Total Recall (2012)

TAKE 1: One Man’s Opinion

…because film is largely subjective

 

by Frederick William Springer III

 

Total Recall

Release Date:  3 August 2012                                                              Runtime:  118 Minutes              

Review Date:  2 October 2012                                                              Rating:  3 (of 6)

 

     The Total Recall remake stands on its own two feet but falls short of the original.

     I recently (within the last 6 months) rewatched the Arnold Schwarzenegger version and, 20 years later, it still holds up as a great flick.  In preparation for the upcoming reboot, I also read the short story the original was loosely based upon, "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale," by Philip K. Dick.  The story, only about 20 pages in length, probably wouldn't translate well on the big screen, particularly the ending, which might work better as an episode of the Twilight Zone.  So the new isn't any more grounded in the source than the original, this really being a new interpretation of the film only, keeping many of the new characters created in that incarnation.

     One thing a big deal had been made of was keeping the three-breasted woman of the 1990 film.  However, this served absolutely no purpose here and was completely out of place in this version.  In the Schwarzenegger movie, she was encountered on Mars, where Mutants were commonplace and so, it was at least a somewhat feasible genetic defect within the parameters of the story.  Here, Colin Farrell runs into her on Earth, where no such mutants have developed.  (And, in fact, none of this movie takes place on Mars at all.)

     The acting was good, no problems there.  The role of Lori was much expanded from Kate Beckinsale's Sharon Stone counterpart with good results.  The premise was alright and it was action-packed, maybe more so than the original.  However, I think the element of fun present in the original was absent here, which made this less interesting or, at least, less engaging (both on the level of a comparison and, more importantly, as a standalone film).

     Also, probably a production design choice to convey societal despair and the dullness that made Colin Farrell's Quaid want to escape his life by going to Rekall, the overall color scheme, wardrobe and architectural structures were so dull, uniform and ominous that nothing really stood out or popped on the screen.  Again, less interesting, less engaging.

     While not a complete bomb, for a more satisfying experience I'd recommend cutting 5 minutes off your viewing time and watching the original instead.