Film Review : TRUE LIES * * * 1/2

True Lies(1994)
CAST Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jaimie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Tia Carrere, Bill Paxton
DIRECTOR James Cameron

James Camerons' "True Lies" is broken in to three parts. The first and third being together and the second being completely different.

The major plot is about a spy named Harry, played by Schwarzenegger, and his partner Gib(Arnold) who are involved in bringing down a ring of terrorists who are smuggling nuclear weopons in America to use as leverage to have U.S. forces moved out of the Persian gulf. This sounds like typical Schwarzenegger stuff, and it is in substance, but its a lot more funny and the action is wall to wall. Tom Arnold supplies comic interludes along with Curtis in supporting roles.

On the other hand, the most enjoyable part of the movie is the sub plot. It involves Bill Paxton who plays a used car dealer. He stumbles across Helen in a restaraunt in Chinatown and convinces her he is a spy. Paxton is hilarious as a sleazy car dealer trying to make moves on Harry's wife. Harry gets surveillance on his wife and finally tracks her and Simon down in a camper. The interrogation scene is very funny and will make you laugh out loud.

The final act is the continuation of the first act, packed full of unbelievable special effects involving a hover plane and terrorists being shot off of rockets. One scene in paricular that could have been excluded is the nuclear bomb laying one of the islands in the Florida Keys to waste. It seems that it was one special effect too much. Tia Carrere is beautiful although her character holds no substance and seems to be futile. With that put aside, it works enough to make it a passable action film. It is the sub plot that you wish they could have made a seperate movie about because it is so damn funny and interesting.

All the performances are workable, especially Paxton and Arnold in key minor roles. Where the movie lacks in conventional film making, these two idiots make up for it, by taking our concentration off the flaws long enough to laugh ourselves to tears.