Arnold was never better than he was in 1994's TRUE LIES. Director James Cameron had worked with Schwarzenegger in the Terminator films and raises their great work together in that series to the next level with this globe-hopping, non-stop spy thriller.
Arnold is Harry Tasker, a mild mannered husband married to mousy Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis) and battling rebellious daughter Dana.
Little do Helen and Dana know that Harry is one of the country's best spies, working for a secret agency headed up by an eye-patch sporting Spencer Trilby (Charlton Heston making the most of small role).
Harry's right hand man is Albert, played with surprising talent and perfection by Tom Arnold. Coming off a supporting role on "Rosanne" at the time, no one saw Tom nearly stealing the show, but he is terrific in the best role of his career. His throwaway delivery is flawless.
When Harry thinks his wife is cheating on him at the same time he is trying to track down two stolen nuclear weapons, his secret career and family life collide with hilarious and thrilling results.
Tia Carrere and Art Malik are both superb villains and Cameron regular Bill Paxton is a true highlight as the slimiest used car salesman you've ever met.
Director Cameron (Titanic, Avatar) visually blasts off the screen with great action set pieces, fantastic sets and scenery and some of the most explosive moments of Arnold's career.
Schwarzenegger has never been better. He's by turns suave, hilarious, tough, lethal and always entertaining.
Jamie Lee has a lot of fun in her transition from quiet housewife to sexy temptress and the striptease scene is still laugh-out-loud funny thanks to Curtis' comic timing.
I can't think of another director or star that can pull off a chase between a motorcycle and a horse with such unbridled and sustained energy!
It's too bad that Cameron and Schwarzenegger never re-teamed for a sequel, it would have been great to see continuing adventures of this group.
Excellent music score by Brad Fiedel and quite a change of pace from his music for "The Terminator".
I was hooked before the title sequence at the chateau was half over! Fast and fun.
With both Arnolds firing on all cylinders, TRUE LIES is a bulls-eye into my all-time Top 100 and gets an A+.
