Total Recall 2012 Review
Many of us remember a time when Arnold Schwartzenneger ruled supreme at the Box Office, and the most expensive blockbuster films always made room for him. Well, one of the best films ever made, Total Recall, is now remade and does not have anything to do with him. It has Collin Ferrell, taking on the role of Douglas Quaid/Hauser.
While, Paul Verhoven’s masterpiece is still a cinematic marvel and top quality, all the way around, this new remake takes advantage of the original’s method of writing a story around a short-story. The new Total Recall takes the short story and expands it without the original’s use of the planet Mars, and instead deals with our planet being almost destroyed, with 2 continents inhabitable, with a subway system that goes between them through the earth’s underground, in kind of a straight shot, saving time in transportation.
The original seemed far more exciting with the twists than the new one, but the new one doesn’t seem focused on as much of that kind of thing, other than pretty people and extremely high-end visual effects. I do like the use of robotic police force in the new one, and some of the technology is pretty advanced without seeming too unrealistic. However, this leaves the characters a bit dry compared to the original, leaving you with hanging onto the cast’s skills and visuals to drive everything. Even the music is lackluster compared to the venerable Jerry Goldsmith’s score. Nobody has done a theme score like the original Total Recall’s in like forever, where the opening credits were especially so creative too. The new one was just okay, dealing with setting the scene more than a real cinematic feel.
Let’s face it, sometimes things should wait an extra decade before trying to play god with an already perfect entity. The action and innovative camera techniques were okay, but everything mimics everything these days, so it’s kind of old hat. The part where the bad guy gets in an edge before you think the day is won, ends up being kind of confusing and makes you not care what happened, while the original sets you up with a whole solid scene and delivers some good lines, which the new one repeatedly pays homage to throughout it, instead of where it should be.
I am not trying to knock the new one, as it is a fun ride, regardless of my comparisons, however, if one had to survive, Arnold would be back indefinitely. My girlfriend also misses all the little people portraying the Mars colony, from the original. The big threat in the new one wasn’t having oxygen cut off, like in the original, it was instead a total continental genocide by robotic police force, to wipe out any resistance to the powers in charge, permanently. Genocide just seemed a little extreme in a world where you only have a continental colony as your entire workforce, and plan to destroy it off in favor of mechanical labor.
All in all, Total Recall 2012 isn’t the must see summer blockbuster one would think, but is a nice title to watch at home from Redbox, especially at their price for a rental.
Best, Kenny
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