I've read several complaints this year about the possible remake of Total Recall, so I thought I might as well give it a look-see myself. Living in a very 80's future, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Douglas Quaid, a happily-married construction worker tormented by persistent dreams of Mars despite never having been there. He decides to take a "virtual vacation" to the planet with memory-implant company Rekall, Inc, opting for the two-week espionage package so that he'll think he's a spy on an important Martian mission. Before the implants can begin, he starts freaking out and thinking he's a secret agent, and several people try to kill him including his poser-wife Lori (Sharon Stone), who admits that he's had his memory erased after a spy mission on Mars and his entire life and personality have been fabricated.
Quaid's like "WHAT?" and after being given a briefcase with a video of himself in the past telling himself to go to Mars, he sneaks/blows up his way past bad guy Richter (Michael Ironside) and his henchman who are after him. The planet is a very red place full of unhappy civilians mutated by lack of oxygen; everything is controlled by tyrant Vilos Cohaagen (Ronny Cox). Now Quaid is trying to find out the secrets of his real past while figuring out whom to trust. Of course, this could all just be a wacky mental adventure dropped into his head by Rekall... WHO KNOWS?!
Can Arnold Schwarzenegger make a bad movie? I'm pretty sure he can't. The guy's amazing. This is a pretty standard role for him, with a lot of screaming and fighting, and he's at the top of his game. I also really liked Rachel Ticotin as ex-flame Melina, because she was sassy and liked to use guns. Plus she dressed like Peter Pan at one point. The visuals are interesting (if wildly unrealistic) and there are some good effects and make-up with the "freaks", but a lot of it did feel dated.
I like movies that leave the viewer to question whether or not something really happened, so the ambiguity of Total Recall's story is pretty cool to me. I've never read the Dick short story, so I'm not sure how the two compare, but the movie is adventurous and exciting, with a fast pace and host of interesting characters. It's a bit campy, but it suits the overall atmosphere. I was laughing out loud sometimes and just really enjoyed all that was going on in this movie. It's not groundbreaking science-fiction or anything, but soooo much fun!
4/5
Friday, September 11, 2009
Total Recall (1990)
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I agree, the movie was certainly one fast-paced and entertaining ride. Thumping action, outrageous plot developments, memorable SFX - it had 'em all. And sure had Paul Verhoeven's fingerprints all over it. By the way, Sharon Stone looked unbelievably beautiful and lethally seductive in the movie - truly unfortunate that she had such a small part in the movie :(
ReplyDeleteI like the contrast of the sci-fi classics you've seen and reviewed recently. Alien, made 10 years earlier, seems fresher and less out-of-date than Recall, and probably did so at the time of Recall's release, too.
ReplyDeleteThat said, despite the chessiness of some of the effects (modified golf carts being driven around Mars), I do love it. The story is great, and Arnold was near his peak as an action star. And of course, it had some great character actors on board, from Marhsall Bell to Cox to Ironside.