A fearless, globe-trotting, terrorist-battling secret agent has his life turned upside down when he discovers his wife might be having an affair with a used-car salesman while terrorists smu... Read allA fearless, globe-trotting, terrorist-battling secret agent has his life turned upside down when he discovers his wife might be having an affair with a used-car salesman while terrorists smuggle nuclear war heads into the United States.A fearless, globe-trotting, terrorist-battling secret agent has his life turned upside down when he discovers his wife might be having an affair with a used-car salesman while terrorists smuggle nuclear war heads into the United States.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 8 wins & 23 nominations total
- Boathouse Guard
- (as Deiter Rauter)
- Helicopter Pilot
- (as Chuck Tamburro)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWhen Harry tells Gib that Helen is having an affair, Gib tells a story about his second wife taking everything when she left him, even the ice cube trays from the freezer. This is a direct reference to Tom Arnold's divorce from Roseanne Barr that was happening at the same time - she was reported to have taken his ice cube trays when she left him as well. Arnold told the story to James Cameron on the set while saying: "What kind of sick bitch takes the ice cube trays out of the freezer?" Cameron thought the line was hilarious, and incorporated it into the film.
- GoofsBullets fired from an AK-47 would not shatter the canopy on a Harrier jet. This was known by the filmmakers, but the shattered canopy was included to avoid having to worry about reflections on the canopy glass.
- Quotes
Gib: [to Harry] Same thing happened to me with wife number two, 'member? I have no idea nothing's going on, right? I come home one day and the house is empty, and I mean completely empty. She even took the ice cube trays out of the freezer. What kind of a sick bitch takes the ICE CUBE trays out of the FREEZER?
- Crazy creditsIn the middle of the credits, Gib (who's waiting outside in the stereotypical spy van as Harry's having fun inside the party) says, "You know what? I'm sick of being in the van. You guys can be in the van next time. I've been in the van for fifteen years, Harry."
- Alternate versionsThe UK cinema version was cut by 1 second to remove an ear-clap, and VHS versions received a further 8 seconds of cuts (the video sleeve actually carried the note, "This film has been edited for censorship purposes"). These cuts included:
- removal of a head-butt
- a reduction in impacts to the face with a hand dryer
- a reduction in impacts to a head being rammed into a urinal
- a reduction in length of sight of bloody facial injury
- sight of a trocar being thrown and embedded into an eye
- removal of neck breaks (including rearranging of footage)
- removal of a tire iron being rammed into a rib-cage The original 2001 DVD release (issued by Universal) was an uncut version, likely taken from the Australian DVD, and wrongly featured the fully uncut print. It was recalled shortly afterwards and replaced in 2003 with a Columbia release, which features the same cuts but edited in a much more obvious and choppy fashion, using repeated and slowed-down footage in an attempt to maintain a consistent run-time. The 2008 "Greatest Ever Action Heroes" DVD collection features the full uncut version, but the BBFC did not officially waive the cuts until February 2010.
- ConnectionsEdited into 5 Second Movies: True Lies (2008)
I've seen True Lies at least four times now, and every time I find myself having a great time watching this first-rate action/comedy/thriller. But it's a movie that I can't muster more than passable (but occasionally fairly ecstatic) enthusiasm for. It's a very good action movie, and I can certainly see how it's attained a reputation as one of the best adrenaline-pumping rides of the 90's, but it's not great.
What True Lies has is one of the more ingenious action movie premises I've seen. Arnold Schwarzenegger is Harry Tasker, a husband (to Jamie Lee Curtis) and father (to Eliza Dushku) by day, and world-saving CIA agent by night (or day, it depeneds). His latest assignment puts him on the case of a mad Islamic terrorist called Aziz, who's retrieved several nuclear warheads and plans to set them off on U.S. soil if his group's demands are not met. Complicating matters for Harry is the inclusion of his wife, Helen, whom he believes is having an affair with a used car salesman (Bill Paxton, in what's got to be his funniest performance).
In terms of pure escapist enjoyment, this is actually James Cameron's most successful film. True Lies is probably the only Cameron film that never suffers from the slightest hiccup in pacing (yes, Aliens had a slow beginning and viewing The Abyss was like watching molasses sliding down a brick wall). From beginning to end, there's not a single slow spot, as you can expect either a sharply staged action sequence or comical setpiece around every corner. To keep such momentum up for 141 minutes is pretty damn amazing, and Cameron must be given credit for making such a long movie almost so effortlessly enjoyable.
But for all that is so enjoyable about it, True Lies lacks a strong plot (in terms of action, as the romantic subplot is actually quite excellent). The villains are stereotypical terrorists, pure cartoons who don't even make an impression as cool villains. In his heyday, Arnold has battled tons of memorable villains (T-1000 and the Predator stand out), the terrorists here are clearly among the weakest of Arnold's foes to date.
The action is suitably over-the-top, especially the harrier jet climax, which makes almost all the action that came before it believable in comparison. But the action is mostly excellent, the shootouts and fistfights are exciting, there's plenty of cliffhanger thrills, and the chase/catfight set on the lengthy bridge is classic.
The movie has to keep a balance between strong violence and screwball humor, which it pulls off very well. The half-hour segment devoted entirely to Harry's marital problems is hilarious, its only flaw being the abrupt segue to "typical" Arnold action. Even when Arnold's taking down massive armies of terrorists, Cameron still maintains the same light tone evident during the comical scenes, while still keeping the action thrilling. That's quite an accomplishment.
The cast is all excellent, given the material and intent. Schwarzenegger is still the extremely likeable big lug. These roles aren't a stretch for him, but he excels at such parts because he radiates charisma like no other actor (even if they may all be better than him when it comes to talent). As the comic relief, Tom Arnold is surprisingly very funny (since then, it hasn't been so surprising as he's actually provided decent humor in those Andrzej Bartkowiak films, or however you spell the guy's name). Jamie Lee Curtis is wonderful, too, and I've never been a big fan of hers. Without a doubt, this is easily her most winning performance.
One of the big box-office hits of 1994, I was surprised to see True Lies didn't inspire any genuine imitators. Just as well, I suppose, there's only so much Bond "parody" you can see without the material getting tiresome (Austin Powers, anyone?). But True Lies' charms lies in that it works as parody while still excelling as a straight action thriller. When it comes to pure direction, that's proof James Cameron can be a genius.
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Mentiras verdaderas
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $115,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $146,282,411
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $25,869,770
- Jul 17, 1994
- Gross worldwide
- $378,882,411
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