Or so the story goes. Cameron cheerfully discards that theory in the main body of his work. Women, in Cameron's world, are just as innately tough--and violent, if needs be--as men.
The problem here, though, is that Curtis' character is a legal secretary with absolutely no fight training whatsoever.
That isn't to say that she doesn't show promise. Hey, at one point she bonks Arnold over the head with a phone, and another time she punches him. The lady is tough. Her instincts are good. Arnold is just better trained. And she manages to be more than a match for Arnold's overpowering screen presence.
But the movie is not misogynistic. Yes, there is a semi-striptease scene that's not terribly fun to watch--it ends with the phone bonking. Yes, Arnold does go nuts when he thinks his wife is having an affair, but that's not anti-woman in tone, it's just a somewhat extreme reaction from someone who thinks his spouse doesn't love him anymore.
The real misogynist in the movie is Simon (Bill Paxton), a sleazy car salesman who convinces Helen that he's a spy who needs her help. He even treats Arnold to his personal view on life and women at one point. But he's too slimy for words, the kind of guy who has to lie for sex. He's a jerk, and his lifestyle is clearly not one to be imitated.
Juno (Tia Carrera), the female villain, doesn't do much to advance the feminist cause. But she punches people too. It's Cameron. Violence as the equalizer...
Diversity in minor roles: This is a minor disappointment, and one that many people may not notice. But Cameron's films are usually fairly good with having a diverse cast of characters in "minor" roles--i.e. making up the pastiche that forms that background and backbone of the picture. You know, the other spies, the fighter pilots, the hotel executives, etc, All too often, these roles are relegated automatically to white male actors, when they do not have to be.
Cameron generally manages to create a fairly good gender and ethnic mix without being painfully obvious. But there isn't much of that here.
Yes, the majority of the spies are male. It's Cameron, though. He could have thrown in a few female and non-white spies, etc. It may sound stupid, but it's a disappointment.
The verdict? Well, Arnold will not be the next James Bond, and "True Lies" is not the deep movie of the summer.
Tom Arnold is a gem--Roseanne's estranged husband does have some talent apart from her after all. And the movie is fun. Go see it in the theater. But if you see it with your significant other, be prepared to sign up for tango lessons afterwards. The life of a spy is a difficult one.