There is a scene in director Len Wiseman’s new film Total Recall (2012) where we see someone who reminds us of a funny scene in the original Total Recall (1990) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. If only the rest of the remake had the sense of humor of that one scene. It says a lot about the new remake that the only time the new film made me smile was when it reminded me of the original.
The new film follows the same basic premise of the original film and both are based on a short story by Philip K. Dick (whose work also inspired Blade Runner and Minority Report). Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell) works in a futuristic society and decides to go to a company named Rekall that promises to implant memories into your brain so you will believe you had a vacation or whatever fantasy you wish. Quaid asks to fulfill a fantasy of a spy adventure, and then it turns out Quaid is really a spy (or is he?) but did not know it and thus begins the adventure.
Philip K. Dick’s short story that inspired both movies — “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” — is about the twists in the tale questioning reality. Although both film versions deviate from the short story, the 1990 film adaption did much to play with the idea of whether Quaid was really a spy or imagining the whole thing. It questioned reality while taking the viewer on an exciting adventure with some campy humor by Schwarzenegger and his co-stars.
Regarding the 2012 movie, I give the new film too much credit by summarizing the plot about the identity issue, which is really just background for the real plot of the film: Kate Beckinsale does her best angry look while chasing Farrell through dim CGI special effects, occasionally catching up to him and fighting. Then it repeats again and again. You get a sense of that from the trailer.
With all the potential themes, ranging from questions about reality to colonization to invading another society, the film is not much more than a chase film. I appreciate the attempts to turn the original into a darker setting like Blade Runner, and I was intrigued by the decision to move the Mars of the original to a futuristic colony on Australia. But the movie fails to do much with the change, while wasting the talents of Colin Farell. Thus, although there are some good action scenes, one leaves the movie theater wondering what was the point of the remake.
Conclusion?: Rent the original Total Recall, which was directed by Paul Verhoeven and co-starred Sharon Stone, Rachel Ticotin, and Ronny Cox.
Other Reviews Because Why Should You Trust Me? Rotten Tomatoes currently has a 31% critics rating and a 50% audience rating for the Colin Ferrell film (compared to 85% critics/70% audience for the original). Because I am deviating from my usual practice of writing about things I like, I will just include a few positive review links: Slate‘s Dana Stevens said the remake is “a taut, serviceable sci-fi thriller with a couple of neat visual ideas.” Richard Roeper prefers the original but praises the new version’s special effects and performances of Farrell, Beckinsale, and Jessica Biel.
(Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)