Word: arnolds
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...Arnold is Harry Tasker, man with two lives, that of a super-secret, super-macho spy and that of a loving husband/father. Jamie Lee Curtis is his wife Helen, who's growing a bit bored by her "computer salesperson" husband. They've got a teenage daughter who occasionally steals, a house in the suburbs, the works. And no one but Harry--and his agency and partner Gib (Tom Arnold)--know the truth. Until, that is, cracks begin to appear in the marriage--and Helen suddenly gets dragged into Harry's other life...
...though "True Lies" is supposed to be a spoof of spy movies, that part never quite rings true. The trouble with the concept is the lead actor. Arnold is the only human being on earth who can stand among bullets flying everywhere, not get hit and kill all his attackers--and make it seem believable. He's the Terminator. Ammunition is supposed to bounce off his skin...
That isn't to say that she doesn't show promise. Hey, at one point she bonks Arnold over the head with a phone, and another time she punches him. The lady is tough. Her instincts are good. Arnold is just better trained. And she manages to be more than a match for Arnold's overpowering screen presence...
...movie is not misogynistic. Yes, there is a semi-striptease scene that's not terribly fun to watch--it ends with the phone bonking. Yes, Arnold does go nuts when he thinks his wife is having an affair, but that's not anti-woman in tone, it's just a somewhat extreme reaction from someone who thinks his spouse doesn't love him anymore...
...real misogynist in the movie is Simon (Bill Paxton), a sleazy car salesman who convinces Helen that he's a spy who needs her help. He even treats Arnold to his personal view on life and women at one point. But he's too slimy for words, the kind of guy who has to lie for sex. He's a jerk, and his lifestyle is clearly not one to be imitated...