True Lies: Spies Too Much Like Us

Some directors and actors are, by their respective natures, simply made for each other. James Cameron delights in spectacular, mind-bog-gling violence where a minimum number of civilians and a maximum of bad guys get killed. Arnold Schwarzenegger delights in carrying out spectacular, mind-boggling violence while killing a minimum number of civilians and a maximum of bad guys.

While the combination of the two isn't the stuff of which Best Picture Oscars are made, it's definitely a sight to see. "True Lies" is the latest, and perhaps the most definitive, example.

But right now you're of course wondering about the real question. You've seen the conflicting reviews. You've heard the opposing views on Arnold. Now you're wondering: Is the thing worth seven bucks?

Well...yes, it is. Maybe not if you're a die-hard pacifist, or if you don't like Jamie Lee Curtis, or if you get scared by explosions. But every one else should enjoy this movie.

Arnold is Harry Tasker, man with two lives, that of a super-secret, super-macho spy and that of a loving husband/father. Jamie Lee Curtis is his wife Helen, who's growing a bit bored by her "computer salesperson" husband. They've got a teenage daughter who occasionally steals, a house in the suburbs, the works. And no one but Harry--and his agency and partner Gib (Tom Arnold)--know the truth. Until, that is, cracks begin to appear in the marriage--and Helen suddenly gets dragged into Harry's other life.

The movie comes across as somewhat of a weird mix. it's based on a French film, supposedly radically rewritten by Cameron a la "Three Men and a Baby." But that's not quite it.

"True Lies" is a actually an action movie with a sub-movie grafted into the middle. You can see the French movie-based part--and you can see when it suddenly jerks back to the action movie. Not off-putting--just a bit abrupt. (It goes from Jamie Lee Curtis licking the bedpost to terrorists bursting in.)

And though "True Lies" is supposed to be a spoof of spy movies, that part never quite rings true. The trouble with the concept is the lead actor. Arnold is the only human being on earth who can stand among bullets flying everywhere, not get hit and kill all his attackers--and make it seem believable. He's the Terminator. Ammunition is supposed to bounce off his skin.

This doesn't means that you won't have a blast at the movie. It just means that occasionally you'll mutter to yourself "this is a bit much" rather than dismissing it all as a spoof.

But does it follow the Cameron rules? Well...

Maximum, damage: Yup. Bridges get strafed, buildings get blown out, missiles get shot. Hey, there's even a nuclear explosion. Don't worry, it doesn't cause maximum carnage. Which leads to another rule...

Minimum civilian casualties: When the horrified Helen asks Harry if he's ever killed anyone, he replies, "Yes, but they were all bad." Therein lies Cameron's movie philosophy. Try to avoid killing civilians. That works fairly well here. Bad people die, and die in interesting ways, too. Almost all of the good people live.

Unforgettable villains. Um, well, they're not really unforgettable. Fanatic, but far from unforgettable. Which brings up another point, that of the movie's supposed anti-Arab bias. On the one hand, Cameron is not as sensitive as he could be with matters of Islam and Arabic culture. The terrorists are fairly one-dimensional. On the other hand, they don't seem that far removed in spirit from the group that bombed the World Trade Center. They're terrorists. It's not an easy call, but I don't think the movie comes across as specifically anti-Islamic.

The parenthood theme The Tasker daughter Dana (Eliza Dushku) isn't a presence for much of the film, but she makes an impact when she appears. She's perfect 14-year-old--she has the guts to steal a key and go out onto a dangerous ledge to escape terrorists, but she still screams for her daddy to save her. It's one of the most hair-raising, but one of the most memorable scenes. She's tough girl. Which leads into yet another Cameron trademark....

The tough woman: Most moviemakers tend to associate aggression with testosterone. Men tend to solve their problems with fists and firearms, women with brains and charms.

Or so the story goes. Cameron cheerfully discards that theory in the main body of his work. Women, in Cameron's world, are just as innately tough--and violent, if needs be--as men.

The problem here, though, is that Curtis' character is a legal secretary with absolutely no fight training whatsoever.

That isn't to say that she doesn't show promise. Hey, at one point she bonks Arnold over the head with a phone, and another time she punches him. The lady is tough. Her instincts are good. Arnold is just better trained. And she manages to be more than a match for Arnold's overpowering screen presence.

But the movie is not misogynistic. Yes, there is a semi-striptease scene that's not terribly fun to watch--it ends with the phone bonking. Yes, Arnold does go nuts when he thinks his wife is having an affair, but that's not anti-woman in tone, it's just a somewhat extreme reaction from someone who thinks his spouse doesn't love him anymore.

The real misogynist in the movie is Simon (Bill Paxton), a sleazy car salesman who convinces Helen that he's a spy who needs her help. He even treats Arnold to his personal view on life and women at one point. But he's too slimy for words, the kind of guy who has to lie for sex. He's a jerk, and his lifestyle is clearly not one to be imitated.

Juno (Tia Carrera), the female villain, doesn't do much to advance the feminist cause. But she punches people too. It's Cameron. Violence as the equalizer...

Diversity in minor roles: This is a minor disappointment, and one that many people may not notice. But Cameron's films are usually fairly good with having a diverse cast of characters in "minor" roles--i.e. making up the pastiche that forms that background and backbone of the picture. You know, the other spies, the fighter pilots, the hotel executives, etc, All too often, these roles are relegated automatically to white male actors, when they do not have to be.

Cameron generally manages to create a fairly good gender and ethnic mix without being painfully obvious. But there isn't much of that here.

Yes, the majority of the spies are male. It's Cameron, though. He could have thrown in a few female and non-white spies, etc. It may sound stupid, but it's a disappointment.

The verdict? Well, Arnold will not be the next James Bond, and "True Lies" is not the deep movie of the summer.

Tom Arnold is a gem--Roseanne's estranged husband does have some talent apart from her after all. And the movie is fun. Go see it in the theater. But if you see it with your significant other, be prepared to sign up for tango lessons afterwards. The life of a spy is a difficult one.