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True Lies
WHY'D I WATCH IT?
Dogs, Horses, Pelicans, Kissing, Wedding Rings, let's get the complaints out of the way.
So Arnold's secretly a government spy, which he hides from his family and in his inevitable absence he discovers that his daughter is stealing from him and his wife has bought into the thrills of a con artist (Bill Paxton playing a used car salesman). His friend and partner annoyingly offers insensitive advice including a particularly ****** line about how his daughter is probably stealing from him so she can pay for an abortion.
Dude. **** you.
I'm glad Arnold yells at him to "stop cheering me up", but I'dve just socked the ****er. The movie really seems to think this guy's an ace comedy relief since it's even his constant banter which ends the movie, and this combined with the unfortunate horse scene in which Arnold attempts to force a horse to jump him across two sidewalks and a 4-lane street to another building, after which he scolds the poor animal for refusing just makes for a... stained first 40 minutes.
AFTER the first 40 minutes what makes an average Schwarzenegger movie becomes a good Schwarzenegger movie. Arnold discovers that his wife, Jamie Lee Curtis, is secretly involved with Bill Paxton's character and while I naturally cringe at the inevitable Monogamy Syndrome, it... never really hits. Paxton's character is easy to dislike and the movie's quick to explain that Curtis just wants a little excitement in her life and Arnold's able to offer it. Sadly, there's no scene of the two characters explicitly sharing in that they lied to each other and that bygones should be bygones, but resolution comes eventually anyway with no small amount of finagling on Arnold's part compounded with the actual terrorist plot that drags his family into it.
Honestly, while Arnold's his usual enjoyable self, I think the real star here is Jamie Lee Curtis who does a fantastic job of playing the sheltered housewife awkwardly but determinedly roleplaying her way into a spy fantasy. Before it becomes a spy reality of course.
Final Verdict: [Pretty Good]
True Lies
Erotic Romantic Comedy Action / English / 1994
WHY'D I WATCH IT?
For the Action Movie Countdown.
Been quite a while and I know it's some peoples' favorite Schwarzenegger movie.
WHAT'D I THINK? *SPOILERS*
Been quite a while and I know it's some peoples' favorite Schwarzenegger movie.
WHAT'D I THINK? *SPOILERS*
"I married Rambo."
Dogs, Horses, Pelicans, Kissing, Wedding Rings, let's get the complaints out of the way.
So Arnold's secretly a government spy, which he hides from his family and in his inevitable absence he discovers that his daughter is stealing from him and his wife has bought into the thrills of a con artist (Bill Paxton playing a used car salesman). His friend and partner annoyingly offers insensitive advice including a particularly ****** line about how his daughter is probably stealing from him so she can pay for an abortion.
Dude. **** you.
I'm glad Arnold yells at him to "stop cheering me up", but I'dve just socked the ****er. The movie really seems to think this guy's an ace comedy relief since it's even his constant banter which ends the movie, and this combined with the unfortunate horse scene in which Arnold attempts to force a horse to jump him across two sidewalks and a 4-lane street to another building, after which he scolds the poor animal for refusing just makes for a... stained first 40 minutes.
AFTER the first 40 minutes what makes an average Schwarzenegger movie becomes a good Schwarzenegger movie. Arnold discovers that his wife, Jamie Lee Curtis, is secretly involved with Bill Paxton's character and while I naturally cringe at the inevitable Monogamy Syndrome, it... never really hits. Paxton's character is easy to dislike and the movie's quick to explain that Curtis just wants a little excitement in her life and Arnold's able to offer it. Sadly, there's no scene of the two characters explicitly sharing in that they lied to each other and that bygones should be bygones, but resolution comes eventually anyway with no small amount of finagling on Arnold's part compounded with the actual terrorist plot that drags his family into it.
Honestly, while Arnold's his usual enjoyable self, I think the real star here is Jamie Lee Curtis who does a fantastic job of playing the sheltered housewife awkwardly but determinedly roleplaying her way into a spy fantasy. Before it becomes a spy reality of course.
It's one of extremely few movies which I will concede to call "sexy", and there isn't even any sex in it (it's called scenario writing, you porn freaks).
After the reveal it returns to it's action movie premise with regular bouts of comedy complete with the barely realistic badassery and cheesy one-liners you've come to expect.
All in all? I'd put this in the upper echelon of Schwarzenegger movies. Not necessarily for the action, but the characters. I would say, however, that it's probably somewhere in the bottom half of James Cameron's movies.
After the reveal it returns to it's action movie premise with regular bouts of comedy complete with the barely realistic badassery and cheesy one-liners you've come to expect.
All in all? I'd put this in the upper echelon of Schwarzenegger movies. Not necessarily for the action, but the characters. I would say, however, that it's probably somewhere in the bottom half of James Cameron's movies.