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| By AARON SKETCHLEY (aaronsketch@HOTdelete_thisMAIL.com) | Ver 1.15 2023.03.10 |
In a word it is a fun, but ultimately inconsequential film. There is a moment at the start of the film where it hints that it'll be about something more—perhaps satirizing other movies based on old TV shows—but almost instantly, the film turns the action up to 11, and doesn't let off the gas for pretty much the rest of its run time. The plot is barely enough to string along the action scenes, as there are a couple of points where there's not even enough of that, and things just jump ahead.
The highlight of the film is the music (is it any surprise that the director is a former music video director?) Whatever your opinion on it, the film got me tapping my feet along to music that I don't like nor ordinarily listen to. That says something, doesn't it? Nevertheless, this film has most of the reasons why we go to the theatre: action, beautiful people living larger than life, and well choreographed sequences—ranging from fights to dance numbers. Turn off your critical thinking, sit back, and go!
It'd be easy to sum up this film as 'more of the same'. However, unlike the first film, Full Throttle isn't as clearly plotted, has scenes with wildly different pacing, and has a couple of illogical jumps where it's not clear how the characters wound up where they are at the end of the preceeding sequence. On the other hand, when the performers are cut loose from the wires, there is an intensity in the fight scenes that we haven't really seen in Hollywood movies since the 80's.
The film brings back the more memorable characters from the first film—while the Thin Man is underused, it's great fun learning his origins. Bearnie Mac, as Bosley, is a great addition, but his brand of comedy can't really compete with the rest of the film, and it makes Bill Murrey's departure from the series more obvious. The film's saving grace is the expressions of pure joy on the 3 stars—they had A LOT of fun making this film, and it shows.
Free Guy is an extremely well made film, with great acting and top-notch visual effects. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that it's a PG-13 cross between Deadpool and Wreck It Ralph. Ryan Renolds is both mesmerizingly funny as well as extremely sympathetic as a man attempting to break free of his limits, but also highly constrained by the world he lives in. The movie has shades of The Matrix and The Truman Show with its protagonists unaware that they are caught in an artificial world. However, unlike them, Free Guy is more focused on the comedy and the counter-intuitive nature of multiplayer video games. It also takes on shades of Ghost in the Shell with its examination of AI and the implications of its spontaneous appearance.
While Free Guy was made to be as accessible as possible, it is loaded with references and other in-jokes on multiplayer games that may go over the head of viewers not familiar with them. For example, this viewer was unaware that the gaming personalities and streamers in the film are the actual e-celebs making cameos! Nevertheless, part of the fun of Free Guy is spotting the game (or movie!) reference, or naming that cameo. The highlight of the film is Taika Waititi's scenery chewing as Antwan. His mercurial CEO with the power to fire people on the spot adds greatly to the unpredictability once his character is unleashed. Is it just me, or does his fashion sense mimic that of the character skins in games like Fortnite?
This film is a fun, thrilling ride. It also has a strong, poignant emotional core, making it much better than a mere comedy-action flick. It is full of satire on the players, developers, and the settings of multiplayer games—speaking volumes when it cuts between a player's avatar and the person actually playing the game. It entertained me, gave me things to think about, and most importantly, made me laugh.
The action in this movie literally starts from the very first scene, and—aside from a handful of very short interludes in the middle—doesn't let up until the very end. Pretty much everything takes place on heavily modified vehicles racing through sun blasted, dry and dusty desert wasteland. The movie doesn't even take its foot off the accelerator for dialogue, and what we slowly glean about the origins and motivations of the characters comes during one intense sequence after another.
Despite the film being set in cars and trucks racing through the desert either attacking or fending off attacks, the film is neither monotonous nor repetitive. Each vehicle, each driver, and each battle is unique, with subsequent stunts and sequences topping the preceding ones. Nevertheless, despite the limited dialogue, the film has a lot to say about a bunch of issues. In the process, it highlights a range of issues and shows the potential outcomes of each, but leaves it up to the viewer to fill in the rest.
This is one of those rare films that sucks you into its reality, and its intensity keeps you glued to the screen for the next 2 hours. If you haven't seen it yet, you are in for a real treat of an action movie. However, take note that it's unrelenting intensity makes it the kind of film that Roger Ebert would have dubbed a 'Bruised Forearm' movie!
This is a surprisingly engaging film. It has an excellent blend of interesting and well depicted characters, fast paced action, and many other hallmarks of Dir. Martin Campbell's films. Namely character growth and development, excellent visual design, and well defined villains and henchmen—the henchmen were all distinct enough that I always knew who I was looking at, and what their motivations are.
The intertwined revenge stories of the old and new Zorros provides a great motivation for the heroes, as well as putting them into deliciously conflicted situations as the film progresses. Most importantly, it helps keep the plot clear and unmuddled for the viewer. It also puts an interesting spin on the title of the movie—the mask being greater than any one man, and is as much a curse as it is a blessing.
Perhaps the greatest thing about the movie is the villains—they are just the right blend of classic movie villain badness, and are the kind that you love to hate. An interesting dimension to them is that their social class (or lack their of) plays a role in their actions, as well as how they treat those around and under them. It's not exactly subtle, but it is easy to overlook. James Horner's music is also another highlight. The score adds quite a bit to the movie, without being intrusive or distracting.
The Matrix challenges us with the question: "what if what we perceive as reality, isn't?" While the movie's revelation of the true reality is intriguing, it is also not developed sufficiently enough to satisfyingly explain the "why" things became the way they are. Nevertheless, it is the fuel for some great action sequences, and a near-future reality where most people live in virtual reality, and any needed skill can be almost instantly downloaded into your head. The film wisely only paints the broad strokes of how the conflict between people and the machines started and the current state of the world, leaving it up to the viewer's imagination. It also presents a challenging argument on the dangers of AI.
The strength of The Matrix is it's seamless special effects, interpretation of virtual reality, and religio-philosophical undertones—not to mention the film's shots;their compositions, the camera angles and movements, and so on. The weak point, on the other hand, is the thinness of characterization. While we learn about the protagonists and see them grow, the film doesn't really bother with such things as the apparent romantic relationship between Neo and Trinity, or the effects of the loss of everything you've grown up with, and the sudden shock of severing your relationship with everybody that you know. Nevertheless, the highlight is Hugo Weaving's performance as Agent Smith. While the setting and protagonists make movies fun and interesting, it's the villains that tend to make or break these kinds of films. And what a treat of a villain he has given us!
While The Matrix Reloaded takes a deeper look at the inner workings of the Matrix, it also rolls back some of the key breakthroughs that occurred at the end of The Matrix. Namely, what happened to Neo's ability to leap inside Agents and cause them to explode? The throwaway line about the Agents being upgrades isn't satisfying, and I think a sequence depicting Neo attempting—and failing—to force himself inside their programs would have improved things immeasurably, and justified why they still have to use martial arts to fight when the entire point of the first movie was to evolve past the need for that! The filmmakers also appear to indulge a little too much in some of their action sequences, and some of them, notably the burly brawl scene, overstay their welcome in lockstep to the amount of CG that is used in them.
That said, what I really liked about this film is the indication that the Matrix isn't a monolithic organization, and is instead populated with programs that have a mind of their own—with some ultimately opting to go rogue rather than be deleted. Especially fun is how that ties into their explanation of supernatural phenomenon. The film also brings back the majority of the stylistic elements of the first film, but what is sorely lacking is the neat and startling market chase sequence in the first movie where the Agents are continually and inventively popping up unexpectedly. Nevertheless, the highlight of the film are the intriguing possibilities it engenders. Namely the sequences in the film that have programs and abilities from inside the Matrix crossing over into the apparently real world, thereby implying that both may actually be inside of a larger Matrix!
The Matrix Revolutions is both a fascinating look at a post-apocalyptic humanity's last stand against an overwhelming AI-led force, as well as a disappointment. In short, the film lacks the pure imagination and creativity of 1999's The Matrix, and forgoes the introduction of anything thought-provoking that even The Matrix Reloaded attempted in a limited way as it indulges in CG battles that largely end up overstaying their welcome. The film's first disappointment is the revelation that Neo is in a place that isn't outside of—or beyond—both the Matrix and the real world, but merely in a transitional place between the two. The film's explanations on how that happened also don't hold up well on post viewing analysis. Also, because the majority of the action happens outside of the Matrix, or ends up aping superhero tropes when it does, the film loses the series' je ne sais quoi that made The Matrix so unique in the first place. And lets not get into this being one of the first films that requires viewers to consume other media, such as comics, video games and direct-to-DVD releases, to fully understand its story!
That said, what the film does get right is its brutal depiction of the effects of violence in the real world. In some ways, seeing the characters get not only bloody, but suffer deep, painful looking gashes and other horrific injuries is all the more shocking after seeing the almost bloodless and injury free combat that takes place inside the Matrix. On first blush, the film also appears to be the ultimate in a Japanese mecha inspired Hollywood production. However, even while viewing, questions arise about why the Armoured Personnel Units the humans use don't even bother to protect their pilots, let alone have a better way of targeting or bother to conserve ammunition! Nevertheless, the film has great special effects—though the depictions of the Machine City are too short and too gloomy to clearly perceive—and it does a great job at depicting the truly heroic sacrifices people make not only in combat, but in order to end a war. If you are a fan of the series, this film is a must-see as it offers a measure of closure. Otherwise, go (re)watch the first film in the series, as it is infinitely more imaginative, thought-provoking, and satisfying for its plot and characterization.
The fun part of the film is how it shows a proper evolution that occurred on Earth after the events of The Matrix Revolutions. I really liked how the prime opponents appear to have become machine (city) vs machine (city), and the survivors of Zion have chosen co-existence with machines who wish for a different way of life other than constant warfare. However, the film frustratingly re-imagines some characters as bureaucrats, when they were portrayed as something else in the earlier films. Perhaps there was a throwaway line about why they changed so much, but at a certain point one wonders why they weren't a totally different character. At first blush, Link's wife Zee (The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions) would have made a better choice for someone who became a resistive administrator, than the character put into that role.
The film also begs some questions, such as why weren't Laurence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving brought back? It is kind of understandable in Morpheus case—he has effectively being replaced by an amalgam Agent-Morpheus character. However, Agent Smith makes less sense. In addition, why couldn't they hire an actor of Ian Bliss's calibre? He did significantly better at emulating Weaving's portrayal as a human who has been taken over by Smith, than Jonathan Groff does in this film. It's a shame, because Groff has the physicality needed for the role, and gets deliciously close to a proper emulation, but frustratingly never quite reaches it.
The highlight of the film is Neil Patrick Harris's The Analyst. He is infinitely more relatable—and in many ways menacing—than The Architect was in The Matrix Reloaded. Nevertheless, the best parts of the film are its first two-thirds where it successfully recaptures the enticing mystery and wonder of the The Matrix. The last third becomes predictable, and far less imaginative. In a way, that third also successfully recaptures the energy of The Matrix Revolutions; which is either a good or bad thing, depending on how you perceive that film. In multiple ways, this film is the real sequel to the original The Matrix that we have long been waiting for.
This featurette has pieces that feel like they should have been in one of the sequel films. At the same time, however, it feels like there is a lot of unnecessary filler. Ultimately, the story feels redundant, as all the key details are already in the films, and everything else has an air of "seen that, done that". However, it raises the same frustrating questions as the movies do about how poorly the hovercraft guns are aimed, or even why didn't the Osiris set off an EMP in the middle of the Sentinel Army? Nevertheless, the computer animation is top notch (for the time), and one can't marvel at how closely some of the CG shots look compared to shots in the live action films.
The Second Renaissance Part 1 (3 stars)
In the mid twenty-first century, humanity develops artificial intelligence, and soon builds an entire race of sentient AI robots to serve them. With increasing numbers of people released from labour, much of the human population has become slothful, conceited, and corrupt. Despite this, machines were content with serving humanity. The relationship between humans and machines changes in the year 2090, when a domestic android is threatened by its owner. The android, named B1-66ER, kills its owner and a mechanic instructed to deactivate the robot—the first incident of an AI machine killing a human. B1-66ER is arrested and put on trial, but justifies the crime as self-defence, stating that it simply did not want to die. During the trial, the defence attorney quotes a line from a famous American case that implicitly ruled that African Americans were not entitled to citizenship under United States law. Using this as a precedent, B1-66ER loses the court case and is destroyed. Across the industrialized world, mass civil disturbances erupt when robots, along with their human supporters and sympathizers, all rise in protest. Authorities use deadly force against the machines and their human supporters. As governments across the world launch a mass purge to destroy all robots, the surviving robots and their supporters lead a mass exodus to their new nation Zero One. As the fledgling nation prospers, the world's nations agree to start a blockade of Zero One.
Part 1 is the more intriguing of the twin The Second Renaissance featurettes as it carefully builds the circumstances of the start of the machine nation. Perhaps the most thought provoking aspects are its parallels to the institutionalized dehumanization of African Americans in USA's past, and that the battle lines, so to speak, are not black and white, with many AI blindly continuing on, as well as many humans supporting the machines. The fundamental question the story raises—the legality of AI—however, was better addressed in the film Bicentennial Man. The only drawback to this featurette is the relatively poorly-made CG that bookends it, which comes across as filler.
The Second Renaissance Part 2 (1.5 stars)
Following mankind's refusal to share the planet with the sentient machines, the nations of man unite and unleash an all-out nuclear bombardment of Zero One, devastating the nation as a whole but failing to wipe them out in one swift blow. Shortly afterwards, the machines retaliate by declaring war on the rest of the world—one by one, mankind surrenders each of its territories. As the machines advance into Eastern Europe, the desperate human leaders seek a final solution codenamed "Dark Storm" which covers the sky in a shroud of dark clouds, blocking out the sun to deprive the machines of their primary energy source: solar energy. For a time, the tide of war swings in favour of the humans. However, the machine's unparalleled production capabilities and technological prowess quickly outpaces humanity's, and the tide switches.
Part 2 is a disappointing featurette after the excellent storytelling of Part 1. While it is true that this part covers a wider array of progressively more seismic developments, it does it at a dizzying pace. In short, some of the important developments are blink-and-you-miss-them, or are not given the appropriate amount of context to fully appreciate their significance. It is also the more gruesome entry (definitely not for kids!) as it depicts some things that are either better left to the viewer's imagination, or are merely gratuitous.
Program (2.5 stars)
Cis is engaged in her favourite training simulation: a battle program set in feudal Japan. After she successfully eliminates an attacking enemy cavalry while playing a samurai woman, a lone male samurai appears whom Cis recognizes as Duo. Initially, the two duel as allies, testing each other's fighting abilities. During the course of their duel, Duo questions her concentration and wonders whether she regrets taking the Red Pill that took them out of the "peaceful life" of the virtual world inside the Matrix. Eventually Duo states that he has something to say. She assumes that he wants to propose a marriage, but instead Duo tells her of his desire to return to the Matrix, and wants Cis to come with him!
I am not a fan of this style of anime. I've seen it done more stylistically and—in my opinion—better in other anime. Nevertheless, the moral challenge that Duo presents Cis with harkens back to one of the plot elements in the original The Matrix movie, and suggests that the humans are now proactively testing their operatives to prevent it from happening again. It also begs the question, would you respond any differently than Cis does?
World Record (1 star)
Dan Davis, a track athlete, is competing in the 100 m in the Olympic Games. He set a world record time of 8.99 seconds, but his gold medal was revoked due to drug use. He decides to compete again and break his own record to "prove them wrong". His trainer tells him that he is physically unfit to race, and that pushing himself too hard will cause a career-ending injury. Dan is adamant on racing. On the day of the race, he is monitored by Agents in the stadium. The race begins, but the muscles in Dan's leg violently rupture. Through strong willpower, Dan ignores the injury and runs much faster than he did before, easily passing the other athletes. Before he can cross the finish line, the Agents detect that his "signal" is getting unstable in the Matrix due to his massive burst of mental energy—which causes Dan to be unplugged from the Matrix, and he wakes up in his power-station pod!
This featurette presents an intriguing idea: the self-unplugging from the Matrix. It is also intriguing that it stems not from computer hackers finding it outside of themselves, but from an athlete looking inwards as they focus and access all of their inner strength. Alas, the stylization of this featurette is often confusing, and it is sometimes unclear to discern what is happening. Most baffling is the odd choice to not have the agents in their usual black business suits! I can understand the creative desire to do something new with the source material, but in this instance it works against the overall goal of the story.
Kid's Story (3 stars)
The Kid (The Matrix Reloaded), formerly known as Michael Karl Popper, is a disaffected teenager who feels there is something wrong with the world. One night, the Kid goes on his computer and onto a hacker chat room on the Internet, asking why it feels more real when he's dreaming than when he's awake. He gets a response from an unknown person (implied to be Neo). The next day, the Kid is at school, where he absentmindedly scribbles Neo's and Trinty's names and writes "get me out of here" in his notebook. He receives a call from Neo on his cell phone, who warns him that a group of Agents are coming for him. The Kid is forced to flee the classroom with the Agents in hot pursuit!
While the animation in this featurette is very rough, it tells a story that arguably should have been in one of The Matrix's sequels. Kid's Story gives a glimpse of what Neo and Trinity were up to in the six-month gap that takes place between The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded, as well as fleshing out the Kid's character, it gives a lot of context to his obsession with Neo. It is a shame that this story was cut from the sequel films, because it is snippets of characterization like this that those films sorely lack.
Beyond (4 stars)
Yoko leaves her apartment to look for her missing cat Yuki. While asking around the neighbourhood, she meets a group of young boys. One of them tells her that Yuki is inside a nearby 'haunted house' that they usually play at. The haunted house is an old run-down building filled with an amalgamation of anomalies, which are revealed to be glitches in the Matrix. The children that play there have learned to exploit them for their own enjoyment, as there are several areas that seem to defy real-world physics. Meanwhile, as Yoko searches for Yuki throughout the building, she encounters some anomalies on her own. Despite the inherent strangeness of the place, the kids and Yoko are not bothered as they enjoy themselves and are amused by the mysterious anomalies. Concurrently, however, Agents are aware of the problem, and are on their way to deal with the problem!
Beyond does something that the other featurettes (and arguable The Matrix Revolutions) forget: to take a look at the inherent fun and wonder of being inside the Matrix. In this one, it is continuing the tongue in cheek fun of explaining away phenomenon—such as déjà vu and monsters—as 'glitches' in the Matrix program. Beyond is also the most lighthearted of the featurettes, with the worst thing happening being akin to a kid losing their favourite toy. The animation is also a grade higher in quality than the other featurettes, and feels the most like "anime"; the arguable raison d'êtra of The Animatrix.
A Detective Story (3.5 stars)
Ash, a private detective, dreams of following the steps of fictional hard-boiled characters, but is a down-on-his-luck detective. One day, he receives an anonymous phone call to search for a hacker going by the alias "Trinity". Ash starts looking for Trinity and learns that other detectives have failed in the same task before him—one committed suicide, one went missing, and one went insane. Eventually, Ash finds Trinity on an internet chat site. She proposes a meeting on a train. At the appointed time, however, Agents appear just as he meets Trinity!
This featurette explores how the Agents track down people like Trinity and Neo. It is intriguing both as a noir story done in the anime style, as well as what it implies about the limits of the Agents when it comes to tracking down people. The featurette also explores what it would be like to live in the Matrix, this time using it to explain people who abruptly disappear, or how a glimpse of the real world (and possible the activities of the Agents inside the Matrix) can mentally unbalance the person who sees it. It's a shame that we couldn't get more glimpses of the Matrix through the noir lens, as A Detective Story confirms that the genre is a good match for the series.
Matriculated (0.5 stars)
A group of above-ground human rebels are luring hostile machines to their laboratory in order to capture them and insert them into a "Matrix" of their own design. Within this Matrix, the humans attempt to teach the captured machines some of the positive traits of humanity—mainly compassion and empathy. The rebels' hope is that once converted of its own volition, an "enlightened" machine will assist Zion in its struggle against the machine-controlled totalitarianism that currently dominates the Earth. They didn't, however, capture their latest subject stealthily enough, as Sentinels soon arrive and attack their base!
Matriculated is a disappointment. It has some intriguing ideas, but they are executed in a way that doesn't dig deep enough into them. It is also poorly animated at times, which makes it extremely hard to figure out what is happening and follow the story. The story itself doesn't bother to invest in its characters, so when bad things start to happen, it's hard to care for them, let alone understand the point of it all.
Black Pearl is an interesting twist on the traditional pirate movie. Instead of pirates trying to find treasure, they are trying to return it to lift a curse. Instead of a scary brute gnashing his teeth, the anti-hero is arguably more drunk than sober, and either has the best luck, or is truly skilled and hides it all under a vernier of intoxication. One suspects that the truth is somewhere in the middle. The film is loaded with snappy dialogue and unexpected plot twists—even Jack's fellow characters muse on where his allegiances truly lie—and moves along at a fair clip. However, the sword fighting tends to get old fast, and the further into the film the less we need to see of it. That's not to say that there are a few unexpected surprises in the third act ("Gents, take a walk.") However, the film seems to have used up most of its creativity in the choreography of the very first sword fight between Jack and Will, and what follows is fairly stock in trade.
While we go to these films to see the good (Will) defeat the bad (Barbossa) and get the girl (Elizabeth), the highlight of the film is Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow. He is a heretofore original character, purportedly based on Keith Richards of all people. The character was so great, that it is one of only three to appear in all five Pirates of the Caribbean films (the others being Barbossa and Jack's First Mate Gibbs). In addition to Depp's over-the-top performance, the character remains an enigma throughout the film, with his shifting loyalties and apparently changing goals. In the end we can't help but cheer for this scoundrel who may—or may not—have his heart in the right place.
This film takes a bit of time to get up to speed, but once it does, it does a pretty decent job of recapturing a lot of the zany energy of the first film. However, it never gets as good as Curse of the Black Pearl. For starters, Jack is far less unpredictable—who he is allied with, what his ultimate goal is, etc.—which takes some of the mystery, fun and anticipation out of the story. The film is overlong: in my opinion, the whole side story with the cannibals could probably have been removed, thereby making the film not only shorter, but stronger. In fact, that sequence comes across more than a tad bit racist against the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean islands. There's also something a little off about Keira Knightley's Elizabeth Swann, too. While characters should evolve and grow from their experiences, it's almost like she has become a fundamentally different person. This and the other problems may be more due to the script being unfinished when they started filming, then the creative choices of the actors.
On the other hand, Bill Nighy's performance as Davy Jones is the highlight of the film. While what we see is arguably entirely computer generated, his performance comes through strongly. Not only that, Nighy gives the character an unexpected wealth of unique characteristics, in addition to a unique Scottish accent that apparently takes into consideration that Davy Jones doesn't have a nose! Also, it's great fun seeing a lot of characters return from the first film—Joshamee Gibbs, Pintel and Ragetti are particularly welcome. However, it's rather disappointing that Jonathan Price's Governor Swann is underused and is effectively little more than a footnote in the film. That said, if you enjoyed Curse of the Black Pearl, you will enjoy this film.
To describe this film as convoluted would be an understatement. While it would have been more than enough to continue and conclude the incomplete plot threads from Dead Man's Chest, this film throws in a slew of new characters and new complications. In many ways, that is to this film's detriment. For example, the wonderful villain Davy Jones is sidelined for most of this film, and only truly reappears in the last act. Instead, we get the entirely despicable Becket and his manservant Theodore Groves. These are not fun villains that you love to hate. On top of that, the Kraken—the monstrous squid-like beast that Davy Jones could summon at will to devour his enemies and was the biggest fear in Dead Man's Chest—is unceremoniously killed-off off screen and its fate revealed in a throwaway line!
Overall, the film is bloated and overlong. A good 30 minutes could be trimmed from it (especially in the "climactic" finale) and make it into a stronger film. Did they, for example, have to shoehorn an impromptu wedding ceremony in the middle of the pitched battle in the finale? We know that Turner and Swann love each other, but did they have to be married before Turner's ultimate fate is revealed? Couldn't that have happened afterwards in one of the film's multiple codas? Nevertheless, the highlight of the film is the surprise appearance of Keith Richards. While it could have been a one shot cameo, the appearance is quite substantial, and not only moves the film forward, but provides an amusingly fun glimpse into Sparrow's background. Interestingly, among all the actors who portray pirates in the film, Richards is the one who nails it.
True Lies is a classic James Cameron/Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie. It has all the things one wants in a James Cameron film—smooth action scenes, thrilling stunts, plenty of explosions, as well as great female characters that are either on par with or greater than their male costars. One of the highlights is how much characterization is imbued into each character, how well the actors fit their roles, and the character growth each one experiences.
However, the drawback is the central act of the film where the protagonist essentially kidnaps and interrogates his wife. While there is an echo of that later in the film—when the wife questions the protagonist while he is under the influence of a truth serum—the questions the film allows her to ask are no where near as intrusive and uncomfortable. In fact, while the film grills the wife about her marital fidelity, it completely ignores that the protagonist may have (and probably has) had to have relations with the opposite sex to complete his missions.
Giving the film the benefit of the doubt, it does try to delve into the complexity of a couple who has been married for long enough to have lost the spark in their relationship and are more-or-less cohabiting. In its own way, it brings up the awkwardness and uncomfortable feelings when a couple reaches that state. Nevertheless, part of the film's fun is seeing Arnold as a jealous husband, and in some ways it is a joy seeing him (and later his wife, too) give the 'other man' his comeuppance. Nevertheless, stay focused on the couple in their final dance number when the camera pulls away—it'll explain why the tango at the beginning of the film was filmed from the waist up!