Anyone who goes to watch this movie will be faced with a loud and rather well executed adventure of sorts, showcasing Harry (being played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) as the perfect undercover cop, full of confidence and self belief. The role is rather well executed by Arnold and he fits is quite naturally. The special effects of this otherwise low budget film are exceptional considering the small budget set aside for the movie. Nothing looks made up- adding to the durability and credibility of the storyline.

The movie has a number of humorous twists written all over the place. James Cameron has directed the movie based upon the classic French comedy La Totale. Harry has a wife and a daughter and unfortunately, both of them are unaware of Harry’s actual profession (of being a secret agent). In this backdrop, Harry overhears his wife once and gets to know that she is having an affair with a car salesman. The movie starts to build on a subtle story line from this point on. The moment Harry realizes that his wife might be having an affair with some cheesy car salesman, his outward demeanor changes from that of a confident undercover agent to someone who is sly and has no confidence over himself- the way Arnold carries these scenes off is an amusing thing in itself.

The movie is a trademark Cameron thriller, with subtle and loud action scenes coupled with a pinch of humor. The movie does lack substance at times, especially when it comes to living up to its ‘name’. As a first impression, ‘true lies’ suggests an action packed storyline revolving around some international trade racket of sorts, but one is amused to find that the movie is actually about how and undercover agent suspects her wife and consequently takes measures to check her loyalty towards him.