Chad’s Grade: B-
Director James Cameron had a massive cultural and box office success with 1991’s “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” washing away the sins of his underperforming “The Abyss.” 20th Century Fox quickly signed Cameron’s production company “Lightstorm Entertainment” to a fancy multi-picture deal. The big question mark was what he would do as a follow-up to one of the most popular sequels of all time?
After four blockbuster action films, Cameron wanted to change gears and tackle different material. He came close to directing “The Crowded Room” with John Cusack, a dramatic thriller about multiple personality disorder based on the Daniel Keyes novel “The Minds of Billy Milligan.” But the last-minute rights issue forced Cameron to shelve the project (it’s now being developed as an anthology series for Apple +).
Then there was Cameron’s attempted adaptation of Marvel’s Spiderman. He even wrote a 70-page treatment featuring an ambitious and darker take on the beloved wall-crawler (with Electro as the villain.) Once again, a tangled web of rights issues killed the project, with every studio claiming they owned the precious IP. It would take another ten years for the rights issue to be sorted out, ultimately landing with Sony and director Sam Raimi in 2002.
After enjoying the 1991 French comedy “La Totale!” Cameron developed a loose American adaption, reworking the core idea of an undercover agent spying on his family as an action-comedy. He quickly signed his good buddy Arnold Schwarzenegger to star. The resulting film would be one of his most unique and an outlier in the director’s filmography.
“True Lies” is a wacky blend of James Bond, the classic screwball comedy with a dash of the “Thin Man.” It’s Cameron’s first attempt at comedic material, and he handles it quite well, with some genuine, funny moments mixed with his usual hi-octane action sequences.
The comedy focuses on undercover secret agent Harry Tasker leading a double life with his wife, Helen. He thinks she’s a happy homemaker. She believes he’s a dull computer salesman. Harry soon suspects that Helen may be having an affair with a rogue spy (Bill Paxton), only to discover it’s a used car salesman who scams women into sleeping with him.
Harry has also been tracking a middle eastern terrorist cell whose leader is mysteriously working with the seductive art dealer Juno Skinner. A wild comedy of errors results in Harry and Helen being captured by the terrorist cell and uncovering a plot where they plan to smuggle nuclear weapons through the Florida Keys.
“True Lies” primarily works thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger, who effortlessly moves between comedy and action. Cameron smartly surrounds Schwarzenegger with a talented group of comedic actors like Bill Paxton, who shines as the sleazy car salesman. We also get Tom Arnold delivering his improvised and funny brand of one-liners. Tia Carrere plays the part of the sexy & scheming Bond girl Juno Skinner to perfection. And we even get a cameo by Charlton Heston (with an eye patch!) playing Harry’s curmudgeonly boss Spencer Trilby.
But the film’s secret weapon is Jaime Lee Curtis as Harry’s wife, Helen. Pairing Schwarzenegger with Curtis was a masterstroke, as her star charisma matches Arnold’s beat for beat. Like Arnold, Curtis can move between genres, effortlessly nailing comedic, dramatic, and action moments. One of her best scenes is when an undercover Helen, who’s supposed to be passing as a prostitute, looks over her frumpy dress. In 30 seconds, she tears off tacky frills, shortens the skirt, slicks back her hair, and presto, she’s ready for action. This bit coined the term “little black dress” as a code for not forgetting the women in the big action movie genre.
“True Lies” has its share of Cameron’s trademark explosive action, sprinkled with an almost Monty Python silliness. Harry chases terrorists through a luxury hotel on horseback, only to have the horse chicken out in the middle of the pursuit. There’s an insane harrier jet sequence that defies the laws of physics but is supremely entertaining. Not to be outdone is a tense set-piece involving Harry dangling from a helicopter as he tries to pull Helen from a speeding limo. When they finally clasp hands, the sequence sizzles with that Curtis/Schwarzenegger chemistry.
Unfortunately, Cameron’s inexperience with comedy shows as he’s spinning several different tones here. There’s the romantic comedy with Helen, the screwball element of the terrorists colliding with the hi-octane action sequences. And while Paxton’s car salesman subplot is amusing and a clever twist on Harry’s deception with Helen, it feels lifted from a different movie.
And the movie hasn’t aged well. In 1994, having a faceless terrorist cell act like bumbling keystone cops may have been hilarious. But post 9/11, where we live in a world of Al Qaeda and ISIS, the idea of them smuggling nuclear weapons into the U.S. is terrifying. And Arab American groups were furious and ultimately boycotted the film.
Also, many critics felt that the comedy subplot surrounding Helen was misogynistic, a departure for Cameron, who’s known for strong female characters. In a tense scene, Harry captures and angrily interrogates his wife after he suspects her of having an affair. But to be fair, Helen questions Harry while he’s drugged on truth serum, confessing that he’s a spy (and that all the people he killed were really bad). Then there’s the controversial strip tease that Helen performs on her undercover husband, but the scene works thanks to Curtis’ physical comedy skills.
Sadly, Eliza Dushku, who played the couple’s moody daughter, revealed in 2018 that she was molested (she was 12 during production) by one of the film’s stunt coordinators. This was harrowing for the young actress, as she’s involved in the film’s climatic harrier jet sequence, where she dangles from a skyscraper’s construction crane.
“True Lies” was a big hit at the box office even with its enormous budget of 115 million. And from all reports, it was a fun and happy shoot, with both Arnold & Curtis urging Cameron to do a second entry. The director did write a sequel script, but the project was ultimately shelved after 9/11 and Arnold’s political ambitions (he was elected as California’s governor in 2003).
The influence of Cameron’s action-comedy was enormous and can be seen in films like 2005’s “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” with Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie and 2015’s “Spy” starring Melissa McCarthy. Recently, a TV reboot has been picked up to air on CBS in 2023. Matt Nix developed the TV version, directed by McG and produced by Cameron. The weekly series will star Steve Howey and Ginger Gonzaga as the married spy couple. This is broadcast TV, so set your expectations accordingly.