True Lies (DVD 2003)

A very enjoyable action comedy staring Arnold Schwarzenegger & Jamie Lee Curtis, excellent effects and a pacy script makes this an ideal afternoon viewing, note the certificate 15 in case you have younger members in the family.


Plot summary:

Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) leads a double life, he’s married to Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis) and works as a steady but boring computer salesman.
Helen has become bored with married life and falls for the dubious charms of used car salesman Simon (Bill Paxton) who is pretending to be a Secret Agent in order to seduce Helen.

Harry, is in fact a government agent, whose latest assignment is to deal with a nuclear threat posed by the ‘Crimson Jihad’, Harry puts that mission on hold, in order to deal with Simon.


There were no ‘extras’ in this version.

I really enjoy this film with its humour and action and even though I have seen it a few times I was keen to actually have my own copy.

I remember seeing this at the cinema. Until earlier today that was the last time i saw an uncut version of this film (why the BBFC hs such a problem with headbutts is beyond me). Picture and sound were surprisingly crisp & clear for a film first released on DVD 6 years ago, before the days of HD.
This is vintage Arnie, violence, explosions, stereo typical bad guys, bad one liners, a perfect popcorn film. This 3rd collaboration between Arnie & director James Cameron is a lot less serious than the Terminator films and for most part everyone seems to have their tongue firmly in cheek with Tom Arnold getting most of the best lines and laughs.
The films running time (135mins) could have been a little shorter if the sub-plot involving Arnie's wife (Jamie Lee Curtis) & Bill Paxton (another Cameron regular) hadn't been drawn out for so long. But by the end you won't mind because if the action packed climax doesn't set your pulse racing then the Jamie Lee Curtis striptease certainly will. 9/10.

True Lies is a brilliant film from James Cameron. Theres some comedy and great action mixed into one great film. The film has great acting, isn't boring and is exciting as well as well planned. The story is well made and has some great twists. A brilliantly made fun film!

Plot:

The secret agent Harry Tasker has been happily married with his wife, the legal secretary Helen, for many years living in the suburbs and having a teenager daughter, Dana. Helen does not suspect that Harry has a double life, and she believes he is a computer salesman. After a top-secret mission, Harry finds evidences that Helen is having an affair with Simon, an used cars salesman that seduced Helen with the glamour and excitement of his fake life, telling her that he is a spy. Harry forces his partner Albert Gibson to use the resources of their agency to follow Simon and Helen; they abduct Helen wearing masks and later they assign a pseudo mission for her. However, a group of terrorists kidnap Helen and Harry and the couple gets involved with a dangerous group that possesses an atomic bomb ready to be exploded in Florida.

I bought the film True Lies off eBay because it is in my '501 Must-See Movies' book and I plan to watch and own all of the films in the book. Obviously I want to get the films as cheaply as possible and that is why I look on eBay.

True Lies is an action film about an undercover spy played by Arnold Schwarzenegger - so undercover that even his wife (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) doesn't know, thinking he is a boring computer salesman!

I would have found the film far better if it wasn't for Schwarzenegger's complete monotony and lack of acting skills. I think Jamie Lee Curtis is great in the film, but totally let down by her on-screen husband. The stunts and action in the film are good, and I would give it 6/10. I would recommend it to people who like Arnold Schwarzenegger so much that they don't care how bad he acts, and people who just like watching some on-screen action.

What can I say, it's Arnie again and apart from a few movies like the Conans, Junior, Twins and Kindergarden Cop again, this is one of Arnie's best.

Arnie plays the normal business man, Husband and Father Harry Tasker.
Although all the while, he is really a secret service spy and has managed to keep the secret from his Wife for 15 years.

One thing leads to another and both are drawn into a terrorist spy adventure full of action packed humour and special effects.

Top class acting from Jamie Lee Curtis and our UK Art Malik, are just some of the talent in this movie.
Also one of her debuts, is a young Eliza Dushku whom plays Arnie's daughter Dana whom is kidnapped by the terrorists The Crimsom Jihad.

Once again, a top class must see movie and should be in your collection.

Real escapism and all credit to them for keeping foul mouthed crudity at bay.
Some of the special effects are great and if you have the right audio system, the Harrier lift off is stunning(turn the wick up on a good sub woofer!).
For me, it is all in the last half hour.

Had seen it the past on the flicks, and was very good. Wouldnt watch it as often as some of the other dvd's ive got.

Forget the dreadful violence and lack of class of Daniel Craig and Quantum of Boredom. If you want smart & sophistocated Bond with great action and a lot of laughs this is the film for you. Arnie is - well - Arnie, but Jamie Lee is wonderful and the film rolls along at a terrific pace with tons of action and lots of laughs! I just loved it!

After trying to track this DVD down for ages and being very annoyed at the edited version released i was thrilled to finally get to watch this top-class action film. The differences between this version and the cut version are easily noticeable, you now get to see all the bits that were edited out includeing the 'full spike & headbutt' scenes that were even cut on the video release. if you can track down this version (make sure there is the red widescreen band across the top of the cover and a red top across the top half of the dvd disc) its well worth picking up. Hopefully they'll be a Special Edition release soon on both DVD and Blu-Ray packed with extras and THIS version of the film.

I brought this film as i use to have the video and no longer have video player. This film is brilliant i had to have it to watch again and again. Such a funny film will keep you laughing throughout!

This is one of my most favourite films which I have watched on a few occasions and have loved it every time so when I saw it for sale on eBay I just had to buy it so now I can watch it whenever I like. Arnold Shwarznegger and Jamie Lee Curtis were absolutely superb and the whole film was just hilarious all the way through I would recommend this film to anybody who enjoys a good thriller with a lot of laughs thrown in.

Odd though the teaming up of Arnie, Jamie lee-curtis is, it really works, the special effects are very good, especially the scene where curtis is lifted through the sunroof of a driver less limo narrowly avoiding disaster, even a slomo replay wont show the join!, really good movie.

It's fun, adventurous. Nothing really that I disliked about this film. I bought it to have a copy so that I could watch it again.