Total Recall

Len Wiseman seemingly had all the trump cards in his hands - a well-known and successful book, stars with a wide acting range, a big budget, and new film technology. Despite all of this, he not only failed to surpass Verhoeven's version but didn't even come close to it. And to be honest, I was never even particularly intrigued by the old version; Verhoeven turned an interesting story about hidden identity and complex conspiracy into a pop spectacle that avoids any deeper thoughts. However, it must be admitted that the Dutch director was successful in what he tried to do. Apart from The Terminator, it is the only film where Arnold's acting is somewhat worth mentioning as Verhoeven managed to extract the best from the physical specimen. His trashy aesthetics were interesting, and he consistently came up with catchy scenes and elements and it was never boring. Wiseman attempted to make an action blockbuster but blatantly parasites his predecessor, clinging too much to proven genre formulas, and in a flood of unrealistic action and bombastic spectacle, he fails to surprise or impress. He can't even properly sell his characters. In the end, another typical film came out of his workshop with grand ambitions that it couldn't fulfill. Overall impression: 25%. (04/21/2018)

A terribly simplistic and almost painfully naive dystopian sci-fi flick, but when you stop asking questions like “how” and “why”, it sort of works. Visually and technically, it’s very good, but the script is so stupid. With other films, I wouldn’t get over it, but here yes, if only because of the dynamic and original action scenes. Wiseman might not be genius, but if he ever gets a good script, I wouldn’t ignore him. (12/14/2012)

The original doesn't suit me by anything, so the reconciliatory three stars are a small victory for the new Total Recall. It's pleasing that they omitted Mars and put more emphasis on the versatile wife, but unnecessary logical errors and slightly excessive runtime are annoying. Wiseman saves a lot of things with action (led by the premature climax of the movie in the form of a chase in elevators) and the reborn Kate Beckinsale helps him the most. However, the courage of the producers to pour so many dollars into this particular vision remains inexplicable. (09/12/2012)

Why?! I'm not saying that this remake of Verhoeven's famous sci-fi movie is completely bad, but it’s completely unnecessary and purely commercial with regards to the twenty-two year old original. What made the old Total Recall special, i.e. the great make-up effects, the atmosphere of an alien planet and the director's sense of the right level of brutality, is reduced here to shootouts and chases in the middle of a future city. And while it works in the first half and the viewer can't even breathe under the flood of action, in the final part everything slowly fizzles out and the repetitive pattern becomes unpleasantly and profusely boring. Farrell tries hard, but, with all due respect, he’s no match for Arnie's stony gaze and swollen biceps, so the only positive additions are the beauties Jessica Biel and especially Kate Beckinsale, who apparently refuses to age and whose lithe body deserves its own star on the Walk of Fame. Wiseman once again proves that he can handle action, but, compared to Verhoeven, he’s a terribly unimaginative and routine director. (01/27/2013)

I had forgotten Wimmer's name in the screenwriter column and went into it with no greater ambitions, but also without any fear. So as long as Wiseman reminisces about his childhood spent at arcades, it goes pretty well, although Colin doesn't really enjoy it and Jessica definitely doesn't. The entire film is carried by Paul Cameron's circling camera and Kate Beckinsale enjoying her unacknowledged role as the Terminator. However, it gets worse with each new dialogue that you just can't get out, even if you had half a kilo of coke shoved into your head in Recall, so I found myself smiling at times, even though the creators didn't intend for that to be the case. For a hundred and twenty-five million, it’s a pretty decent ride, but it should have taken at least half an hour less. (03/31/2013)