True Lies
The Movie: The nearest Arnie will ever get to playing Bond. This film saw Arnold re-team with The Terminators James Cameron in what is certainly one of his best films. The action in this movie is great, and he film also packs a great humorous punch too. Arnie plays government agent Harry Tasker who to his wife and daughter is anything but exciting. They believe him to be an average Joe office worker (who at some stage in his life went insane in the gym) and for his wife played by Jamie Lee-Curtis life has become too dull. A run in with con man Simon played by Bill Paxton, leads Arnold to kidnapping his own wife, and setting his dearly beloved on a fake mission so she feels she has had a little excitement. Things naturally dont go to plan as some real terrorists interrupt the fake mission which soon becomes a real mission and worst of all Harrys cover is blown with Helen finding out he is in fact really a spy. The action in this movie is fantastically shot, and the explosions memorable, but perhaps the highlight does come from the sub plot with Bill Paxtons Simon. The film literally takes twenty minutes out from scenes about the real terrorists to show how this fake spy manages to seduce Schwarzeneggers wife with ultimate smarm. The moment where Arnie day dreams about killing Simon with a single punch is a gem.
What It Says About You: You think this was the pinnacle of Schwarzeneggers career. For you this film came before he started to lose his believability as an unstoppable warrior, but also came after he learned to act well enough so you believe that he has a real investment in the situation. You also think his character is his most intelligent to date and found it so refreshing that he is playing a character who believe he wouldn't just run into a brick wall expecting the wall to step aside. Also you think James Cameron is the only man to get a truly good performance out of him, and that this film is the one where he hit all the right notes. In your day to day life you have often sat pondering what it would be like to lead a secret double existence as a spy and you and your partner give each other the code names Boris and Doris when speaking on the phone.
Soundbite: Hes like Bond, but has all the destructive power of the Terminator to make the ultimate secret agent!
Favourite Non Arnie Movies: Goldeneye, Skyfall