Arnold Schwarzenegger can make seriousness funny with scarcely a change of expression. We rate him most highly when a director trusts that restraint, rather than asking his size and familiar manner to carry a weak script.
Fi1m perspective
Arnold Schwarzenegger stays serious while everyone around him gets on with being ridiculous. In True Lies (1994), his Harry can move between spy thriller and domestic farce without visibly announcing a change of approach. That small adjustment is a substantial part of his appeal: he leaves the audience to find the joke. We rate him when a film makes use of that economy and gives him someone worth playing against. This particular film does both, though its sour marital detour makes it a qualified recommendation.
The early action roles made a virtue of his size and limited emotional expression. Conan the Barbarian (1982) established him as a leading action star; The Terminator (1984) gave that imposing physical presence a cyborg to inhabit. By Predator (1987), he was firmly established in the action cinema of the period. The early delivery could also be wooden, which matters when a role asks for more than physical authority. The move into comedy with films such as Kindergarten Cop (1990) made good use of his timing and likability.
James Cameron's writing and direction in True Lies put the action star and the comedian in the same film, with mixed results. Schwarzenegger benefits from not having to supply all the comedy himself. We laughed at Tom Arnold's impatience as Gib, who sounds as though the people around him have already taken up enough of his day. Schwarzenegger does not compete for every joke, and the comedy feels less laboured when he lets his co-star provide it.
Cameron asks more of the marital farce than the screenplay can manage. The jealousy in True Lies is frequently cruel, and Jamie Lee Curtis has to work harder than she should to make it funny. We can enjoy Schwarzenegger's seriousness amid the absurdity and still find that long stretch hard going. Start with The Terminator; save True Lies for an evening when inventive action and a good comic cast will be enough.
Biography
Arnold Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-born American actor, businessman and former politician. Born on 30 July 1947 in Thal, Styria, Austria, he began weight training at 15 and won the Mr Universe title at 20. He went on to win the Mr Olympia title seven times.
He gained international fame as a film actor with the title role in Conan the Barbarian (1982). Subsequent successes included The Terminator (1984) and its sequels, Predator (1987), Total Recall (1990) as Quaid, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) as the Terminator, and True Lies (1994) as Harry Tasker. He also appeared in comedies such as Twins (1988) and Kindergarten Cop (1990).
Schwarzenegger served as the 38th governor of California from 2003 to 2011.
