Total Recall: A Little Too Much Action When Recalled

It is safe to say that the remake of Total Recall (2012) did little to tarnish the standards of the original Schwarzenegger sci-fi classic. While it presents a fresh take of a more contemporary production without the necessity of including Mars, the generated plot lacked depth that was brilliantly captured in the original flick. Granted Ronal Shusett and Dan O’Bannon – who also wrote the screenplay for Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979) – return to reprise their roles as the film’s primary screenwriters, one has to admit that the remake failed to imitate the charm and dry humor that was embedded into the 90s production. No doubt the three-breasted mutant certainly twisted some heads and widened some promiscuous eyelids, Total Recall was just overflowing with action after action.

The introduction to film provided an intriguing premise when the United Federation of Britain and The Colony was introduced clearly for the audience. That said, the gravity elevator that passed through the Earth’s magmatic core also topped off the introductory scenes and left viewers with the desire to see how these particular sci-fi details will unfold and come into play. Unfortunately, the latter of the movie only disappointed me in terms of the storyline’s lack of imagination. Sure the movie is not a complete washout especially when it came to analyzing the graphics and CGI details – the anti-gravity sequences did achieve a degree of ‘coolness’ – but the amount of effort that was put into vigorous action scenes dominated the two hour presentation. If action from beginning to end was what I desired to see, The Expendables 2 certainly did enough justice. Instead, I left feeling unimpressed at the technological makeover that attempted to cover up for the predictable plot and sequences.

No doubt the film demonstrates acting credibility from fairly big names such as Colin Farrell, Jessica Biel, Kate Beckinsale and Bill Nighy’s five minute on screen role – I wonder if it was coincidental that Beckinsale and Nigh are reunited without their bloodthirsty appetite – the cash mash up did little liven Farrell’s predictable moves along with Beckinsale’s nonstop killer intent in playing the role of the sadistic ex-wife. If anything, Beckinsale’s non-stop pursuit provided the film with the energy it needed to keep audiences tight in their seats. The final battle scene between main antagonist Bryan Cranston and Farrell also left fans marveling at the boring sequence, which almost resembled a feud between a frail man and a young hooligan. There was simply no question about who would die in such an uneven matchup. When it came to the end of a constant chase between cats and mice, saving the colony didn’t seem to need much effort. What seemed to be the most climactic point swiftly descended into another movie that favored a modernized synthetic police force over plot development. All in all, I doubt I’ll be visiting Rekall again anytime soon.

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