Former football star Brian Bosworth stars in this action thriller as Alex Carville, a CIA agent who, while on assignment in Russia shortly before the fall of the Soviet Union, is captured by KGB forces and placed in a mental hospital. Eleven years later, Carville is given a chance to earn his freedom: Felix Grady, an eccentric multimillionaire from Texas who bears a striking resemblance to Carville (and is also played by Bosworth), has bought an extremely valuable painting, and Carville's keepers offer to smuggle him back to the United States if he's willing to pose as Grady, pick up the painting, and hand it over to Russian agents in the United States. Carville agrees, but things don't go quite as expected -- while Carville is getting the painting, the real Felix Grady shows up, and things quickly turn violent , with Carville trying to escape both from the Russians and the police. The Operative also stars Teryl Rothery and Bob Dawson.

This engaging comedy may be an action-adventure, but it's also a love story between Harry Tasker Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife Helen Jamie Lee Curtis. True Lies incorporates spectacular special effects along with comedy and romance, and it's a winning combination. Sidekick Tom Arnold is just smart-mouthed enough to keep Harry in line and under cover. Director James Cameron has worked with Schwarzenegger in many films, and they all have a familiar feel to them. Bill Paxton as the sleazy used car salesman is also a Cameron regular and perfect for the part. A Fox release in anamorphic widescreen, the True Lies DVD includes a Dolby 5.1 Surround audio track in English and French, as well as subtitles in English and Spanish. The sound and picture are both excellent. The biggest disappointment with this DVD is the lack of special features. The only bonus footage is the original theatrical trailer. There are no bios, documentaries, or even outtakes in this release, and the absence is especially lacking in comparison to other releases that include so much extra footage. True Lies is an excellent film, but the lack of special features is a detriment to the DVD.