ABC Film Challenge – Sci-Fi – Q – Total Recall (2012)
Total Recall is an enjoyable remake, even if it lacks the style the original presented us.
This is under Q for the main character Quaid.
Director: Len Wiseman
Writer: Kurt Wimmer, Mark Bomback (Screenplay) Ronald Shusett, Dan O’Bannon, Jon Povill, Kurt Wimmer (Story)
Starring: Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, Bokeem Woodbine, Bill Nighy, John Cho
Plot: A factory worker, Douglas Quaid, begins to suspect that he is a spy after visiting Rekall. A company that provides its clients with implanted fake memories of a life they would like to have led. Goes wrong and he finds himself on the run.
Runtime: 1 Hour 58 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Total Recall starts in the future where the world is divided with two main locations, the British Federation and the Colony in Australia. Douglas Quaid (Farrell) a factory worker routinely commutes to work with his best friend Harry (Woodbine). When he gets the desire to try a project called Rekall, a concept that will put a memory into the person’s head. Only Douglas unlocks something else in his memories.
Doug finds himself a proven fighter, now being chased down by his wife Lori (Beckinsale). As he looks to find answers to what is real or not, not knowing who he can trust in this world. The woman he has been dreaming off Melina (Biel) or woman he believes is his wife.
Thoughts on Total Recall
Total Recall is the remake of the cult classic 1990s movie, we do get the updated visual futuristic world. Which looks amazing in this film, taking the film in the different direction it drives towards. Away from the brilliant visuals, the biggest talking point about this movie, is the change in environment for the Quaid to navigate. Gone is the inclusion of the Mars side of things, we keep everything based on to Earth locations. Waged in a war that is waiting to explode to dangerous levels.
This is strange because the whole unlocking a memory is played out the same, with a few alternative twists along the way. Having it just being based on Earth takes away the over-the-top style the first one had. This will make this feel slightly more generic for the action side of things. The whole point of the original was the ridiculous scale of everything we saw. This toning everything down to be a straight delivered movie, doesn’t make it as memorable as it should be.
The performances in the film are strong with Farrell, Biel and Beckinsale getting involved with the action in the film. Cranston and Nighy will get to bring around the dialog heavy moments. This is an easy to watch exciting action movie, that if you went in without seeing the original, you could enjoy.