Quality blog...

Movie of the Moment - Total Recall (‘12)

With the luxury of the internet, I was able to watch the 1990 Total Recall for the first time ever right before seeing this new reimagining of the Philip K. Dick short story.  Or at least that’s what the producers called it.  It was totally a remake of Verhoeven’s film, though… almost beat-for-beat.  Some bits are redistributed elsewhere, but there are enough nods, winks, and blatant rip-off moments that likening it to Dick’s story seems much more far-fetched.  The character of Quaid/Hauser gets a little more room to breathe and the little details (reading an Ian Fleming novel) help to round out the character, but Colin Farrell just doesn’t play the role with the same confusion and humor that Schwarzenegger did in 1990.  My biggest frustration with this Total Recall remake is how Cohaagen’s character is handled.  Instead of developing the antagonist, there are big, convoluted chase scenes and shootouts. Cranston does the mustache-twirling villain thing in a few short scenes then fights Farrell at the end.  This Total Recall doesn’t have nearly as much to say as its source material.  And even if it did, it wouldn’t be saying it right.