Colin Farrell

Jessica Biel

Kate Beckinsale

Ethan Hawke

Bill Nighy

John Cho

Bryan Cranston

Dylan Smith

Cam Clarke

Bokeem Woodbine

Will Yun Lee

Natalie Lisinska

Milton Barnes

Stephen MacDonald

James McGowan

Michael Therriault

Mishael Morgan

Linlyn Lue

Andrew Moodie

Kaitlyn Leeb

Leo Guiyab

Nykeem Provo

Steve Byers

Danny Waugh

Geoffrey Pounsett

Jesse Bond

Warren Belle

Vincent Rother

Matthew Nette

Brooks Darnell

Brett Donahue

James Downing

Simon Sinn

Lisa Chandler

Miranda Jade

Shereen Airth

Philip Moran

Leigh Folsom Boyd

Emily C. Chang

Clive Ashborn

Bill Coulter

Merella Fernandez

Alicia-Kay Markson

Brian Rodriguez

Bridget Hoffman

Brian T. Delaney

J.J. Perry

Len Wiseman

Mark Bomback

Kurt Wimmer

Ronald Shusett

Dan O'Bannon

Jon Povill

Toby Jaffe

Neal H. Moritz

Paula Kucharski

Ric Kidney

Harry Gregson-Williams

Paul Cameron

Christian Wagner

Debra Zane

Patrick Tatopoulos

Janene Carleton

Krista Bell

Larissa Stadnichuk

Owen Walstrom

Patrick Banister

Oana Bogdan Miller

Carolyn A. Loucks

Sanja Milković Hays

Jordan Samuel

Cori Burchell

Stacy Horn

Alicia Vela-Bailey

Joanne Leach

Loren Robinson

Mike Stillwell

Philip K. Dick

Steve Kelso

Dana Howes

Brandt Gordon

Ferran Domenech

Ben Shepherd

Karin Silvestri

Jeff Imada

Atlin Mitchell

Matt Wladyka

Kazu Hiro

Lauren Mary Kim

Spiro Razatos

Henry Kingi

Andy Gill

Jack Gill

Tig Fong

Alicia Turner

Renae Moneymaker

Gabriel Nunez

Adrien Flanquart

Danny Lima

Phil Culotta

Action

Science Fiction

Thriller

Total Recall

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Prime Focus

Rekall Productions

Columbia Pictures

Canada

India

United States of America

English

dystopia

secret agent

remake

machine gun

resistance fighter

false memory

robot cop

suppression

rebel hero

safe deposit box

british colonialism

smog

gatling gun

center of the earth

implanted memory

Marriages can be quite complicated - and who said women cannot drive.

Reimaging suffers a Schizoid Embolism.

This reboot of the Paul Verhoeven/Arnold Schwarzenegger 1990 monster hit finds Colin Farrell as factory worker Douglas Quaid who, in search of meaning in his life and maybe an answer to his weird dreams, visits Rekall, a company who implant fantastical memories to order. When something strange shows up during the initial procedure, Quaid finds that nothing in his life is at all what he thought.

There's a lot of very good craft here, there really is, that is on proviso you are happy to indulge in stylised effects over character substance. It's also a cold hard fact that fans of the original Philip K. Dick story, and fans of the Verhoeven bonkers adaptation, are very unlikely to embrace such a candy shop approach to what was once an inventive premise.

Jessica Biel and Kate Beckinsale file in for the two lead female roles, which on facial likeness is a smart bit of casting, while on a butt point of view they have two of the best in the business. Farrell is competently gruff rough and tough, but again can you avert the thought process away from Schwarzenegger cutting a swathe through a futuristic world? A big problem is that as much as Beckinsale is lovely and feisty, the decision by her husband, director Len Wiseman, to make her part a complete film filler, grates on the nerves with its obvious stench of nepotiz. 

Still, if you are looking for a sci-fi picture awash with outrageous excitement, bangs and crashes galore and a sexy cast? Then this will certainly give you cause to chomp down with glee on your popcorn. There's homage nods to the Arnie movie, which are gratefully received, the pace never sags and the art design for this futuristic world is grade "A" in quality. As remakes go it's OK and far from being a stinker, you can have fun here, but it can't deliver enough quality to those fans mentioned earlier, and they are right to have such high standards. 6/10

Per Gunnar Jonsson

I quite liked the 1990 version of Total Recall with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Thus I was somewhat concerned whether or not I would like this one since it would be impossible for me to watch it without comparing it to “the original”.

Well, luckily, I did like it. I think the 1990 version is still my favourite but I did indeed like this one as well. It is said that this movie follows the original story better than the 1990 version. I wouldn’t know since I have not read it. Both are good stories with the same central idea although I have to say that the 1990 version of the story felt a wee bit more “grand” than this one.

This movie is, of course, more modern in that the special effects are more up to 2012 standards. Having said that I think the funny idea of going through earth’s core in a tunnel through the planet is way more far-fetched than actually going to Mars and, although the gravity reversal was a good idea in itself, the instant on/off effect was just ridiculous. Obviously no scientific experts where hired for this movie.

The 1990 version had a lot of action in it and this one doesn’t disappoint in that area. Actually, the entire film is pretty much one long action chase and a pretty well done at that. One gripe I have though is that I felt that Quaid was a bit on the wimpy side. But then, that probably comes from comparing with the Schwarzenegger “original”.

So the bottom line is that I quite liked it, It’s a good solid action movie, but it didn’t de-throne the 1990 version.

The Movie Mob

**Overall : A fantastic sci-fi action film that is much better than its reviews imply.**

While based on the original Total Recall starring Arnold Schwarzenegger film from 1990, Total Recall (2012) differs in many ways. The tone is more serious and less zany than the first. The setting is on Earth rather than Mars, and the ending is left a little less ambiguous than the first. These differences caused mixed reviews, mostly from fans of the original. However, I enjoyed this film much more than the original! The acting and effects were much improved, and the action sequences were amazingly well done. Total Recall (2012) is more straightforward of a sci-fi action movie than its predecessor, but I find that a strength rather than a fault.

Totally class. Totally absorbing. Totally worth a watch...or ten dozen. There's a great story here, some great and convincing characters and mind-blowingly imaginative visuals. Not to mention two kick-ass women! If you want a rollercoaster ride from the comfort of your own sofa this is the movie for you. It's even worth putting up with Colin Farrell for.

Total Recall( 2012)

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A review by markuspm

Written by markuspm on Tue Dec 24 2013

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