By Melissa Garza
If you talk to my brother and husband about the original Total Recall (1990), they act as though it is a sacred film that should have never been remade. I can’t say much to argue that belief, as there are definitely movies that I can’t stand were remade. The remakes of Black Christmas, The Stepford Wives, The Karate Kid and the upcoming Annie reimagining are just a few that aggravate me. Someone needs to tell Will Smith’s kids that just because they like a movie doesn’t mean they have to star in a crappy remake. Just watch the original, you spoiled brats. It’s bad enough that The Karate Kid was ruined. Does Smith’s daughter really need to destroy Annie as well?
I digress.
Schwarzsenegger’s Total Recall isn’t held in the same reverence for me that it is for Geno and Steve. I thought the original was okay. Sharon Stone did a fine job, but overall I thought the movie was mediocre. Now, I haven’t seen it in years. Back when Geno and I were teenagers still living at our childhood home, he would often play that and The Running Man (1987). I loved The Running Man but Total Recall, I’d grow tired of.
When I saw the trailer for the new adaptation of it, I thought it looked pretty good. It seemed that great effort was put in to make it an action-packed remake that stayed true to the original. I also thought Colin Ferrell was a good choice for the lead. Though he often chooses poor films, he’s a wonderful actor and always does what his best with the material given. He’s so good in fact that he can make an otherwise unwatchable movie worth viewing.
The film opens with factory worker Douglas Quaid (Colin Ferrell) contemplating whether or not to use the company Rekall. Rekall implants fake memories of whatever the client chooses as long as those memories are not part of their real life. For example, if someone has a mistress, they can’t opt to have sex with a mistress for their Rekall memories as it can interfere with their brain and cause irreparable damage.
Quaid opts to be a secret agent. They put him in the chair and start the process only to stop it as they read his memories. His Rekall representative McClane (John Cho) tells him that he’s a spy. At first he doesn’t believe him, but when armed men break into the room and he annihilates them, he starts questioning who he is.
He runs home to his wife Lori (Kate Beckinsale)who after trying to kill him tells him that they are not married and that she was someone hired to play his wife. She tells him that his memory was erased 6 weeks ago and a new one was implanted in him. All the memories he has of the last 7 years with her are lies.
He escapes Lori’s wrath much to her chagrin. When she calls in the troops she orders that Quaid is shot on site.
While on the run, Quaid is picked up by Melina (Jessica Biel). Instantly, he has a slight recognition of her but can’t place it. He soon finds out that he’s part of a resistance against the government and needs to fight them. He mission is aided by Melina.
The conclusion is interesting and the overall graphics are cool. The acting is above par both with lead characters and the supporting cast.
Overall, this was a fun film. It wasn’t spectacular but it wasn’t boring. It’s something worth watching once but unless you’re a hardcore sci-fi fan, it’s not something that needs to be added to your Blu-ray/DVD collection.
Scared Stiff Rating: 6.5/10
