So much for Arnie being the last action hero! While that film set out to parody the action genre, ‘True Lies’ manages to top Arnie’s previous film in terms of ridiculous (yet riotously entertaining) action scenes). How about having Arnie ride a horse whilst chasing a terrorist riding a motorbike? How about having Arnie flying a Harrier jet to rescue his daughter? Including an inherent absurdity in the action scenes enables ‘Last Action Hero’ to parody action films without being an explicit parody. These parodic scenes manage to be utterly enthralling as well, meaning that you can laugh and be very entertained at the same time.

true lies jamie lee curtis — Don’t mind a bit of Jamie Lee Curtis…

Cameron’s focus on the family dynamic between Arnie, Jamie Lee Curtis and daughter manages to hand the film an emotional edge. Of course, Cameron’s on the top of his game here, and Arnie’s acting has never been better. Looking back, it would have been a fitting retirement film from Arnie (and maybe Cameron?!??!). ‘True Lies’ encapsulates everything great about Arnie acting career whilst embracing his films’ inherent absurdity. Cameron and Arnie, as individuals, haven’t reached these heady height since ‘True Lies.’