True Lies is actually a real gem of a movie, but James Cameron’s other movies were so monumental that people often forget he even directed it. That makes sense — James Cameron has made some truly epic and genre-defining movies. Known for his explosive action films that combine stunning visual effects with great storytelling, he has rightfully become a household name among film buffs the world over. However, with a filmmaking career as pioneering and accomplished as Cameron’s has been, the weight of expectation naturally looms large.
As a drawback, anything he works on that doesn’t match the jaw-dropping scale and cinematic mastery of his more famous projects tends to be overlooked despite how good they may be as standalone features. Arguably the most obvious example of this was his 1994 action-comedy, True Lies.
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Cameron Is a Pioneer
Paramount Pictures
If you want to be known among the true greats of epic cinema, explosive action and stunning visual effects alone won’t necessarily get you there. Directors like Michael Bay have set themselves apart as action movie specialists. On the other hand what makes James Cameron stand out is his ability to interweave fantastic scripts punctuated with high drama and spine tingling suspense into his movies. As for action, Cameron also never shies away from creating truly stunning action sequences coupled with amazing ingenuity and special effects.
The results speak for themselves. With iconic movies like Titanic, and the Avatar franchise under his belt, Cameron’s films not only entertain in oodles but have also won him a plethora of honors that include three Academy Awards — not to mention them also raking in billions at the box office. As a pioneering filmmaker, Cameron also opened the door for huge technological leaps in movies through his use of cutting edge animation and CGI in The Abyss and Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
He’s Also a Visionary
20th Century Studios
While he was still relatively unknown, Cameron was handed the opportunity to direct Aliens, the first sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1979 science-fiction horror classic that spawned the Alien franchise. Many felt that the original movie could not be topped. That was until Cameron imbued the movie with his signature style that ramped up tension and suspense throughout the movie. Through the Avatar movies, Cameron also used his visionary powers to once again create truly immersive and visually stunning experiences for movie goers.
Another prime example of his brilliance was the way he chose to bring Titanic to life. Cameron was faced with a host of logistical and technical problems to bring the iconic movie into being. Speaking to GQ, Cameron explained, for instance, why he chose not to simply rebuild the doomed vessel for the movie. While other directors may have done this, Cameron’s visionary instincts led him to instead opt for building a studio along a bluff, so that he could combine those physical elements with other digital composites.
The movie he eventually created of course went down in history as an all-time great and catapulted the careers of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet into enduring stardom.
True Lies Is Underrated in Comparison
20th Century Fox
Amid the dazzling and jaw-dropping sequences some of Cameron’s other movies have produced over the years, True Lies tends to be overlooked. This is understandable given the company it shares among his more notable and acclaimed films. True Lies, if judged on its own, is a great movie though. Released in 1994, the films timing probably set it up to be passed over, since it was wedged between the releases of Terminator 2 (1991) and Titanic (1997).
Featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis, it follows a married couple as their personal relationship drama becomes entangled with a nuclear weapons smuggling operation, since Schwarzenegger’s character was also secretly a spy. The plot was intricately weaved and filled with nuggets of comedic, dramatic, raunchy, and action-packed sequences.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis were both established stars by the time they made True Lies. While Schwarzenegger got to add another blockbuster action flick to his iconic resume, Curtis got to further shed the scream queen image she gained from the Halloween franchise. Since her Role In Perfect (1985), where she starred alongside John Travolta, Curtis became known as something of a sex symbol. This aspect of her stardom was further cemented by her role in True Lies.
We’re of course referring to her iconic scene from the movie where she seamlessly blended comedic nuance and raciness into an unforgettable scene. The result was some initially awkward, but ultimately sexy, dance moves as she performed a racy striptease dance for Schwarzenegger’s character in lingerie.
True Lies Had Its Controversies
The outlandish but well shot action sequences, comedy, and other memorable moments, all combined to make True Lies a truly great watch. It was also a critical and commercial success, further underscoring the fact that it remains one of James Cameron’s most underrated movies. However, the film wasn’t without controversies either.
Chief among these were the subsequent allegations made by Eliza Dushku against stunt coordinator Joel Kramer, where she stated that he sexually molested her on set during filming of the movie. Dushku was of course only 12-years-old at the time of the alleged incident. Some of the themes from True Lies would also likely not pass muster amid today’s heightened levels of scrutiny against nuanced bigotry since it featured some very strong anti-arab sentiments throughout.
In fact, plans to make a sequel were canceled after the September 11 attacks as the movie’s depictions of terrorism were deemed too controversial thereafter. Despite all this, True Lies continues to enjoy an enduring legacy as a great movie. As far as its place in the echelons of the greatest James Cameron movies ever made, it may simply be doomed to forever remain underrated and overshadowed by the specter of his genius in other movies.
However, fans of the original movie were delighted when a TV show based on it was green-lighted for this year. True Lies the TV series is slated for release by March and will air on CBS.
