It’s a comedy

But it's supposed to be funny. Like the audience is in on the joke because we are watching it as a movie. It's not a true crime drama about something that happened in real life even though those are more accepted nowadays. It's an imagination land where anything is possible, but you and op get offended when people have imaginations that you don't like.

No…. I said fondue with cheddar

If I name one more does that make you the one with messed up priorities?

Sixteen Candles, rape is hilarious!

Now imagine someone from a different background and how your position could seem crazy to them. Just try.

Wrong.

Man people these days will really go to lengths to be offended by something. Why should Arnold be challenged? He didn’t write the fucking movie, and if even if he did… it’s just a fucking movie

Nonsense. I have killled many wom- aaah, nice try, FBI!

I don't know about aged poorly but i did think it was Cringe plotline and not what I expected from the premise the First time I watched the movie. Many different ways to go with spy husband pretending to be normal family man.

The ending destroyed me.

Here's a brief take on what I think the themes represent, please let me know if you agree

The cutting of the fingers I thought was the most obvious analogy once you're aware of the irish civil war theme.

During the Irish civil war, many people who had fought on the same side for years ended up fighting against each other. (If you want to watch a good movie on this theme alone, I recommend "the wind that shakes the barley", directed by Ken loach starring Cillian Murphy")

In banshees' ,Gleeson's character represents Ireland and it's traditional culture, not only does he play music, he creates original Irish scores and teaches the next generation of students.

Farrell's character represents those wanting to break away and stay within the British empire. Gleeson cuts his fingers off, a cryptic, horrific, but powerful message that he can't be friends with Farrell anymore, because it will result in him losing his cultural identity.

If there's any doubt that Farrell represents Britain, or at least the people who wanted to stay loyal to Britain, he confirms it towards the end of the movie by firstly invading, and later burning down Gleeson's home.

In the last few scenes Farrell and Gleeson stand side by side on the beach, separated by the Atlantic ocean, gleeson on the left and Farrell on the right, respresing Ireland and Englands positions as if looking on a map.

Other than the civil war theme I felt the movie had a lot of other underlying themes that stand out throughout the movie.

Mcdonangh had recently been through a bad breakup while writing the movie and this IS, essentially a break up, Farrell falling victim to gleesons sudden 'ick' but progressively turning from victim to villain as he refuses his ex partners wishes to be left alone.

Other themes that really stood out were parenthood and death. In what I thought was one of the most beautiful scenes, Gleeson picks Farrell up after being punched by the cop. He starts to bring him home on the cart and is sympathetic when Farrell starts to cry like a father to a son. He pats him on the hand but then hands him the reigns and departs, him ascending up the hill and leaving Farrell to go out opposite direction at the crossroads.

In another scene, Siobhan is beckoned by the banshee on the opposite side of a lake. She refuses to cross over but Barry keoghan enters the frame and we can see that maybe it wasn't her she was signalling.

Siobhan eventually leaves the island, the banshee watching down on her from a cliff as she sails away. She is standing to the right of Farrell, the two separated by the Atlantic ocean, her a symbol of death, death of Irish culture and Farrells character too blinded with sadness and rage to notice her.

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As I said in another comment, the OP doesn't really read as offended to me, much less "catastrophically" so. Just observing that this is a product that would really not do well out of its time. Personally, I never saw the movie, and the plot as described does sound kind of gross to me, but I'm willing to accept it's different in context. Still, I think OP is probably right that it wouldn't fly today.

Chill out. Don't be putting your morality lens over light hearted movies.

Absolutely. For me, the whole film is a metaphor for civil wars, like the one that they see going on in the distance. The absurdity of a once close/united nation, one part of which suddenly seems to change their mind - for reasons that from the outside at least, may seem sudden, unreasonable or even incomprehensible. “Why the sudden change of heart?” type of reflection. For me the cutting off of fingers was an allegory for how far they would be willing to push it to make the point, no matter how nonsensical, gruesome it was, or how much harmful it was, even to themselves. The fact that this then caused more harm (in this case by killing the beloved pet donkey, i.e. innocent bystanders and loved ones) then meant that the other side then had reason to pick up arms and get retaliation, even if at first they did not want this split/war. So for me it’s quite a key turning point in the story and as ‘extra’ as it may seem - much needed.

Those are all things that were blindingly obvious about the movie back then too, none of that is about it “aging poorly.”

All the sneaking around on each other was supposed to feel icky and inappropriate, which is why by the end they are living openly and authentically with each other.

I am glad that over the years your perspective has made you more aware of that parts that were icky that you missed the first time, though!

You need to watch some different horror films.

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She didn’t go full retard.

I have a theory that the entire plot of True Lies was written by two guys in a bar who kept trying to one up each other. “What if Arnold rode a horse through a hotel?” “What if Arnold rode a horse OFF of a hotel?” “Brilliant! Have another shot!”

This is the dumbest fucking argument I’ve ever read. He leaves her on the side of the road…next to her car.

I love True Lies, I have done since it was released, and I probably always will. This is for the simple reason that it cracks me up and the action is great.

I am however surprised by how many people are piling in on the OP though. It’s obviously problematic by today’s standards, and it arguably was by the standards of the time. In particular, Harry terrifies and risks significantly humiliating his wife who is at no point fully consenting to what’s happening to her - it’s surprising how many people apparently can’t see that (plus it’s slightly depressing that I expect to be downvoted for saying this).

If you’re cool with watching it in spite of that then that’s fine, but don’t justify your enjoyment by pissing at people who may have legitimate issues with it.

I believe Tom Arnold's character was telling Schwarzenegger from the beginning that he shouldn't be using government resources to investigate his wife's affair, but Schwarzenegger had dirt on his partner so he just went along with it.

I don't know if you remember the 90's very well cause a lot of action comedies were like this. It's goofy & it's supposed to be goofy. Also, there weren't a lot of females in Hollywood that had power, so obviously the female part wasn't written well majority of the time. The entire reason we have this feminist Renaissance in filmmaking now.

Still more funny than Titanic and Avatar