Spies, lies, and atomic bombs
"True Lies"
Overall Rating: ****
Action spy films have always been a staple of Hollywood; the numerous James Bond, for example, films prove that--though Bond films only represent part of the action film tradition. "True Lies" lives up to that long tradition, blending action, romance, and comedy masterfully.
In the opening sequence of "True Lies," we see Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) crash a posh party, for the sake of hacking into the host's computer; at the party, Harry is suave, mingling with guests (even ones who have no idea who he is), and making contacts--most notably, art dealer Juno Skinner (Tia Carrere)--very much as we'd expect of James Bond. When he is found out, Harry finds himself in a James Bond-like chase and shootout. After the mission is over, however--completely unlike James Bond--Harry returns to his nice suburban home where he has a wife (Jamie Lee Curtis), daughter (Eliza Dushku), and pet dog--none of whom know he's a spy.
A good action film should be exciting, and "True Lies" is great on that count. The special effects and stunts are very impressive. Dazzling special effects are a staple of James Cameron films--the elaborate computer effects in "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" and the astonishing historical disaster recreation in "Titanic" are two more examples. While these impressive films received more attention, for my money, "True Lies" is better than both of them.
In contrast to the weak point of many action films, "True Lies" is extremely well written. "True Lies," is very funny; while many action films take themselves too seriously, and look silly as a result, "True Lies" plays for laughs enough that it works. The best example--one that also typifies the excellent stunts--is a chase sequence where a man on a horse is chasing another on a motorcycle through a hotel. "True Lies" plays for both action and for jokes, sometimes simultaneously. The plot is also well structured; though Harry's family concerns and Harry's role in national security are separate, "True Lies" relates them, and even uses one as a distraction to create a surprise in another; the result is a coherent film. Even minor things we see, such as one of the sculptures in the background at the party and Harry's daughter, Dana, stealing some money from Gib (one of Harry's coworkers, played by Tom Arnold), turn into key plot elements later on in the film.
The major flaw with "True Lies" is that it, like many films dealing with Mid-Eastern terrorists, is somewhat insensitive to Arabs. The film isn't racist, having Faisil (Grant Heslov) as a hero who is also Arab, for instance; but, in contrast to other films dealing with violence in the Middle East--such as "Lawrence of Arabia" and "The Siege"--it is not as careful to avoid stereotypes as it might be. Its treatment of the situation is limited to "terrorists want to blow up American cities;" though this may have some truth, and works insofar as it creates clear good guys and bad guys, it isn't a particularly deep political analysis. It could be better, but it also could be worse.
Like all modern action films, "True Lies" has a heavy hand with the violence. It also has significant bad language, and significant sexual innuendo relating to both adultery and prostitution--though no nudity. All told, it probably deserves its "R" rating.
A good action film should be exciting, and "True Lies" is. Beyond that, since "True Lies," I've been a little harsher on how I judge action films; it uses $100 million in special effects to tell a story rather than hide one, which is what I want to see.
Title: "True Lies"
Release date: 1994
Overall Rating: ****
Action spy films have always been a staple of Hollywood; the numerous James Bond, for example, films prove that--though Bond films only represent part of the action film tradition. "True Lies" lives up to that long tradition, blending action, romance, and comedy masterfully.
In the opening sequence of "True Lies," we see Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) crash a posh party, for the sake of hacking into the host's computer; at the party, Harry is suave, mingling with guests (even ones who have no idea who he is), and making contacts--most notably, art dealer Juno Skinner (Tia Carrere)--very much as we'd expect of James Bond. When he is found out, Harry finds himself in a James Bond-like chase and shootout. After the mission is over, however--completely unlike James Bond--Harry returns to his nice suburban home where he has a wife (Jamie Lee Curtis), daughter (Eliza Dushku), and pet dog--none of whom know he's a spy.
A good action film should be exciting, and "True Lies" is great on that count. The special effects and stunts are very impressive. Dazzling special effects are a staple of James Cameron films--the elaborate computer effects in "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" and the astonishing historical disaster recreation in "Titanic" are two more examples. While these impressive films received more attention, for my money, "True Lies" is better than both of them.
In contrast to the weak point of many action films, "True Lies" is extremely well written. "True Lies," is very funny; while many action films take themselves too seriously, and look silly as a result, "True Lies" plays for laughs enough that it works. The best example--one that also typifies the excellent stunts--is a chase sequence where a man on a horse is chasing another on a motorcycle through a hotel. "True Lies" plays for both action and for jokes, sometimes simultaneously. The plot is also well structured; though Harry's family concerns and Harry's role in national security are separate, "True Lies" relates them, and even uses one as a distraction to create a surprise in another; the result is a coherent film. Even minor things we see, such as one of the sculptures in the background at the party and Harry's daughter, Dana, stealing some money from Gib (one of Harry's coworkers, played by Tom Arnold), turn into key plot elements later on in the film.
The major flaw with "True Lies" is that it, like many films dealing with Mid-Eastern terrorists, is somewhat insensitive to Arabs. The film isn't racist, having Faisil (Grant Heslov) as a hero who is also Arab, for instance; but, in contrast to other films dealing with violence in the Middle East--such as "Lawrence of Arabia" and "The Siege"--it is not as careful to avoid stereotypes as it might be. Its treatment of the situation is limited to "terrorists want to blow up American cities;" though this may have some truth, and works insofar as it creates clear good guys and bad guys, it isn't a particularly deep political analysis. It could be better, but it also could be worse.
Like all modern action films, "True Lies" has a heavy hand with the violence. It also has significant bad language, and significant sexual innuendo relating to both adultery and prostitution--though no nudity. All told, it probably deserves its "R" rating.
A good action film should be exciting, and "True Lies" is. Beyond that, since "True Lies," I've been a little harsher on how I judge action films; it uses $100 million in special effects to tell a story rather than hide one, which is what I want to see.
Title: "True Lies"
Release date: 1994
MPAA rating: R
Overall rating: ****
Overall rating: ****
Aprox. run time: 141 min.
Director: James Cameron
Writers: James Cameron, Claude Zidi, Simon Michael, Didier Kaminka
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tia Carrere, Tom Arnold
Original URL: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Mansion/7045/TrueLies.htm
Added to blog site: 8/5/09
Director: James Cameron
Writers: James Cameron, Claude Zidi, Simon Michael, Didier Kaminka
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tia Carrere, Tom Arnold
Original URL: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Mansion/7045/TrueLies.htm
Added to blog site: 8/5/09
Labels: Movie review, ReviewsbyJohn
posted by John at 3/04/1999 03:59:00 AM
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