrain from rating it even higher)

Say what you will about Cameron.... but he knows how to tell a story and "True Lies" is a wonderful movie about spies and their domestic lives. Arnold is in top action form all the way and ably abetted by his sidekick-handler Tom Arnold (why does everyone attack this guy? He is really great in this one) but the real surprise is Jamie Lee Curtis going from mousy housewife pedaling along in a boring office job to a sexy (really sexy) female spy at her husband's 'oh so busted for being a spy all those year!' side. It's a remarkably up to date terrorist tale of nuclear warheads heading up the highway from Key West to be placed in key United States cities that must be thwarted at all costs and it's also a tale of petty husband suspecting bored lonely wife of having an affair on the side (Bill Paxton in a hilarious turn. The husband has his own flirtations with Tia Carrere who brings her exotic beauty to the role of villainous facilitator for the Terrorist group. All of this is blended into a mix of action/comedy that hits on all points and hums along to some spectacular action sequence conclusions.The special effects are out of this world and Schwarzenegger plays it just right so as not to be tacky. Art Malik makes for a good baddie and Jamie Lee Curtis is fantastic especially when doing her striptease routine. What a figure! Perhaps but the immediate effects really go over the top. Throughout Arnie certainly outdoes most James Bond's in an unusual range of expressions in his eyes. There's good direction, especially in the action sequences – for me the most exhilarating was Arnie on horseback pursuing a nasty on motor cycle and not a jump-jet hovering in the midst of chaos. Tia Carrere has a good stab at the 'femme-fatale' and Tom Arnold as the under-valued assistant. There is plenty of action in this movie and quite a few witty touches. Great cast choice and excellent dialogue, plenty of sub-plots to keep you glued. Classic Arnie one-liners make this movie an awesome comedy!Overall rating: 8 out of 10.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron have been such an efficient Hollywood duo for so many years. Sure, they aren't DeNiro/Scorcese or Dicaprio/Scorcese in terms of the Oscar caliber performances, but they have been or I should say were a prolific couple in terms of making purely enjoyable action flicks. And there's perhaps no one better at action than The Terminator himself Arnold Schwarzenegger. True Lies is at its surface a pretty goofy action comedy, but there's more depth to it than at first glance. Arnold is at the top of his game and Jamie Lee Curtis gives a surprisingly gripping performance.I knew the film had a comedic side, but I guess I didn't realize that it's more Fast and Furious than it is Mission: Impossible. But lets make something clear here, this film's premise works way better with the comedy than it would without. With that being said, I don't think some of the leaps the film made in terms of Curtis' arc were needed. She's definitely a beautiful woman, but in the long scheme of things was the dancing sequence really necessary? Plot wise it just didn't add up why Harry would go about revealing himself in that way. I also thought the second half of the film took a bit of a step back with the lack of Tom Arnold's comedic relief. It took a few scenes to get used to his comedy but when his jokes hit, they hit hard. In many ways his performance carried the first half of the film.In addition to this film being very funny, the action is spectacular for 1994. The film's look is very late 90's and early 2000's so I can see where someone may think it looks dated. But the special effects and action choreography were way ahead of its time. But that's nothing new with James Cameron. It was also funny to see Bill Paxton show up and have fun in his short role, another one of Cameron's frequent collaborators. Charlton Heston's glorified cameo was a nice touch, but there wasn't much closure on his side of things. And finally Brad Fiedel's score was also a pleasant surprise as he did both Terminator films with Cameron. So in all, True Lies is a blast of an action film that tends to get too unrealistic at times, but the performances of Arnold and Curtis make it an unforgettable 90's action comedy, and lets be clear, Cameron is the real hero here.+Special effects +Arnold's having fun +Curtis' coming out party +Tom Arnold -Too goofy at times 8.1/10