True Lies (Ultimate Collector’s Edition) [4K Ultra HD]

Director: James Cameron

Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold

Release Date: March 12, 2024

A Review By: Kevin Lovell

Disc Rating: 7/10

Synopsis:

Writer-director James Cameron creates an exhilarating mix of non-stop action-adventure and romantic comedy. Secret agent Harry Tasker is a top spy in the ultra-secret Omega Sector — although to his wife Helen, he’s just a dull computer salesman. But while Harry’s been busy saving the world, Helen’s been gathering secrets of her own. When their two lives unexpectedly collide, Harry and Helen find themselves in the clutches of international terrorists, fighting to save not only their marriage, but also the world. True Lies stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold and Bill Paxton.

Please Note: 20^th Century Studios Home Entertainment/Disney provided me with a free copy of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray I reviewed in this Post. The opinions I share are my own.

THE MOVIE – REVIEW:

‘True Lies’ tells the story of talented secret agent Harry Tasker who has thus far balanced his family life and work life, while having his family believe that he’s a boring computer salesman while in reality he works for the secretive government organization Omega Sector traveling the globe and stopping threats by any means necessary. When Harry discovers that his wife Helen might just have some secrets of her own he can’t resist finding a way to discover the truth of it all, but when his attempts to do so lead to his two worlds crashing together he’ll have to prove how good of an agent he is if he hopes to keep both himself and his family safe as the danger increases drastically.

The wildly enjoyable action-comedy was directed by James Cameron from his own screenplay which was based upon a screenplay by Claude Zidi, Simon Michael and Didier Kaminka, Cameron does a tremendous job at the helm of ‘True Lies’ guiding along the stylish, explosive and amusing ride with heart and a sense of humor. The film’s cast includes Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Bill Paxon, Tia Carrere, Art Malik, Eliza Dushku and more, with nearly all contributing capable and fitting performances in each of their respective roles that help allow the film to work so smoothly and be immensely enjoyable throughout.

‘True Lies’ debuted in theaters in the summer of 1994 and took viewers for a wildly exciting, action-packed and (perhaps most surprising) hilarious ride into the lives of a secret agent living a double life. A film that was a notably different type of vehicle for talented filmmaker James Cameron but at the same time just as much fun as some of his biggest hits, and perhaps even more of a treat in repeat viewings thanks to very little within that’s overly serious, making for an easy-going and ridiculously fun ride that never seems to get dull. It still holds up splendidly in almost every department three decades after its initial release, not to mention featuring an unforgettable and show stealing performance by Bill Paxton that’ll have you laughing, loving and despising the character all at the same time whenever he appears on screen.

If you’ve never had the pleasure of ‘True Lies’ but enjoy a tremendously fun and clever action-comedy, are a fan of James Cameron’s work or of any of the lead cast, then I would wholeheartedly urge you to go out of your way to rectify that and check this one out. It’s one of my personal favorites and a rare easygoing viewing experience from the high profile director that seems to just hit the mark in every department while only becoming even more fun on subsequent viewings. I can still remember how much fun I had when catching this one in theaters as a teenager and my love for it has only grown in the decades since.

OVERALL:

20^th Century Studios Home Entertainment brings home ‘True Lies’ for the first time on both 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray, joining other James Cameron films ‘The Abyss’ (you can read my review of that release HERE) and ‘Aliens’ (you can also read my review of that release HERE) on 4K Ultra HD for the first time. The release features a generally pretty decent Ultra High Definition video presentation on the 4K disc with Dolby Vision and HDR-10 (although once again many viewers will surely take issue with the scrubbing of natural filmic artifacts and an odd quality shift on occasion) which is nicely complemented by an immersive and often hard-hitting Dolby Atmos soundtrack that does a great job of dropping you directly into the fun and chaos. The release also includes the film’s Blu-ray debut in full High Definition, with a 5.1 channel DTS-HD MA soundtrack and a collection of extras that features some previously released bonus goodies in addition to an amusing new retrospective look at the film which is quite a treat.

The release may not be precisely what many diehard fans and cinephiles were hoping for, but it still serves up what is easily the best looking presentation that this film has seen released at home (at least here in the states) and if you enjoy this film half as much as I do, it’ll probably still be worth picking up a copy regardless of the few issues with the transfer; if you’re already considering a purchase and can’t wait to own this film on any physical format superior to DVD or Laserdisc, then this one is recommended, especially if you can find it at the right price down the road.

VIDEO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘True Lies’ features a full 2160p Ultra High Definition presentation with Dolby Vision and HDR-10, with the film’s original 2.39:1 Aspect Ratio. The video presentation is somewhat of a mixed bag and while it has some notable strengths and shining aspects, there are also a few less impressive elements noticeable. It delivers a largely sharp, clean and nicely detailed presentation from start to finish that shows outstanding detail in character faces (especially in close-ups) as well as clothing, various landscapes and interior settings, plus more that showcase impeccable detail on a level that this film has never seen before.

Unfortunately, much of the film looks a bit too over glossed in its own right which results in many tidbits looking almost artificial, while there are also a handful of moments where the quality shifts briefly. Much of the grain and other natural artifacts are largely removed, although there are a few sequences where grain is present in backgrounds such as at the Omega headquarters. The Dolby Vision HDR also offers a nice complement of rich, gorgeous colors and deep, clean black levels which don’t disappoint. Overall, this is a decent, albeit slightly flawed Ultra High Definition video presentation that may not be perfect, but is still without a doubt the best this film has ever looked at home.

The release also includes the film on Blu-ray (which like ‘The Abyss’ also marks the first time the film has been made available on Blu-ray as well as 4K UHD) which is presented in full 1080p High Definition with the film’s original 2.39:1 Aspect Ratio. The video presentation included here looks very decent for the most part and at times perhaps even superior to the 4K presentation, with the same remaster and a largely similar presentation, minus the additional resolution and HDR options of the 4K disc naturally.

AUDIO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release features a Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 channel compatible) soundtrack. Please note that this review pertains solely to the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio presentation. This multichannel soundtrack offers a clean, crisp and quite aggressive audio presentation throughout that’s an awful lot of fun in itself. It repeatedly takes full advantage of all seven available channels in order to send bullets flying throughout the various speakers, along with music, other action related effects, plus various nature and dialogue related tidbits, all while ensuring that any dialogue or other audio elements that might be occurring simultaneously remain clean, sharp and fully audible at all times. Overall, this is a pretty fantastic Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible) soundtrack that delivers nicely throughout and should thrill fans.

The Blu-ray version of the film included within features a 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack which sounds very solid itself and keeps things aggressive, immersive and consistently clean and crisp. As was the case with ‘The Abyss’, those of you that might pick this up even if you’re not yet fully 4K capable for access to the Blu-ray copy should be largely satisfied with this capable 5.1 DTS-HD MA presentation.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘True Lies’ features some enjoyable extras including at least one brand new extra, along with some carryovers, the entirety of which can be found on the release’s Blu-ray disc. Included on the release is the retrospective look back at the film ‘Fear is Not An Option: A Look Back at True Lies’ (running approximately 43 minutes in length) which includes interviews/comments with the cast and crew, plus more. Also included on the release is a collection of ‘Archives’ which includes the ‘Original Script’, along with various ‘Blueprints’ for shooting elements within, in addition to ‘Storyboards’, ‘Unit Photography’, ‘Location Photography’ and a ‘Poster Gallery’. The film’s ‘Theatrical Trailer’ (approximately 2 minutes) is also included.

*Please note that the above images are taken from the Remastered Blu-Ray disc included in the release and resized. They do not represent the quality of the 4K Ultra HD disc itself and will additionally suffer quality loss as a result of .jpg compression. Larger versions of each image can be viewed by clicking on the image. All images and content included on this Blu-Ray release are the property of their respective owners.

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Disc Rating: 7/10

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James Cameron’s ‘True Lies’ is Now Available to Own in a 4K Ultra HD Ultimate Collector’s Edition from 20^th Century Studios Home Entertainment

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You can purchase your copy of the ‘True Lies’ 4K UHD release on Amazon HERE!

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