Total Recall is
a 1990 classic sci-fi action movie that deserves to be appreciated in the way
it was meant to be made. What I mean by this is that the original, starring
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone, was far better than the
2012 remake with Colin Farrell and Kate Beckinsale, which decided to
remove the whole idea of Mars.
This movie, with
its great box office performance and awesome acting by Arnold, sets you up for
a ride that keeps you guessing about which side Arnold is on.
Without turning
this into a review filled with spoilers, let’s get to why Total Recall (a
movie based on a short story by Philip K. Dick) is one of the best movies about
the future and didn’t
deserve the lackluster 2012 remake it got.
The movie focuses on one man, whose name is either Douglas Quaid or Hauser (Arnold Schwarzenegger), depending on which identity you decide to go with. Quaid is married to a beautiful wife, and they’ve been together for eight years. Everything about his life—his job, his friends—seems just right, except for the constant nightmares he’s been having.
Quaid hears
about a company that can implant memories in your head, making it seem like you
went on a vacation to anywhere you want, with anyone you want. The catch? The
memory is so well implanted that by the time you leave the facility, you’ll
believe you’ve actually had the experience. For example, Quaid wants two weeks
on Mars with a certain athletic, brunette woman. He’d leave the facility with a
two-week memory of his time on Mars.
But everything
goes wrong at the Recall facility. Before the memory implant starts, Quaid
suddenly wakes up from the sedative as another person—someone who’s already
been to Mars. This freaks out the facility staff, and they wipe his memory of
the entire incident. His new memories trigger a chain reaction as his friends
and family turn on him, and he finds himself on the run, knowing only one
thing: he’s either Quaid the contractor or Hauser the spy.
At the time of
its release, Total Recall was said to be one of the most expensive
films ever made. Much of this budget is evident in the magnificent set design,
the over-the-top visual effects, and the physical effects used throughout the
movie.
Everything about
the film, which is set in 2084, is highly futuristic—and to be honest, it’s
convincing enough to pass as a plausible vision of the future. It even features
self-driving cars!
The acting by
Arnold and the entire cast is amazing beyond words, and the musical score,
along with the cinematography, will leave you in awe.
This is a movie
you’d fully enjoy seeing on the big screen—though sadly, you’d have to travel
back in time to get that effect.
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