The Freaky Friday sequel will be released in theaters in 2025, with Curtis and Lohan portraying Tess and Anna Coleman, respectively. Joining them are returning cast members from the original film including Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson, Lucille Soong, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Rosalind Chao. Newcomers include Julia Butters, Sophia Hammons, Manny Jacinto, and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan.

Nisha Ganatra is the film’s director with Kristin Burr, Andrew Gunn, and Jamie Lee Curtis serving as the producers. Nathan Kelly, Ann Marie Sanderlin, and Lindsay Lohan are the executive producers.

Synopsis: A sequel to the beloved 2003 film with a multigenerational twist, the film picks up years after Tess (Curtis) and Anna (Lohan) endured an identity crisis. Anna now has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter. As they navigate the myriad challenges that come when two families merge, Tess and Anna discover that lightning might indeed strike twice.

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True Lies revolves around secret agent Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger), whose family is unaware of his true profession. The film’s brilliance stems from Harry’s thrilling espionage activities contrasting with his mundane domestic home life, sparking multiple comedic misadventures and misunderstandings. As a result, the plot weaves through a variety of engaging themes such as fidelity, illusion, and the pursuit of thrill in everyday life.

Schwarzenegger’s performance seamlessly combines his action-hero image with a surprising comedic talent. Jamie Lee Curtis’s role evolves from a naive wife to an action hero, providing a humorous yet empowering narrative arc highlighting her acting range. Thus, their dynamic partnership adds depth to the film, offering a nuanced perspective on marriage in extreme conditions. As Harry’s quick-witted colleague, Gib, Tom Arnold complements their dynamic with humor and warmth.

As one might expect from James Cameron, True Lies delivers on the action. The film features spectacular action scenes, including high-speed chases and explosive confrontations, all crafted with Cameron’s attention to detail and narrative integration. The film’s action sequences are visually impressive, enhanced by groundbreaking special effects ahead of their time.

Overall, True Lies surpasses typical action-comedy boundaries, providing a richly layered experience. It showcases Cameron’s knack for blending high-stakes narratives with relatable human themes. This film demonstrates technical excellence and offers a story filled with adventure, humor, and personal discovery, cementing its status as a timeless and exhilarating cinematic masterpiece. True Lies might not be what you expect from the sci-fi master, but it’s still a great popcorn flick.

Movie Review: 4/5 atoms

Video

True Lies hits Ultra HD Blu-ray with a native 4K, HEVC / H.265, Dolby Vision/HDR10 presentation with a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The film has been released in a 2160p UHD 4K format with Dolby Vision, sparking mixed reactions due to its artificially enhanced clarity compared to the grainy visuals of its original 1994 DVD release. Utilizing modern technology and reported AI assistance from Park Road, the new transfer offers a much cleaner and smoother image, which has stirred some discontent among purists.

The remastered edition of True Lies showcases a striking color transformation. The introductory spy sequences, with their cold, steely blues, contrast sharply against the later scenes’ luxurious, warm interiors. This vivid color enhancement extends throughout the film. The 4K resolution highlights minute details in close-up shots, offering an extraordinary view of textures and features in facial expressions and costumes. While the new version maintains a hint of the original’s filmic grain, it eliminates the analog flaws, presenting a modernized appearance that may not appeal to everyone. Purists will argue that it makes the film look a little too clean. 

Video Review: 4/5 atoms

Audio

True Lies hits Blu-ray with a Dolby Atmos or a 7.1 Dolby TrueHD audio presentation if Atmos is not supported. This review will cover the Blu-ray’s Dolby Atmos mix. The Dolby Atmos track for True Lies is immersive and detailed, offering a rich auditory experience. The opening scene sets the tone with layered sounds from a bustling party, including distinct conversations, tango music, and resounding gunshots, culminating in a dramatic explosion that fully engages the surround sound system.

This immersive quality continues throughout the film, with vivid chase scenes, street-level horse gallops, and impactful sound effects. Using height speakers adds an extra dimension, making rain, bullets, and falling debris feel ominously present. The soundtrack is effectively chaotic (in a good way), and the dialogue remains clear and coherent against the action backdrop. Lastly, action sound effects like gunfire and explosions, enhanced by a deep rumble from the subwoofer, add a tangible sense of danger and intensity.

Audio Review: 5/5 atoms

Special Features

True Lies doesn’t have any bonus features on the Ultra HD disc. However, the following bonus features can be found on the disc three, the bonus features disc:

• Fear is Not an Option: A Look Back at True Lies
• Archives: Script, Artwork, Marketing
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Original Script
  • Storyboards
  • Blueprints
  • Unit Photography
  • Location Photography
  • Poster Gallery

Features Assessment

The True Lies 4K release includes an exciting new addition: a 44-minute segment of interviews, highlighted by fresh conversations with Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron. The featurette includes vintage interviews from 2012 with Curtis and Paxton and many behind-the-scenes footage. 

“The Fear is Not An Option” feature presents a new conversation featuring Schwarzenegger and Cameron, delving into the creation of True Lies, its development process, and the enjoyable experience they shared during its production. Additionally, this section features archival interviews from 2012 with Jamie Lee Curtis and Bill Paxton, enriched with extensive behind-the-scenes footage, making it a must-see for fans. Another new feature, “Archives,” offers a deep dive into the film’s visual history. This collection showcases various photography sets taken for the film, promotional materials, storyboards, initial script drafts, and more, presented in a comprehensive slideshow format.

Special Features Review: 3/5 atoms

Overall, True Lies masterfully blends explosive action with comedic flair. Its timeless appeal showcases James Cameron’s directorial prowess. This brand-new release offers a stunning 4K experience with an immersive Dolby Atmos audio track. Unfortunately, the bonus features are severely lacking when you compare it to the Aliens and Abyss releases. Nevertheless, it does feature a new featurette that includes insightful anecdotes from Schwarzenegger and Cameron.

Overall Review: 4/5 atoms

True Lies is now available in stores on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray.

This Blu-ray was provided by Buena Vista Home Entertainment for review purposes.

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The film doesn’t offer much of a story. All it wants is to build up to the confrontation with Laurie and Michael. Like Green’s recent reboot, Laurie is a paranoid psychotic who can barely move an inch without thinking about Michael. Unfortunately, H20 expends nearly two-thirds of its runtime before Michael arrives at the school and starts causing trouble. Then, it revolves around Michael developing ways to get to the campus and murdering any poor sap that inadvertently gets in his way. Yet, the result doesn’t create many thrills. 

Director Steve Miner seems more interested in framing low-grade jump-scares and setups without payoff. Again and again, a loud jolt on the score accompanies a fakeout scare. It would work if the suspense matched the fakeouts, but the cheap scares get old after a while. It doesn’t hold the same impact as the horror movie renaissance of today.

Overall, Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later feels like a cash grab for all involved—trying to capitalize on the success of Scream. In the wake of everything after Carpenter’s version, H20 feels like another in the franchise’s many attempts to bank on the iconic original instead of using it as a launchpad for something more. Nevertheless, it’s more watchable than the Halloween sequels before it. Then again, the bar is also extremely low. 

Movie Review: 1.5/5 atoms

Video

Halloween H20 hits Ultra HD Blu-ray with a native 4K, HEVC / H.265, Dolby Vision / HDR10 presentation with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The picture looks significantly cleaner from a brand new 4K scan than past disc releases. The whites are clean and crisp, and the black levels are pretty good. There is no major crush, bloom, or other artifacts as well. So, in the film’s final act, shadows offer more light gradience. As a result, when Michael hunts in the shadows, it’s much more effective. Color saturation also benefits from Dolby Vision/HDR, especially primaries like red. The red in the Paramount release doesn’t push the reds to an unnatural-looking state. So, elements like blood and skin tones look natural and retain their boldness. It’s clear from the film’s opening scenes that the improvement in depth and delineation isn’t that obvious. Still, the picture definition has a noticeable boost in many respects. Grain is generally stable if not shown with a mildly sharp look.

Video Review: 4.5/5 atoms

Audio

Halloween H20 hits Ultra HD Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio presentation. Since this is an older film, the audio mix isn’t immersive. However, the score and sound effects are rich and fill up the soundstage. Also, the overall clarity is strong, and the track creates a decent atmosphere in the quieter moments and the more intense sequences. The dialogue is clean and clear throughout, and there are zero issues.

Audio Review: 4/5 atoms

Special Features

Halloween H20 doesn’t have any bonus features in this Ultra HD release. However, this release comes with a glossy steelbook, which ships with a clear plastic slipover with some foreground artwork.

Special Features Review: n/a

Overall, Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later is a film that falls in a long line of bad Halloween sequels. Fortunately, if you’re a fan of the film, the video presentation is the best out there. Unfortunately, this release is lacking in the audio presentation and bonus features department—something that is a positive in the Shout! Factory Ultra HD release of the movie. At least the steelbook is excellent, though.

Overall Review: 3.5/5 atoms

Halloween H20 is now available in stores on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray.

This Blu-ray was provided by Paramount Home Entertainment for review purposes.

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