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True Lies
- Review Date: October 5, 2009
- R
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- 1994
Common Sense Media says
Exciting mix of thrills, comedy; older teens and up.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this entertaining thriller combines an action blockbuster (that means lots of big explosions) and a screwball comedy about a married couple who are both hiding big secrets. The wife is contemplating an affair and ends up being pressured to pretend she’s a secret agent, while the husband is the real deal, a suave superspy who has convinced his family that he’s actually a boring computer salesman. Not only does it deliver plenty of excitement, it also has some astute things to say about honesty and ennui in marriage. The wife performs a risqué striptease in her underwear, and there’s a good deal of swearing. Also expect plenty of violence, including gunfights, car chases, some graphic hand-to-hand combat, and even a nuclear explosion.
What's the story?
Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a dull-as-dishwater computer salesman, or so he wants his wife to believe. In truth, he’s a superspy for the ultra-clandestine Omega Sector, grappling with terrorists by day and then trying to get home in time for family dinner. Problem is, his wife Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis) is so bored with their marriage that she’s contemplating an affair. When Harry finds out, he turns his spy skills to tracking down Helen’s would-be suitor (Bill Paxton, hilarious as a slimy lothario), inadvertently dragging her into his world of covert meetings and international conspiracies.
Is it any good?
TRUE LIES effectively combines a thriller with a domestic comedy, and that’s a tough feat to pull off. The conspiracy plot, about Arab extremists and stolen nuclear warheads, is not especially complex, but it provides a jumping-off point for several exciting chase scenes, shootouts, and major explosions. The more interesting story follows the Taskers, as Harry and Helen learn to share their secrets with each other. Tom Arnold is also entertaining as Harry’s partner, a bitter divorcee with a profane mouth.
Schwarzenegger is best-known for his action chops, and rightly so, but he’s underappreciated for his comic skills, and this film lets him show off both skills. And Curtis more than holds her own as a mousy clerk who learns to roar -- and wield automatic weapons. Director James Cameron creates a thrilling story about love, marriage, and honesty, wrapped inside a thrill-a-minute action film. That said, parents may appreciate the messages more than their teens.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about honesty. The main characters lie to each other throughout most of the film. How does their relationship change once they start telling the truth? Do you think it’s plausible for a secret agent to hide his dangerous activities from his family?
How does the film portray terrorists? Made in 1994, after the first Gulf War, but before Sept. 11, the villains are Arab extremists, though it doesn’t identify where they come from or touch on religion. Do you think the media’s views about Middle Eastern militants have changed since then?
Is it acceptable today to demonize people from the Middle East? World
War II-era films often made Nazis the go-to bad-guys -- can you think of
other groups that have served that role?
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AGE
Your Fired
True Lies is a good movie one verry viloent scene a man has a knife thrown in his eye during the truth scene and the other man's neck
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AGE
perfect for matcher 10 year nolds
i want my kid to see it
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Kid, 12 years old
December 10, 2010
AGE
great movie very violent and has some sexuel stuff i would say 14 +
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AGE
GREAT MOVIE!! It gets a little violent and some sex. A lot of language
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AGE
classic movie
watch this movie its worth it lots of action 13 and over for violence and sex
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AGE
90's action comedy is very funny funny and exciting, but very violent and crude
True Lies is another very, very overlooked movie by James Cameron, even though if did very well at the box office, with $146 million, off of a budget of a estimated $120 million. But just because it performed well enough at the box office, doesn't mean that the critics reviews were all that good, considering that a large majority of them claimed that the movie was highly forgettable and that Cameron should not have gone and blown so much money on a action-comedy. Well, honestly, I really don't think he should have spent so much money on int, but you know what? I love this movie. I always will. It's hilarious, it has likable characters, great action scenes and easily one of the best and funniest performances by Arnold Schwarzenegger, in any movie that he has ever done. But, that is not to say that this movie is for everyone, because it's not. It's Rated R, which is a deserved rating, because of several thing: Lot's of violence, which gets particularly bloody and brutal near the end, plenty of profanity with several uses of F-ck and sh-t, and finally, the entire middle half of the movie is full of crude sexual dialog, partial nudity, and one very long and particularly hilarious, but rather graphic, strip-tease by Jamie Lee Curtis. Older teens who are fans of the movies many talented cast and crew members, will undoubtedly enjoy this action romp.
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AGE
Modern James Bond!
This movie is one of my favorites. It has everything from action, comedy, drama, and romance. Parents need to review this movie before your kids watch it, though. The action is very intense, with occasional bloody scenes. The language is a bit rough, too. In one scene, a woman posing as a prostitute for a man dances sensually for him. Also, her husbands organization, Omega Sector, finds her with another man. The role models aren't the best because the whole movie is basically Harry (Schwarzenegger) trying to hide his true identity from his family. Though his wife has some secrets, too. Great movie, but it needs a parent preview first.
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Kid, 10 years old
May 5, 2012
AGE
gross'n funny
sexaly gross but funny
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AGE
Great Movie - with action, violence, some blood, swear words and some sex references
Action-packed and intense. Pretty violent with only some blood and no gore. Interesting and exciting plot with some superb acting. This film is rated R but that is just ridiculous. True Lies succeeds as a film worth watching.
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| Studio: | Twentieth Century Fox |
| Director: | James Cameron |
| Cast: | Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Paxton, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Run time: | 141 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | July 15, 1994 |
| DVD release date: | May 25, 1999 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | a lot of action/violence and some language |
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