True Lies
Promotional poster for True Lies.
Directed by	James Cameron
Produced by	James Cameron Stephanie Austin
Written by	Claude Zidi Simon Michaël Didier Kaminka James Cameron
Starring	Arnold Schwarzenegger Jamie Lee Curtis Tom Arnold Bill Paxton Art Malik Tia Carrere
Music by	Brad Fiedel
Distributed by	- USA/France - 20th Century Fox - Non-USA/France - Universal Studios
Release date(s)	July 15, 1994 (USA) August 12, 1994 (UK)
Running time	144 min.
Language	English/Arabic/German
Budget	$100,000,000 (estimated)
Gross revenue	$378,882,411
IMDb profile

True Lies is a 1994 action/comedy remake of the 1991 French film La Totale!. It was directed by James Cameron, and stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Bill Paxton, Tia Carrere, Charlton Heston and Art Malik. Eliza Dushku makes an early career appearance. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (572x737, 69 KB) Summary Promotional poster for True Lies. ... James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a three-time Academy Award winning director, producer and screenwriter. ... James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a three-time Academy Award winning director, producer and screenwriter. ... James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a three-time Academy Award winning director, producer and screenwriter. ... Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German pronunciation (IPA): ) (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian-American bodybuilder, actor, and politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of the U.S. state of California. ... Jamie Lee Curtis (born November 22, 1958) is an American film actress and an author of childrens books. ... Thomas Arnold (born March 6, 1959) is an American actor and comedian. ... William Paxton (born May 17, 1955) is a Golden Globe-nominated American actor and film director. ... Art Malik (born as Athar Ul-Haque Malik on November 13, 1952) is a Pakistani-born British actor. ... Tia Carrere (born Althea Rae Duhinio Janairo on January 2, 1967) is a Hawaiian actress, model, and singer, most widely known for her role as Cassandra in the feature film Waynes World (1992). ... Brad Fiedel (born March 10, 1951 in New York, New York) is an American film composer. ... Twentieth (20th) Century Fox Film Corporation (known from 1935 to 1985 as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation) is one of the six major American film studios. ... This article is about the American media conglomerate. ... is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... The year 1994 in film involved some significant events. ... Look up Action film in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Comedy film is genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humor. ... The year 1991 in film involved many significant films. ... James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a three-time Academy Award winning director, producer and screenwriter. ... Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German pronunciation (IPA): ) (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian-American bodybuilder, actor, and politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of the U.S. state of California. ... Jamie Lee Curtis (born November 22, 1958) is an American film actress and an author of childrens books. ... Thomas Arnold (born March 6, 1959) is an American actor and comedian. ... William Paxton (born May 17, 1955) is a Golden Globe-nominated American actor and film director. ... Tia Carrere (born Althea Rae Duhinio Janairo on January 2, 1967) is a Hawaiian actress, model, and singer, most widely known for her role as Cassandra in the feature film Waynes World (1992). ... This article contains a trivia section. ... Art Malik (born as Athar Ul-Haque Malik on November 13, 1952) is a Pakistani-born British actor. ... Eliza Patricia Dushku (born December 30, 1980) is an American film actress, who has appeared in several Hollywood movies such as True Lies, Bring It On, and Wrong Turn. ...

Plot Summary

The movie begins, James Bond-style, as secret agent Harry Tasker (Schwarzenegger) infiltrates the alpine chateau of an international arms smuggler. Harry's mission is to track down nuclear warheads stolen from Kazakhstan. He is aided by his fellow Omega Sector agents, Albert "Gib" Gibson (Arnold) and Faisil (Grant Heslov), who communicate with him from a computerized van. Inside the chateau, Tasker meets Juno Skinner (Carrere), an antiquities dealer, and the two dance the tango (over the song "Por Una Cabeza" - William Schimmel's version [1]) while Harry arranges an explosive escape. Flemings image of James Bond; commissioned to aid the Daily Express comic strip artists. ... Hes friends with George Clooney and his sidekick. ... Por una Cabeza, meaning in Spanish by a head [of a horse], is a popular tango song composed in 1935 by Carlos Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera. ...

In a twist for an action hero, Tasker has an ordinary home life. His wife, Helen (Curtis), is unaware that her husband is a spy and believes he is a computer salesman. Helen thinks Harry is boring, and their daughter Dana (Dushku), doesn't respect her father.

Working undercover, Harry and Gib contact Juno Skinner at her Washington D.C. office. It turns out Skinner is using antiques to smuggle the nuclear warheads into the United States on behalf of a radical Islamic terrorist group named "Crimson Jihad". The group's leader, Salim Abu Aziz (Malik), follows Harry and Gib when he believes they are asking too many questions. Islamic fundamentalism is a term used to describe religious ideologies seen as advocating literalistic interpretations of the texts of Islam and of Sharia law. ... For other uses, see Jihad (disambiguation). ...

An extended action sequence begins as Harry allows the faction members to tail him into a shopping center. He leads them into a restroom, which is destroyed in the subsequent melee. Aziz flees the battle on a stolen motorcycle, followed by Harry on a police horse. The chase leads into a hotel, where Aziz rides the motorcycle into an elevator. The pursuit continues on the hotel roof, where Aziz escapes by riding the motorcycle off the roof into a swimming pool on the roof of a neighboring building. Harry tries to pursue but the horse refuses to jump.

Because of this action, Harry is late getting home and misses his own birthday party. To make amends, he visits Helen at her office the next day. He overhears Helen talking with a co-worker about her affair with Simon (Paxton). The subplot that follows (for the next third of the film) involves Harry's use of his agency's surveillance methods to learn more about Helen's liaison with Simon. At first, Harry believes Simon is an enemy agent, but soon discovers that Simon is a used car salesman who pretends to be a spy in order to seduce women. Harry and his team follow Helen to Simon's house, which they raid using SWAT tactics and a helicopter. Helen is taken prisoner and interrogated by Harry and Gib, who have disguised their voices. Under interrogation, Helen admits that she never slept with Simon, but that she craves adventure that she believes her husband can never provide. For kicks, Harry and Gib (dressed in spy garb and driving a white van) bring Simon to the top of a high dam where they intimidate him. Simon, dressed only in an undershirt and boxer shorts, thinks they are going to kill him. He tells them his whole scheme and soils himself. He finally folds to the point where he says, "Listen, I'm not a spy. I'm nothing! I'm navel lint! I have to lie to women to get laid. I got a little dick it's pathetic." Simon then urinates and Harry and Gib leave him at the dam. This article is about Special Weapons and Tactics. ...

Harry gives Helen an assignment he thinks will appeal to her need for excitement. He enlists her in a mock spy operation which leads her to a hotel suite where she performs a striptease for Harry, who hides his face in shadow. Just as Helen discovers Harry through his disguise, the terrorists burst into the room, and Harry and Helen are taken prisoner.

At the terrorists' hideout, a small island near the town of Marathon in the Florida Keys, Aziz reveals that his faction has four of the stolen nuclear warheads and intends to detonate them. One is armed and set to blow up the island. Harry weakly apologizes to Helen just as she gives him a solid punch to the face that sends him to the ground. The two are eventually tied up. Skinner shows up, embarrassing Harry in the process by manipulating Helen into believing they may have had an affair (which they didn't). Helen only finds out more about Harry's secret past when Harry is injected with truth serum from a sadistic doctor he eventually kills.

A gun battle follows and most of the terrorists are killed, but one of the stolen nuclear warheads is set to detonate. The remaining terrorists flee the hideout with the other warheads. Harry and Helen separate during the battle. Aziz fires a rocket launcher at Harry, setting off an explosion and thinks he has eliminated Harry, but he escapes by jumping into the water. Helen is taken hostage by Skinner.

Once reunited with Gib, Harry coordinates an attack on the terrorist convoy, which is driving up the Overseas Highway connecting the Florida Keys. A truck carrying one of the nuclear warheads is blown up and part of the bridge is destroyed. In the limo, Helen attacks Skinner when her guard is down, in the ensuing fight, for control of the gun, the limo driver is killed, causing the limo to accelerate out of control towards the damaged part of the bridge. Harry eventually manages to rescue Helen just as the limo descends into the water through a destroyed portion of the bridge (presumably sending Skinner to her death in the process). Two of the stolen warheads are destroyed, while the bomb back at the hideout is allowed to explode relatively harmlessly. The Matecumbe Keys toll booth on June 21, 1938. ...

Eliza Dushku as Dana, Harry Tasker's daughter.

Harry's daughter is kidnapped (offscreen) by Aziz and his terrorists. Harry goes to her rescue in a Harrier jet. There is a climactic battle with Aziz and his men at the top of a skyscraper, with Harry piloting the Harrier jet through the city of Miami. Image File history File links Dushku_2. ... Image File history File links Dushku_2. ... Eliza Patricia Dushku (born December 30, 1980) is an American film actress, who has appeared in several Hollywood movies such as True Lies, Bring It On, and Wrong Turn. ... See also Hawker Siddeley Harrier The Harrier II is a second generation, vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) light_attack jet aircraft used by the United States Marine Corps, Royal Air Force, Spanish Armada and Italian navy. ... See also Hawker Siddeley Harrier The Harrier II is a second generation, vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) light_attack jet aircraft used by the United States Marine Corps, Royal Air Force, Spanish Armada and Italian navy. ... Nickname: Location in Miami-Dade County and the state of Florida Coordinates: , Country State County Miami-Dade Incorporated July 28, 1896 Government  - Type Mayor-Commissioner Plan  - Mayor Manny Diaz (I)  - City Manager Pedro G. Hernandez  - City Attorney Jorge L. Fernandez  - City Clerk Priscilla Thompson Area  - City  55. ...

Meanwhile, Dana steals the key used to detonate the nuclear bomb. This is discovered by Aziz, who chases her along with several henchmen. Dana is chased onto a crane on the roof of the skyscraper, and Dana threatens to drop the key. Harry flies the jet plane to where Dana is, and Dana slips and almost falls off the crane. Aziz grabs his gun, and fires at Harry, which shattered the back of the cockpit canopy. Aziz's henchmen, in a helicopter, flies by and shoots and shatters the front of the cockpit canopy.

Aziz and Dana end up on top of the Harrier, next to a skyscraper. Nervously standing on the jet in mid-air, a panicky Aziz threatens to shoot Dana as she clings to the front of the jet with her father. Harry signals Dana with a nod as she understands and clings on, just as he tips the jet sideways, causing Aziz to fall and his jacket to be caught on one of the jet's air-to-air missiles. "You're fired." Harry says to Aziz just as he launches the projectile through a building and into the helicopter piloted by Aziz's men resulting in a fireball.

The movie concludes "One Year Later..." with the Taskers back at home, though Helen and Dana are now aware of Harry's secret profession. Indeed, Helen has become Harry's partner, and they go off on a mission together. They meet up with Simon, who is still pretending to be a spy to pick up women. They confront him and he again wets himself and runs screaming from the room. The film ends as the couple dance a tango. A cut scene is shown after the credits with Gib in the van complaining about how he's been in the van for 15 years. He also says that next time, it's Harry and Helen's turn to be in the van.

Reviews and reaction

Upon its release in 1994, the film garnered mostly positive reviews.

James Berardinelli from Reelviews gave the film 3.5 stars out of 4, saying "I have yet to decide whether True Lies is a better comedy or action film. It contains heavy elements of both, and plays them equally well. Unlike such failed attempts as Hudson Hawk and Last Action Hero, however, True Lies is a big, grandiose movie that has an immense amount of fun while never taking itself too seriously." and "Speed (which was released in the same year) and True Lies deliver a summer one-two punch that will leave viewers squirming with excitement and gasping for breath." James Berardinelli (born September 1967, New Brunswick, New Jersey) is an online film critic. ... Hudson Hawk is a 1991 film, directed by Michael Lehmann. ... Last Action Hero is a 1993 action comedy directed by John McTiernan. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ...

The movie relies heavily on stunts, often performed by Schwarzenegger and Curtis themselves. It's largely remembered for action set pieces such as a Marine AV-8B Harrier blowing up the Seven Mile Bridge, and Helen being scooped up by helicopter out of a falling car. In film, a set piece is a usually elaborate sequence which sees either a chase, fight, or other action taking place in an original and memorable way. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... The McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II is a family of second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing or V/STOL jet multirole aircraft of the late 20th century. ... The Seven Mile Bridge, in the Florida Keys, runs over a channel between the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Strait, connecting Key Vaca (the location of the city of Marathon, Florida) in the Middle Keys to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys. ...

The movie is an extended remake of the 1991 French film La Totale, directed by Claude Zidi and starring Thierry Lhermitte and Miou-Miou. In film, a remake is a newer version of a previously released film or a newer version of the source (play, novel, story, etc. ... The year 1991 in film involved many significant films. ... Thierry Lhermitte (born November 24, 1952) is a French actor, best known for his comedic roles. ... Miou-Miou (born Sylvette Hery, February 22, 1950 in Paris, France) is a French actress. ...

The movie earned $146 million and $232.6 million abroad, making it third best-grossing movie of 1994, and also a comeback for Schwarzenegger following the disastrous Last Action Hero of the previous summer. For her performance, Jamie Lee Curtis received a 1994 Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy. Last Action Hero is a 1993 action comedy directed by John McTiernan. ... 52nd Golden Globe Awards - 21 January 1995 Picture, Drama Picture, Comedy/Musical Series, Drama Series, Comedy/Musical (tie) Series, Comedy/Musical (tie) The 52nd Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and television for 1994, were held on January 21, 1995 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills...

Sequel

Online news reports in 2002 quoted actress Eliza Dushku as saying there was going to be a sequel reuniting the original cast and writer/director James Cameron. Director James Cameron originally planned on making a sequel sometime in 2002 (according to MovieHole.net) - but put his plans on hold once the 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred in NYC, claiming that "in this day and age, terrorism isn't funny." However, in 2005 both Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron told MovieHole.net that there were plans underway for a sequel once again - and that it would be Schwarzenegger's first starring role following his political career as the Governor of California.^{[citation needed]} Cameron said it ultimately depended on whether Arnold was re-elected as to when the film would be made.^{[citation needed]} Since he was re-elected in 2006, it's highly improbable that a sequel will ever be made. The date that commonly refers to the attacks on United States citizens on September 11, 2001 (see the September 11, 2001 Attacks). ...

Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items into other sections and removing inappropriate items. (June 2007)

• In The Kid & I, Tom Arnold plays an alter-ego of himself that makes a film that is inspired by True Lies.

• True Lies has also been spoofed in the 1996 comedy Spy Hard, starring Leslie Nielsen.

• This was the first movie ever to premiere with the computer-generated/animated 20th Century Fox logo bumper, where the "camera" moves down and around the logo while "searchlights" flash into the "lens" as the extended CinemaScope fanfare plays in the background. Speed, a previous Fox film, featured the new logo in its theatrical release, however the old was still used at its premiere.

• The song Por una Cabeza, featured in the tango scenes at the beginning and end of the movie, can also be heard in the Nazi party scene early in Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List (1993) and also Scent of a Woman (1993).

• Harry Tasker's removal of the frogman suit to reveal a tuxedo is lifted directly from the opening scene of Goldfinger.

• A clear continuity error can be spotted when Aziz is on a motorcycle and causes a waiter to spill the contents of the tray he was carrying onto the floor. Seconds later in the following scene as Harry is giving chase on a horse, there is nothing on the ground.

• Brad Fiedel, the film's composer, also composed the theme for the Lightstorm Entertainment logo, James Cameron's production company. The logo theme makes a brief appearance in the score during the film's finale.

• British actor Art Malik who played central villain Salim Abu Aziz was offered the part without having to audition. It turns out that James Cameron was a fan of Malik's past work and told the actor that his entire career had been an audition.

• In the 2004 Republican National Convention, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who starred in True Lies, said this quote making reference to the movie: "One of my movies was True Lies. And that's what the Democrats should've called their convention."

• James Cameron makes a brief voice cameo as the pilot of the helicopter that follows Simon's car when Helen's head is in his lap.

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... The Kid & I is a 2005 comedy film starring Tom Arnold and Eric Gores. ... Spy Hard is a 1996 movie starring Leslie Nielsen, parodying James Bond films and other action films. ... Leslie William Nielsen OC (born February 11, 1926) is a Canadian-American comedian and actor. ... Twentieth (20th) Century Fox Film Corporation (known from 1935 to 1985 as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation) is one of the six major American film studios. ... A Fox logo used to promote the CinemaScope process. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed compared to the rest of the article. ... Por una Cabeza, meaning in Spanish by a head [of a horse], is a popular tango song composed in 1935 by Carlos Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera. ... Steven Allan Spielberg (born December 18, 1946)[1] is an American film director and producer. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Scent of a Woman is a 1992 film which tells the story of a preparatory school student who takes a job as an assistant to an irascible blind, medically retired Army officer. ... Goldfinger is the third film in the James Bond series, and the third to star Sean Connery as the MI6 agent. ... In fiction, continuity is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer. ... Brad Fiedel (born March 10, 1951 in New York, New York) is an American film composer. ... Art Malik (born as Athar Ul-Haque Malik on November 13, 1952) is a Pakistani-born British actor. ... James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a three-time Academy Award winning director, producer and screenwriter. ... 2004 Republican National Convention Logo President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney accepted their partys nomination to run for second terms. ...

Cast

• Arnold Schwarzenegger as Harry Tasker
• Jamie Lee Curtis as Helen Tasker
• Eliza Dushku as Dana Tasker
• Tom Arnold as Albert Gibson
• Grant Heslov as Faisil
• Tia Carrere as Juno Skinner
• Bill Paxton as Simon
• Art Malik as Salim Abu Aziz
• Charlton Heston as Spencer Trilby

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German pronunciation (IPA): ) (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian-American bodybuilder, actor, and politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of the U.S. state of California. ... Jamie Lee Curtis (born November 22, 1958) is an American film actress and an author of childrens books. ... Eliza Patricia Dushku (born December 30, 1980) is an American film actress, who has appeared in several Hollywood movies such as True Lies, Bring It On, and Wrong Turn. ... Thomas Arnold (born March 6, 1959) is an American actor and comedian. ... Hes friends with George Clooney and his sidekick. ... Tia Carrere (born Althea Rae Duhinio Janairo on January 2, 1967) is a Hawaiian actress, model, and singer, most widely known for her role as Cassandra in the feature film Waynes World (1992). ... William Paxton (born May 17, 1955) is a Golden Globe-nominated American actor and film director. ... Art Malik (born as Athar Ul-Haque Malik on November 13, 1952) is a Pakistani-born British actor. ... This article contains a trivia section. ...

External links

• True Lies at the Internet Movie Database
• True Lies at Rotten Tomatoes