Total Recall (1990)
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Total Recall is a 1990 American science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Ronny Cox, and Michael Ironside. The film is loosely based on the Philip K. Dick short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale".
Plot
In 2084, Douglas Quaid tries to find the reason behind his recurring dream about Mars. He soon learns that a false memory has been planted into his brain and the people responsible for this want him dead.
Why It Rocks
- It's very faithful to the book it's based on, Philip K. Dick's 1968 novel We Can Remember It for You Wholesale.
- Great acting from Arnold Schwarzenegger, who portrays Douglas Quaid / Carl Hauser.
- Well-done screenplay by a few Alien screenplay writers from Buzz Feitshans, and Ronald Shusett.
- The concept about a construction worker who suddenly finds himself embroiled in espionage on Mars and unable to determine if the experiences are real or the result of memory implants is very creative.
- The idea of what if you're in a Mars wasteland with no oxygen, resulting in you getting your body grown to explode is very creepy.
- The cinematography is amazing and bright to look at.
- Once again, this is one of several times that Paul Verhoeven still has great directing skills.
- Amazing soundtrack that was performed by Jerry Goldsmith, the composer of five Star Trek films.
- The ending is fantastic, Carl Hauser finally managed to press the button to release tons of air, turning Mars into a nice looking safe planet and they shared a kiss.
Bad Qualities
- Some scenes can be a bit unfriendly and disturbing, even for an R-rated film, like the scene where Cohaagen's eyes pop out and the scene where Cohaagen shoots a rat and kicks a goldfish bowl, there is even a close-up of a slowly dying goldfish begging to breathe.
- Speaking of Cohaagen, he is a very unlikable antagonist to begin with, although he thankfully get's what's coming later on.
- The NES tie-in video game is terrible.
Reception
The film was well-received by critics, and audiences alike, it has an 81% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 70 reviews, with an average rating of 7.29/10. The site's critical consensus states "Under Paul Verhoeven's frenetic direction, Total Recall is a fast-paced rush of violence, gore, and humor that never slacks." Metacritic rated it 57/100 based on 17 reviews.
Trivia
- A remake was released in 2012.