True Lies
Harry Tasker is happily married to Helen, with a 14 year old daughter Dana.
They think he is a computer salesman, but in fact he is a super-spy working for the secret Omega Sector in the US Government.
His family life and his work-life are about to collide in a big way – all at the same time he discovers his happy home life, might not be as happy as he thought.
Direction
Directed by James “Jim” Cameron, this has it all. Action, Adventure, Car Chases, Explosions, Gunfights, even an atomic bomb!
Special mention needs to be made to the bridge sequence towards the end of the film. Most of my life I thought this was real, until I saw the behind the scenes… miniatures.. it was miniatures!! Brilliant!
Cast/Characters
Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Harry, and is really one of the only actors at the time that was able to pull off the ‘serious’ character, in a ‘not so serious’ film.
Jamie Lee Curtis plays Helen, who is the housewife longing for more. She is Arnie’s equal in every way possible. She plays, withdrawn, introverted – to full blown sexy badass brilliantly!
Tom Arnold plays Harry’s best friend ‘Gib’, and has some brilliant moments, the late Bill Paxton plays ‘Simon’ the man who almost causes Helen to have an affair, Art Malik plays the ‘big bad’ Salim, Tia Carrere plays Juno another baddie, Eliza Dushku plays Dana and Charlton Heston plays Spenser Tribly – the boss at Omega Sector.
Breakdown
This is one of those films that has just enough self awareness that the audience can be invested in the narrative, without taking it too seriously. Arnie’s Harry is an amalgamation of all the spy movies ever made – including James Bond (heck, even Harry’s arrival at the party at the beginning, tuxedo underneath a wet suit is a direct rip off.).
Arnie is really only one of a handful of actors who could have played Harry, and he blends action, with ‘serious comedy’ so well. The mid 90s he did several of these films (Last Action Hero), but this is the one that lives up to expectation).
There are so many perfectly over the top action sequences (the bathroom shoot out, Harry horseback chasing the bad guy whose on a motorcycle) – but its legendary action sequences like Harry hanging onto a helicopter to save Helen that is just utter brilliance.
The dialogue is brilliant, with so many one liners that it would make James Bond roll his eyes, and comments such as (terrorists always interrupt schedules), as well as some real life issues (what kind of b** steals the ice cube trays) from Arnold (who reportedly actually had this happen). Even the baddies get some fun moments (where is the key?) and (flat battery!)
At 135m it does go on for a little long in the middle, especially the ‘family troubles’ for Harry, however Helen’s potential affair, is the way she is ‘included’ in the action. I felt this whole sequence with Simon (despite loving Paxton as the sleazy used car salesman) was a little long winded and should have been edited down somewhat.
Arnie and Curtis are perfectly paired, and sell the long married (and constantly lying to each other) couple. They really do have great chemistry together, including some of the fight sequences where they pair up (I married Rambo is a funny bit of dialogue since ‘Arnold Schwarzzenegger’ doesn’t exist in this universe). Even the over abundance of plot armour didn’t bother me!
I would have loved to see more of Charlton Heston, as he only really gets a small handful of scenes.
I loved that score by Brad Fiedel, and the awesome use of the tango music (including the great dance sequences by Arnie and Carrerre near the start, and then Arnie and Curtis at the end.
Overall
Thirty years later this is still a classic. I’m so glad they’ve (at the point of writing this) left this a solo film, and not ruined it by making a sequel.
If it was just a little condensed, it could have gotten a higher score, but still a definite recommend.
4/5
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