Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

True Lies 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 11, 2024

True Lies joins The Abyss 4K and Aliens 4K in whatever the home media version of a hat trick is, with Disney / Buena Vista bringing the trio of James Cameron offerings out on both 1080 and 4K UHD discs. Neither True Lies nor The Abyss had been granted prior Region A Blu-ray releases, and so this film along with Cameron's underwater epic may have been at least a bit more widely anticipated than Aliens. Considering her current status as a definite A-lister, it's kind of amusing to think that True Lies was heralded as a "comeback" of sorts for star Jamie Lee Curtis when the film was first released, a fact made only slightly less hilarious when it's remembered that the film was also touted as offering Tom Arnold a "comeback", and that one didn't quite rise to the heights of Curtis'.

True Lies hinges on the same kind of spousal ignorance that would only be doubled about ten years later in Mr. & Mrs. Smith, with, in this case, a husband's undercover operative adventures remaining a complete mystery to his wife. In a way, while both this film and Mr. & Mrs. Smith are kind of inherently preposterous, the more recent film may take the cake in the regard because you'd probably be a pretty bad hitman (and/or hitwoman, as the case may be) not to recognize another one "of your ilk" living in the same house. At least in the setup offered by True Lies, Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is just an everyday businessman to his wife Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis), since Helen's relatively domesticated existence would never give her the slightest clue her spouse was really a secret agent working for a counterterrorism agency.

What True Lies rather smartly capitalizes on is that very sense of domesticity which Helen herself feels is suffocating her. That leads to a mad escapade where Harry and his goofy assistant Gib (Tom Arnold) concoct a mad plan to give Helen a little taste of spying adventure, supposedly in a safe and controlled environment. Yeah, right. What ensues of course is a spiraling series of out of control elements that suddenly force both Harry and Helen into new roles, offering both Harry and Helen chances to discover they may each have their own "particular set of skills" which the other one new nothing about.

True Lies is an unabashedly fun film, which is frankly not a descriptor I've often used for James Cameron's films, as undeniably entertaining and often visually overwhelming as they can be. There's relatively little subtext in this adventure, but that may be one of its more admirable attributes. Both Schwarzenegger and Curtis acquit themselves admirably in the comedy department, and even Tom Arnold is a (relatively) appealing presence.

True Lies 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc in this package.

True Lies is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Disney / Buena Vista with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.39:1. As I mentioned in my recent The Abyss 4K Blu-ray review, there are pages and pages (and pages) of posts in our Forum about all three of the James Cameron releases, some of which get into some of the technologies employed in bringing these three films into the 4K UHD era. Without debating the wisdom of such choices, and with a patent understanding that all three of these transfers bear the imprimatur of James Cameron, my definite hunch is many folks will be kind of surprised by just how much Cameron has chosen to "modernize" or at least "video-ize" this presentation. I'd argue there's even less grain apparent in this presentation than was observable in The Abyss 4K, though there is definitely a light dusting that can be spotted against brighter backgrounds in particular. There's what I think is an unmistakable skewing toward a more "digital capture" look here, which does admittedly offer some really superb detail levels at times, especially when close-ups are employed. As with The Abyss 4K, and unlike virtually all other Disney / Buena Vista 4K UHD discs I've personally reviewed, True Lies offers Dolby Vision, and HDR definitely adds a bit of oomph to the palette when compared to the 1080 disc in this package. Things like the bright red sports car or even some of Florida Keys material in the climax pop very nicely in the 4K UHD version. As with some composited effects in The Abyss, I'm not sure the increased resolution of this release is really a "friend" to some of the effects work in this entry. Fans of this film may frankly prefer the 1080 presentation in this package, since it may tone down a bit of the processed appearance that is kind of unavoidable in the 4K UHD version.

True Lies 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 4K UHD disc in this package sports an effective if only intermittently rambunctious Dolby Atmos track, but it should be noted that as with any number of Disney / Buena Vista releases that also include 1080 versions, the audio specs are different on the 1080 disc (the surround track on that disc is DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1). There is substantial surround activity throughout this track, though it's often quite subtle, especially in the film's introductory elements. Things begin to ramp up impressively as Helen gets swept up into her pretend adventure which becomes her real adventure, and the last half of the film offers some of the most pronounced surround activity, including clear engagement of the Atmos speakers in the calamitous climax ending with Helen's helicopter ride. The film's action set pieces offer occasional but rather forceful bursts of LFE. Brad Fiedel's propulsive score is also nicely splayed through the side and rear channels. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are available.

True Lies 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 4K UHD disc in this package has no bonus features. The 1080 disc offers the following supplements:

• Fear is Not an Option: A Look Back at True Lies (HD; 43:27) is a fun retrospective with some enjoyable interviews with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis and James Cameron, among others.


• Archives: Script, Artwork, Marketing

  Theatrical Trailer (SD; 2:22)

  
  

  Original Script (HD)

  
  

  Storyboards (HD) offers either Auto Advance or Manual Advance options.

  
  

  Blueprints offer either Auto Advance or Manual Advance options for all of the following galleries:

  Tasker House (HD)

  
  

  Omega Sector (HD)

  
  

  Mall Bathroom (HD)

  
  

  Trailer Park (HD)

  Bridge (HD)

  Unit Photography (HD) offers either Auto Advance or Manual Advance options.

  
  

  Location Photography (HD) offers either Auto Advance or Manual Advance options.

  
  

  Poster Gallery (HD) offers either Auto Advance or Manual Advance options.

Additionally, a digital copy is included and packaging features a slipcover.

True Lies 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's a certain proprietary quality to people who (I think understandably) complain when a filmmaker "adjusts" his work in various ways, though my bottom line in controversies like the ones surrounding these Cameron releases is basically, "when you have the bucks to fund a new transfer, do it the way you want to". In the meantime, James Cameron evidently likes a more modern, digital look for True Lies. I was taken to task back in the early days of Universal's "DNR regime" for not roundly disliking the appearance of some filtered releases, and for better or worse, I was kind of similarly not completely turned off by the appearance of True Lies. It's not really traditionally "filmic", but detail levels are often off the charts and especially in the 4K UHD version, the palette is really rather nicely vivid. For anyone who is a diehard fan of the film, I think the 1080 presentation may end up being preferred for reasons outlined above.