True Lies (2023) User Reviews

Needs a bit of seriousness

[Plazeebo · 4/10 · 3 March 2023]

If everything is a joke, then the action never becomes exciting, and you just have to sit through the explosions.

When you run away from bad guys, shooting at you, if you argue with your wife at the same time, it illustrates that the bullets are not real and the danger is not real.

That means, the audience disengages on the action. Which is okay, if the humor is good. I mean - it can be done. Castle and Burn Notice was fun. Mixing action and humor.

But alas - the humor is not really funny. We laughed in the movie because Arnold was a real action star with big muscles. This guy and this girl are just some people in some situation whom we have no relation to.

To get better comedy, be more serious.

It's become unbearable to watch.

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 4/10 · 16 March 2023]

It started ok I guess, at least it hooked me in to give it a chance with a few more episodes, but now I'm done. The stories and dialogue are infantile, something I'd expect a fifth grade drama class to come up with. I'm a fan of most of the actors in the series, but they are all starting to get annoying, especially Ginger Gonzaga as the wife, who's character has become unbearably annoying and unconvincing to the point of cringe. Her acting feels fake and forced, and out of character for any wife in this type of situation, especially the idea of being recruited and put in the field as she was. It's just plain cheesy, unbelievable and unwatchable. The constant split-screen directing has become annoying, and most of the camera work is cheesy with the attempt to have fancy visuals. Even the action scenes are poorly choreographed and have an amateur-hour feel to them. Thus behold, another Paramount flop in the works. I'll be shocked if this makes it to a second season.

The too perfect wife

[soniaquebec · 4/10 · 3 March 2023]

I thought it would be a fun show but no, it's absolutely terrible. The parts who are supposed to be dramatic are laughable. The acting terrible. Steve Howey is better as a secondary character. He's emotional less and has almost no charm. The couple has zero chemistry, it's almost painful to watch.

What I really hated was the fact that the wife is nothing like in the movie. She's too perfect. Really thin, long legs, great dancer, college professor who's supposed to know multiple langages (her French was atrocious). The whole movie was about an ordinary wife finding out her husband is a spy. Not a model who knows how to boxe. She's not relatable to most women and it kind of kills the fun.

Removed this from my watch list

[HorrorFilmHellion · 3/10 · 2 March 2023]

Not going to be able to continue past episode 1. Some of these newer shows are just not a formula I am interested in. The casting of this is tiring, as the characters do not have chemistry or synergetic intrigue. This does not carry any of the fun or charm of the movie, and it lacks a foundation that will provide entertainment in general, from what I can tell. After 42 minutes, it is clear this is a roughed-in action comedy loaded with hi-tech bafoonery marketed to someone looking for light-weight mindless action and modern social queues. Seems like its secondary goal is to induce humor with the action.. perhaps this will please some other viewers, but I'll pass.

Updated - I get it now

[carey-941-755692 · 1/10 · 2 March 2023]

It took watching and enjoyuing the movie one evening to understand what was missing in this show, and why I did not enjoy it. While it is not his fault, the problem lies primarily with Steve Howey and how he portrays Harry Tasker.

True Lies was a fun movie and, at its core, it was a story about an alpha male who is in love with his seemingly average wife and family. His marriage and family offered him a life that deeply contrasted with his real life, a supercapable spy. In that marriage, he did not have to be the ubermensch. In truth, he had been gaslighting his family so that he could enjoy the time away. But there was never a question as to who Harry really was. Harry was Superman and he played Clark Kent with his family.

In this show, Harry is very much the Clark Kent and very occassionally pretends to be Superman. While he is physically up to the role, the role he is does not make us believe.

Were Harry a more impressive man, the way his wife is written would still be annoying but infinitely more bearable. But this is not the case. So the whole show becomes unfortunately bad.

Final Update: I tried again with episode 4 and made it through 10 minutes before turning it off. A shame.

Update: I tried again with episode 3. Believe it or not, the show has gotten worse.

I really enjoyed True Lies, the movie. This show is related by its name and the name of some of the characters. It is a distant relation and suffers from severe genetic degradation.

I was looking forward to this show. Steve Howey is usually a pleasure to watch. Ginger Gonzaga is fun and energetic and a beauiful woman. I hoped that they could convey the spirit of the movie in a series. But my hopes were dashed.

I cannot review the entire first episode because I turned it off before it was completed. It was underwhelming right from the start, with a lack of energy in the opening mission. But when the leads were captured, the inevitable happened and the wife showed herself to be more capable of the two.

I expected this show would check all the diversity boxes and it did. But what made the movie such fun was both Arnold being the superspy and Jamie Lee Curtis tranforming from a quiet housewife to something more. In this show, girl power starts from the beginning. And in order to do so, it has to diminish he superspy into an insecure, lesser person.

Enough.

Wow! So bad...

[WeWatchMovies · 17 March 2023]

This could have been so cute because the movie it's based on is awesome. HOWEVER, the casting is awful, the wife has a whiny voice that grates. The main guy, bad casting there too because he doesn't seem very manly or spy-capable. The wife is just annoying period, but yes especially her voice. The writing is ridiculous and too silly to even sit down for a fun silly watch. A couple of the team members Harry has are good. But they keep throwing all this feminist stuff in there that has no place. Disappointed but not surprised. I mean what shows these days are as good as they used to be??? Even the kids are dorks, and of course their had to be boxes checked for it to be on mainstream telly. I'd rewatch the movie if I were anyone reading this, it's 100% better!!

Silly, But Fun

[jhuebel · 6/10 · 6 March 2023]

I agree with some of the other reviewers that this show could use a smidge more seriousness-- but not too much. I enjoyed the show for what it is, though. It's a silly spy show. If you think of it as anything more than that, you're missing the point.

This is escapism. Turn off your brain and just enjoy it.

The acting is so-so. But again... silly. So, they say silly things to forward the spy-couple goofiness.

The situations are barely believable. But again... silly. The point (at least in the pilot) is to put them in ridiculous situations.

The bad guys aren't particularly scary. They're about as good a shot as a storm trooper. But again... silly. They aren't supposed to be good at what they do.

We'll see how this goes. Scorpion-- which had a similar vibe-- lasted a few seasons.

Standard network schlock....

[NullUnit · 3/10 · 13 March 2023]

Seems this series is relying completely on name recognition.... without even understanding why the original film was popular.

1) The film worked because Harry was a spy who had to lie to his family constantly..... and Helen was a rather clumsy housewife who felt bored and wanted more out of life. The series "jumps the shark" and blows up and dismisses this imperative plot aspect 10 minutes into the first episode.

2) Ginger Gonzaga... while I think she's a very competent actor.. does bring with her the "kiss of death" for network series. She's appeared in MANY series.. and NEVER had one be successful past 1, maybe 2, seasons. When she appears as a "guest star" in an existing series.. that series has generally been canceled that same season. Again, Ms. Gonzaga is a competent actor.. I don't know why she brings the curse with her, but she does.

3) The "little old lady" next door is so clichéd I think I hurt myself rolling my eyes too much.

4) D'Angelo is ruining what reputation she has here.... simply becoming unwatchable. I suspect cast for the name.. not her (now) gravel voice and wooden acting.

5) The stories in the first 2 episodes are just hack work.. unrealistic technology that SUDDENLY makes the impossible possible.

6) Characters, including Harry and Helen, are completely shallow and without ANY depth.

7) Helen discovers the spy thing in episode 1... in episode 2 she's sent on her first "mission". That's some stunningly rapid, and moronic, job advancement.

...fun drinking game.. drink every time "Jimena" is said in episode 2.. just plan on passing out before the show ends.

Has this series been written by ChatGPT???? It's got as much warmth and originality as ChatGPT output.

"Write me an action spy thriller with Harry as the primary spy working with Helen, his wife, who has just become a novice spy."

Not sure what folks were expecting!

[tommyonbike · 8/10 · 2 March 2023]

Looking at the poor reviews folks have given this show, I'm not sure what they were expecting. I was expecting a light, action-packed show that I could watch without spaining my brain. It's true that the leads don't have the amazing acting range of Arnold Schwarzenegger & Tom Arnold (I'm being facetious here, folks), but that's not why I watched it. I wanted to watch something that kept my attention & made me chuckle once in a while. This fit the bill. If I want to watch something that makes me ponder the meaning of life, I'll watch Meet John Doe! The folks that panned this movie are probably the same ones who buy a Camaro & complain it doesn't handle as well as a Ferrari!

Not Quite The Miss-Fire I Had Expected.

[heroforhire-19620 · 7/10 · 15 March 2023]

When I heard of this series, I felt a sense of pending dread come over me; A Big Screen -to-Small Screen Disaster, surely... The charm of the film could not possibly be replicated on tv because the central plot point of the film--Wife Helen being unaware of Husband Harry's real occupation--would swiftly wear thin in an on-going episodic series, ergo the plot was unsustainable over time. Case Closed. Game Over.

But...Surprise! The show did not try to replicate that plot element beyond the initial episode!

In fact, they show-runners made a wise decision in not attempting to slavishly duplicate the Big Screen True Lies, actively making alterations to the central characters; the tv Harry and Helen Tasker are different from the original movie characters.

From the start, it appears to be basically; 'Alias' with a sense of humor.

Time will tell if this gambit to carve their own 'True Lies' legend works out, but whether the series thrives on it's own character development, or drowns in mediocrity, at least it is trying.

total lack of tension and drama/darkness

[jeffkresse-814-345969 · 3/10 · 2 March 2023]

It is one thing to be campy, it is another.to transcend the Adam West Batman style, and only lacking the on screen "wow" "pow" cartoon bubbles.

There is no tension in threats or danger faced by the characters and you know they are going to survive anything with some idle banter and cliches. The missions they supposedly go on are imminent threats with huge consequences yet are engaged with simple-minded alacrity. A little darkness, drama, the potential consequences of actions would lend believability to an otherwise shallow narrative.

Omega's spy systems flourish with fancy digital stuff that makes it seem even more comical.

Give it a try

[joette-67783 · 10/10 · 2 April 2023]

I really enjoyed the series. In fact I binged watched it in one day and wanted more. Love the four main characters, especially the husband and wife. Give it a try the more I watched it the more I was hooked. It's a comedy plus action. Without giving away any plots the husband and wife are such a cute couple and good chemistry. Another thing I liked about it was it didn't have a lot of cursing. Now a days action shows have constant cursing every few seconds and this series didn't. Awesome for the ones of us that get aggravated at movies and series that don't know how to keep constant cursing out so we can actually enjoy with our families.

Wasn't what I hoped it would be

[sblakley-29243 · 6/10 · 2 April 2023]

Ok, if you could fet past the highly unlikely scenario that a soccer mom, who does yoga & kick-boxing as hobbies and who cooks dinner every night for her kids, could suddenly be accepted into her husband's totally covers, black-ops spy job so that they xan fly around the world catching/killing bad guys - this show is for you.

I like the husband (Steve. Howey) and wife (Ginger Gonzaga). They are a little funny. They work well together but Howey is more "Reba" in this show than Law & Order SVU. That was a strong character that could be believed as a spy.

The supporting character's in this show....aren't. And I just can't find a reason to keep watching.

Charming, but badly written show with a... wife...

[namob-43673 · 3/10 · 9 March 2023]

In the first episode we learn that the wife speak suitable languages that just happen to be spoken by some goons, she can fight those goons no problems, and she can knock out said goons with her legs. Not to mention she is not scared, not very surprised and adopt so quickly to all situations that she looks like the super-spy and not her husband.

And of course the wife, Mary, last name Sue, also comes up with the best plans, is able to think quicker and better than her husband.

I lost complete interest after that one.

The show (first episode) is also badly written with awful dialogue.

With those big negatives out of the way I also need to mention that this has some charm and the idea is not too bad. This could easily been pretty good, but the writers decided that they wanted a bad show so I am moving on.

Okee-dokee

[TJ_McCarthy · 1/10 · 5 March 2023]

So, the Our Gang kids are at Spanky's house watching TV and the movie True Lies comes on. They are very impressed. "Hey Darla, why don't *we* put on a play just like that?!" "Oh Spanky, I don't think we would be very good." "Don't worry Darla, we'll be just fine!" After 20 minutes of hard work and a couple of potty breaks, the gang has written their play, assembled their CGI effects, and are ready to perform. Other kids come to watch the show, but by the second act everyone has walked out. Strong words were heard from the audience (a "gosh darn" and two "patooeys"), but nobody was hurt, especially no animals. And that's really all you need to know about this series.

OMG this thing is AWFUL! No Semblence of Story Fact

[websterphreaky-77149 · 1/10 · 9 March 2023]

I've been writing Movie and TV reviews for Neilsen for 15 years, now retired. I remember with a chuckle the original True Lies staring Arnold and Jamie Lee Curtis as his frumpy wife. This show is truely PATHETIC! I'm 74, back in 1970 I was flying Huey's and OH-1's in Vietnam, and when I saw the "star" jump into a Helo, start it up in 5 minutes start flying my eyes rolled (it takes 20 to 40 min). Then they show the Helo "out of control, out of balance with a single WOMAN hanging from one skid, I was screaming at the TV "you have to be kidding!" This show is Written Badly, Researched Worse and Acted Abominably. It does not belong on TV or Cable, instead in the garbage.

Awful, just awful....

[max-54959 · 8 March 2023]

Like others here, I was really looking forward to this show. I love spy shows and really liked the movies True Lies and Mr. And Mrs. Smith. Burn Notice was one of my all-time favorite series.

This one is flat out poor. No one on the show can act with the exception of Steve

Howey and Omar Benson Miller, whom I have always enjoyed. All the others are lifeless and forgettable. The premise is ridiculous. I cannot believe James Cameron has associated himself with this disaster.

The multi-lingual college professor is a world class fighter because of her yoga class and is a better and smarter spy than her husband who has been at it for decades. She makes him look like an inept idiot, and she is nothing but a shrew.

What's with the chit-chat between them when they are in imminent disaster? I couldn't get to the end of the first episode and won't be watching. Probably most folks with an active brain cell won't watch either.

It's a TV show

[BlueCrab301 · 7/10 · 28 March 2023]

The show may not be the greatest, but it's a decent show to watch. The action isn't bad, and in an era where every show comes up with sort of complicated backstory or drama to everything that's going on, they seem to keep things moving and interesting. Is it the movie? Not really, but if that's what you want, go watch the movie!

But I don't believe for one minute this family is from Maryland. There is no Maryland flag decor in their house, not even a jar of Old Bay on the kitchen counter! They could of at least placed a Maryland flag on a staff hanging from the front of the house.

Maryland is a cult, not a state!

Really bad

[ghostingthevoid · 4/10 · 2 March 2023]

I could not even get through a third of the show. The casting and acting is horrible; the script writing lame; The main couple has zero chemistry and it all seems forced.

Normally, I give a new series a few episodes to find its groove, but this is so trite and stupid, I don't think that I could watch another.

I was looking for some fun but got only cringe-worthy disappointement. So, I need to type more words for this review to be posted, but I have made my point, so I will only add that a fat and out of shape dude in the support van is stupid as any operator would be required to be in shape.

I honestly don't understand what peopl were expecting

[ji8464 · 9/10 · 8 March 2023]

If anybody had watched the original movie they would at least have had an inkling as to what to expect in a TV series. The people criticising this have no clue at all about the movie.

It was light hearted, it's meant to be, it was mediocre on the violence, it's rated PG for god's sake what were people expecting.

It even had a couple of decent laughs.

First episodes of series are purely for introducing characters whu=ich this did.

Most people who put reviews on IMDB shouldn't be allowed to watch TV and review it because they have no idea.

Looking forward to the next episode, here's hoping the whole series is as much fun as episode 1.

Enjoyable but dialogue needs work.

[rafisher1 · 6/10 · 24 March 2023]

Too much of the dialogue is lame and/or unnecessary.

"You want to know what is icky? Shooting an innocent man in cold blood." Oh please, how many times has this group experienced that? And this is why they are bringing in the Wolf?

"I'll work with anyone who can stop that from happening again." Really? They are going to stop all innocent people from getting killed in cold blood?

"A driverless truck? I mean, these guys are into some next-level stuff." Lame.

"I just want you to try and watch him." Try and... still? When oh when will the ignorance stop!

From Grammar Girl - Try to Versus Try and "If you use 'and', as in -- I am going to try and call Grammar Girl -- you are separating trying and calling. You are describing two things: trying and calling. When you use 'try to' -- as in I am going to try to call Grammar Girl -- you are using the preposition 'to' to link the trying to the calling."

Another option that works in some cases is to skip try to -- I am going to call Grammar Girl.

From Benjamin Dreyer, Chief Copyeditor at Random House Publishing.

"If you try and do something, someone will immediately tell you to try to do it, so you might as well just try to do it so no one will yell at you." Dreyer, Benjamin. Dreyer's English (p. 164). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

As professional writers, we should work to make the language better.

Why?

[mjschiller-105-313340 · 1/10 · 1 April 2023]

They took what was a fantastic movie, with a great concept, good humor and acting and pumped out this slop. It's G rated junk with terrible writing and acting. I couldn't even finish the episode, I knew I wouldn't ever watch this show again after the first 10 mins of the first episode. It follows in the steps of so many good shows with a great premise but the couldn't pull it off.

It needs to be dark, not a bunch of action scenes with jokes thrown in, there is no tension, no real danger, just a bunch of jokes.

Maybe it would be a good idea to let a chatbot write the episodes, it couldn't possibly do any worse.

Cliche but pretty fun to watch

[nonsensefans · 8/10 · 2 March 2023]

First of all, why people giving too low ratings? It's not that bad. I know it's cliche but still fun to watch. Not like other boring drama that all they did was talking for the rest of episodes. First ep already got actions , spy things, kidnapped , & some humors. I love the main actor Steve Howey, he's got a pretty good builds & charming & good looking, perfect to do actions stuff . It's just a fun drama, not exactly an Emmy Award kind of stuff . Pretty much like Burn Notice, Blood & Treasures, the latest tv that I watched was The Company You Keep which pretty standard pilot episode. Needs to see more of light tv series after watching The Last of Us .

Stupid, yet entertaining.

[funkymasks · 6/10 · 5 March 2023]

Don't listen to all the bad reviews. This show is fun, comedy is not bad. I know it seems like it might get cancelled after 1 season, but I hope it continues. It reminds me a lot of the movie the killers with Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher. The writing is ok, they could do a lot better with the special effects. If they get another season, hopefully they will get a higher budget and that could be better. It's always refreshing to see a spy comedy that is on a prime time network, and I'm just typing as much as I can because this review needs a lot of characters. I hope this review helps you enjoy the show.

Not even close to what was expected

[paulwalters-24 · 1/10 · 2 March 2023]

I watched the movie a few days ago. Found out about this show and thought this could further expand on some more action-comedy. But it was a disappointment. Firstly, the dialogue was not at all good, it was pretty generic and felt like written by a chatbot. No emotions whatsoever in any conversation.

The actors are not that good either. Their acting feels robotic and it feels that they are delivering the lines just to get through the script. The first episode itself was so bad I didn't had any interest left to continue to watch further episodes. I think the producers should have invested in better scripts and actors.