First off I haven't seen the Hollywood remake nor have I any plans to do so; for one thing Arnie's kind of movie is not my kind and for another you're never going to get me to believe that Arnie is as good an actor as Thierry Thermitte, actually you're not going to get me to believe Arnie is an actor period. Okay, they gave Claude Zidi a writer credit and apparently used a good 70 to 80 per cent of La Totale in True Lies but the central premise requires an actor who can convince as an average Joe, a Jack Lemmon say, and Arnie tips his glove from Frame #1 whilst Thierry Thermitte is right on the money. The main thrust of the plot is vintage Billy Wilder and it may be that Zidi came across it in Wilder's waste basket after he rejected it. Thermitte is excellent as the Caspar Milquetoast who is really an Agent and Miou-Miou is equally good as the wife who finds him so dull she entertains thoughts of an affair with a used-car salesman who PRETENDS to be an agent. Great dialogue, great performances, forget True Lies and check this one out.

First I have seen True Lies, with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis, which I liked a lot. Then, reading some Magazine critiques, I have discovered that it was actually a remake of the French "La Totale!", and how good that one was. Because the usual situation is the following: you see a European (mostly French) movie with a great idea, original pictures and superb acting with not so known but excellent actors, then Hollywood makes a disappointing copy of it with big money and low-quality actors.Well, the original version was way under my expectations - average actors, low budget. Also, as I knew the story from before, the originality of the idea did not work here. So it was just an average French movie for me, with an entertainment level comparable to a good episode of the Knight Rider series. I believe that an action movie first of all needs budget for the big explosions, fights, car racing, which obviously was missing in the French studio. Miou-Miou, playing Helene, the wife, makes such an excellent interpretation of the stupid narrow minded wife. However, Thierry Lhermitte, as the super action hero secret agent, was miserable, no big muscles, no radiation of power, no big karate fights; and others perform even worse.So funnily, the remake, True Lies is classes better and is an excellent action movie. Probably you should forget about watching La Totale! after seeing True Lies - it can be then a major disappointment for you too, as it was for me. 5/10

When I saw this movie on World Movies I loved it, thinking that it was one of the funiest films I have seen in a long time.At that point I didn't know there was an American re-make, though I had seen bits of True Lies before, but somehow I only ever saw action scenes and was turned off from seeing it. Only today, when I was telling my friend the plot of "La Totale!" did he tell me it was almost the same as True Lies.. and I was very surprised, especially as True Lies had terrible reviews.Oh well, I suppose it won't be the first re-make which is nowhere near as good as the original :-)

I would usually be the last one to prefer an American remake to a French original. The remakes generally lose the quality that made them seem worthy of a remake in the first place.To me, one of the very few exceptions to this rule would be the case of La totale! and True Lies, with Arnold Schwarzenegger. If you have occasion to see this film, you will recognize nearly every scene. The remake added some scenes -- mostly spectacular ones -- and a much, much bigger budget. And a certain something else, a je ne sais quoi, a panache, a joie de vivre which the Gallic original is lacking. Surprising, but true. No lie.