LyleLanley
Banned
Wait, what?
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65% Gross Racist Dad Joke, 35% Spy Shit, 5% PaxtonTrue Lies: Cameron's Worst Film
- Thread starter Bobby Roberts
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Wait, what?
Yeah I did, the complaint seems to be there are arab terrorists and no other representation, which is not true.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
I kinda like the original, though!
So like I said in the big ol' post you quoted on the last page, the presence of a single token good guy (who isn't in the film that much, either) negates the rest of the film's presentation. That's the argument you're going to roll with.
okay.
MonsieurPaul
Neo Member
Except the original is already a remake, from the french movie "La Totale" which was more comedy than action.
Count Dookkake
Member
Pretty much.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
Yes, it's been covered!
Zoloft Sonic
Member
It's loud, bloated, full of 'alpha male' macho tonedeafness, frequently vile, and has incredible production values, cinematography, and FX. It's a nasty splotch of dated entertainment that will grow more moldy and toxic-awesome with time.
In short, I like True Lies for a lot of the same reasons I like Bad Boys 2.
In short, I like True Lies for a lot of the same reasons I like Bad Boys 2.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
This might be a better comparison than Temple of Doom!
Osukaa
Member
I love this Movie. Its probably my favorite Arnold movie. People need to just chill and enjoy it. The Crimson Jihad scenes are incredibly funny. Batteries dead, His Face when he see the jet, The Pelican landing on the Van lol.
Plus hands down this has the greatest villain death scene of all time. That in my opinion has not been surpassed.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
But I do.
Just not enough to want to revisit it again.
Like, if you put Avatar, Titanic, and True Lies in front of me and said "I've got a 4k projector, and 4k transfers of each of these films. For free. Just pick which one you wanna watch"
I'd go Titanic, than Avatar, then True Lies.
Zoloft Sonic
Member
"She's probably stealing money to pay for an abortion."
It's one of those movies where I'm constantly wondering just how much cocaine went into it.
I have no problem with stating Avatar is a better film than True Lies, but I also think True Lies is a much more enjoyable and entertaining film than Avatar.
There is nothing special in Avatar outside the effects and set pieces. It's a gorgeous film and a well done at that, but the acting, dialog, script, etc. Nothing of it stands out. It has the Cameron pitch perfect pacing and hits all the right notes it's meant too. But it's like, I've seen it before.
True Lies on the other hand is Cameron's only film that I would describe as a mess. It's too films merged into one in an awkward way. The first half hour is the cheesy Arnold film, the middle is my marriage is ruined and I need to get her back, the last half hour is remember it's a cheesy Arnold film again. It doesn't really flow well. But unlike the structurally sound Avatar. True Lies has Arnold as a lead who is always so damn charming, Jamie Lee Curtis, Paxton, and even Tom Arnold throwing in his one or two decent performances. The script is far more fun to listen to. And while it's a mess, it's a damn fun mess.
There is nothing special in Avatar outside the effects and set pieces. It's a gorgeous film and a well done at that, but the acting, dialog, script, etc. Nothing of it stands out. It has the Cameron pitch perfect pacing and hits all the right notes it's meant too. But it's like, I've seen it before.
True Lies on the other hand is Cameron's only film that I would describe as a mess. It's too films merged into one in an awkward way. The first half hour is the cheesy Arnold film, the middle is my marriage is ruined and I need to get her back, the last half hour is remember it's a cheesy Arnold film again. It doesn't really flow well. But unlike the structurally sound Avatar. True Lies has Arnold as a lead who is always so damn charming, Jamie Lee Curtis, Paxton, and even Tom Arnold throwing in his one or two decent performances. The script is far more fun to listen to. And while it's a mess, it's a damn fun mess.
This is good. They are both very watchable and extremely entertaining, and frankly at times incredible from the sheer technical skill thrown on screen. But if you spend any time thinking critically about what and why is happening it can be kind of gross and weird and offensive. But it's (maybe uncomfortably?) easy to gloss over that stuff and still have a good time with them, to the point that in general when you think back to them you go "Hey, I like that movie, it's pretty fun!" Then every 18 months or so you catch it on Showtime or something and see one weird bit and are reminded that they are kind of gross.
Rentahamster
Rodent Whores
Would comparing the depiction of the terrorists in this movie to Mickey Rooney's depiction of a Japanese dude in Breakfast at Tiffany's be a fair analysis or a false equivalence?
Does anyone here think that one of them is okay but the other is not? That both are not okay? That both are fine?
Does anyone here think that one of them is okay but the other is not? That both are not okay? That both are fine?
Count Dookkake
Member
Farse equivarence.
Sometimes I think GAF doesn't know a great film.
I guess it's the demographic, but this is wonderfully produced action flick and possibly one of the five best Arnie films of all time (Terminator franchise, Predator and Total Recall aside).
You millennials don't know you're born!
I guess it's the demographic, but this is wonderfully produced action flick and possibly one of the five best Arnie films of all time (Terminator franchise, Predator and Total Recall aside).
You millennials don't know you're born!
Bobby Roberts
Banned
I'm 39
Congratulations.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
It's not my birthday or anything.
SEGAvangelist
Member
This is the first thing I think about when I think of this movie. I didn't understand it when I was kid, and it's just creepy now.
The Lamonster
Member
He was in a theater watching a random movie that's not True Lies, I guess.
There's a Cameron movie thread and Sculli isn't here. Did he get banned or something?
True Lies may not have aged well, but it's still dumb fun. This is probably the nostalgia talking though as I watched it a lot as a kid.
I disagree, however, that it's Cameron's worst film (without flying piranhas). I think Avatar wins that one. While Avatar doesn't have lower lows, it doesn't have higher highs either. At it's core, it's just kind of bland. The story was executed quite competently, but it felt a tad too familiar. True Lies was definitely inconsistent at times, but the action was better and the characters had more charisma and chemistry. Its scatterbrained tone and ridiculous cheese at least made it more entertaining (and by extension, more memorable) than Avatar.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to shit on Avatar here either. I actually liked the movie (I have all three releases on Blu-ray), but it's definitely the worst of Cameron's movies.
Avatar was shot digitally on 2K. True Lies makes better use of 4K here. It's also 20min shorter and has 100% more Paxton. You can't argue with those numbers. You just can't. See? True Lies wins again.
True Lies may not have aged well, but it's still dumb fun. This is probably the nostalgia talking though as I watched it a lot as a kid.
I disagree, however, that it's Cameron's worst film (without flying piranhas). I think Avatar wins that one. While Avatar doesn't have lower lows, it doesn't have higher highs either. At it's core, it's just kind of bland. The story was executed quite competently, but it felt a tad too familiar. True Lies was definitely inconsistent at times, but the action was better and the characters had more charisma and chemistry. Its scatterbrained tone and ridiculous cheese at least made it more entertaining (and by extension, more memorable) than Avatar.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to shit on Avatar here either. I actually liked the movie (I have all three releases on Blu-ray), but it's definitely the worst of Cameron's movies.
Avatar was shot digitally on 2K. True Lies makes better use of 4K here. It's also 20min shorter and has 100% more Paxton. You can't argue with those numbers. You just can't. See? True Lies wins again.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
I respect this.
| Praxis |
Banned
I would rather watch this on repeat for a year than Avatar once more.
ScientificNinja
Member
People think Big Trouble In Little China is racist?
I'm Chinese, I fucking love that movie, and so does every other Chinese friend of mine.
The best part: listening to the characters insult Kurt Russell in Chinese in between lines in English.
If you don't speak Cantonese? Tough shit, you won't get the joke.
When you realise this movie is a merciless parody of the "white man comes to save the ethnics from themselves" movie, it is impossible to see it as racist.
I'm Chinese, I fucking love that movie, and so does every other Chinese friend of mine.
The best part: listening to the characters insult Kurt Russell in Chinese in between lines in English.
If you don't speak Cantonese? Tough shit, you won't get the joke.
When you realise this movie is a merciless parody of the "white man comes to save the ethnics from themselves" movie, it is impossible to see it as racist.
LordKasual
Banned
Nah. This movie was hilarious
If I had to choose between rewatching True Lies and Avatar, I'd choose Avatar, because I remember so little about it it'd almost be like watching a new movie. I honestly remember a lot more about the plot, characters, and sequence of events in TL than Avatar and I probably haven't seen TL since years before Avatar was released.
True Savior
Member
Cameron's most versatile movie. Its a also a big fucking deal historical cause it marks the end of the career of a great filmmaker.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
Not really. I think one guy brought up the possibility of people seeing it as such (disingenously, as a means to try and nullify the idea that there are racist elements to True Lies), another guy said "I could see making the argument, with details x and y here, but..." and then essentially pointed out the shit you just pointed out as to how the comparison straight across between the two movies doesn't hold up beyond the very superficial.
So no, people don't really think that in this thread, I don't believe.
TAJ
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
The 3D Blu-ray wasn't in stores until 2.5 years after the 2D one.
You still have a point, though.
LyleLanley
Banned
Anyone who would pick watching Avatar over True Lies doesn't deserve to have their opinion respected.
TBiddy
Member
I'm just surprised that there are actually people out there mentally preparing themselves like that.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
Again, how is this a surprise to you.
What's surprising about it.
It's not "mental preparation" even so much as it is just very basic awareness.
I doubt you go into every possible movie, book, or game as a perfectly blank slate in a Zen state of openness. If you've ever remembered a trailer, or a commercial, or a review score before you sat down to watch/read/play, you've done the exact same "mental preparation" you're marveling at right now.
Justin Bailey
------ ------
Millennials were a mistake.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
Anybody wanna help me out here
This thread is sorta amazing
There seems to be a very casual dismissal of not just young people, but a dismissal of young people specifically because they might think things that older people didn't think when they were younger people.
It's kind of a weirdly angry conservative streak shot through this thread every couple pages as people blithely assume the 39 year old man who rewatched a movie he saw the second it hit VHS in his teenage years is a "millennial."
AgentOtaku
Member
Great OP, legit had fun reading it even if it just made me love True Lies even more, lol
Bobby Roberts
Banned
Thanks man!
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