Arnold Schwarzenegger’sTrue Liesis an action movie classic that perfectly fits his talents, but it marked a significant turning point for the Hollywood superstar. Following their success together intheTerminatorfranchise, Schwarzenegger and James Cameron teamed up again for a very different project withTrue Lies. Based on the 1991 French comedyLa Totale!, True Liesfeatures Schwarzenegger as a secret agent who hides his covert work from his wife, Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis), only for his home and work lives to collide.
True Liesblends together comedy and action in a terrific way, with Cameron clearly seeing how effectively Schwarzenegger handles both aspects. His character of Harry Tasker gets to go intoJames Bond spy modeat times, as well as embracing theCommando-like action hero persona Schwarzenegger built. However, he is also genuinely hilarious in the lead role, especially in playing off Curtis and her well-honed comedic skills. However, looking back onTrue Lies, a sad truth becomes apparent in how itrelates to Schwarzenegger’s career.
True Lies Was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Last Great Action Movie
Schwarzenegger’s Reign As Hollywood’s Top Action Hero Was Coming To An End
Schwarzenegger was arguably the biggest star in Hollywood in the mid-1990s, withTrue Liesonly cementing that reputation further. It was another big win for the actor, scoring a solid 70% onRotten Tomatoesand earning nearly $380 million worldwide, making it Schwarzenegger’s fourth highest-grossing movie to date (viaBox Office Mojo). However,it also marked the last time Schwarzenegger starred in a genuinely great action movie, leading to a drastic change in the genre.
The genre losing its biggest star also changed action movies overall.
Schwarzenegger had cemented himself as the biggest action movie star in Hollywood withCommando, Predator, The Running Man, and theTerminatormovies. WhenTrue Liescame along, there was no sign of Schwarzenegger’s success in the genre diminishing. In fact, only two years earlier, Schwarzenegger starred inTerminator 2: Judgment Day, which is often regarded as one ofthe best action movies of all time. However,True Lieswas followed by a series of disappointments.
Eraserwas a solid follow-up toTrue Lies, but not nearly on the same level.End of Days, The 6th Day,andCollateral Damagewere all forgettable, and theTerminatorsequels never matched the first two movies.Schwarzenegger stepped away from movies for his political career, effectively ending his reign in action movies. However, the genre losing its biggest star also changed action movies overall.
Schwarzenegger’s action movies came from the era of practical effects and big stunts, withTrue Liescontinuing that tradition. With the last action hero of that era gone and a new generation of action movie stars, like Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel, coming in, the genre began to embrace large-scale CGI action more.
The Recent Arnold Schwarzenegger Action Movie That Came Closest To Living Up To His Classics
Schwarzenegger’s Return To Action Movies Hasn’t Produced Any True Classics
Though Arnold Schwarzenegger stepped away from movies when he was the governor of California, he did return to movies once he had finished in that position. Even as an older actor, Schwarzenegger went back to starring in action movies, but none of them were on the same level asTrue Liesand his earlier movies.The Last Standwas a fun return to the genre for him, but too small-scale.Escape Planwas an entertaining reunion with Sylvester Stallone, but it was clear both action legends were past their prime.
Schwarzenegger’s best recent action movie was actually a supporting role inThe Expendables 2. Schwarzenegger appeared in the first three movies inThe Expendablesfranchiseas Trench Mauser, but they were all brief appearances.What makes his role inThe Expendables 3so much fun is that he finally gets to get in on the action with Stallone and fellow action legend Bruce Willis. The image of the three of them in an action sequence together in a movie that feels like a throwback to older action movies is the closest Schwarzenegger has felt to thatTrue Liesera.
