As a huge Arnold fan, I have seen the original Total Recall many times before and when I heard they were remaking this classic I just didn't expect anything from it. Surprisingly the new Total Recall is an enjoyable movie that really can't be compared to the original, but it can hold on its own. The story concept is the same thing as the original but the execution is what makes it diferent. Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale and the rest of the cast do a very good job in this film as the action and style set the tone through the entire movie. The SFX is also very good and it should since this film depends a lot in the futuristic enviroment that surrounds the story. The new Total Recall can't beat the original,but when it comes to entertainment, it actually deivers.
You know... this remake of Total Recall wasn't that bad despite what others are saying. The action scenes I thought were really great and the special effects were excellent to look at it. While the story line could have been better - Farrell's Total Recall was overall a decent action film.
Who cares if this isn't an exact remake of the Arnie one...hell...this one can stand on it's own. Hotter girls, and amazing special effects...what more do you want.
Fun film
I wish I had a recall center near me so I could replace my memory of this movie.
If you see this movie as a stand-alone affair and NOT a remake of the classic Verhoeven flick, it's not that bad of an action movie. Oh sure...there are things that make me facepalm in this, but all-in-all it's not that bad if you think of it as just another mind-numbing action movie.
Do I recommend seeking it out...no, but if you catch it on TV or at a friends...give it a chance.
I guess I was hoping for more, but it was fair enough reboot of a quite-outdated Arnold film. I have to give props to Colin Farrell for at least being understandable (sorry, Arnold, but your harsh accent was great in Terminator but nothing else). I was surprised at how much like the first movie this one was…down to the three-titty hooker and what looked like the exact same movie set as the original. The SFX were (obviously) better in this one, and a surprising cast made it very watchable. Overall, though, the movie was just way too busy, too fast-paced, and too convoluted for me to really keep up with. I had a hard time understanding the conclusion, and how a few selectively-placed explosives could end an entire invasion. All around, I gave it a "7" just because it was fun to watch and definitely action-packed.
An additional warning: the first few minutes can be kind of plodding, but give it time…
Kick-ass sci-fi action movie standing on it's own feet.
I have very little momories about the original done in 1992 so I didn't care to much about that, if it was on Mars or not... Like @Pdr already said there are only two things it has in common "it´s is name and a 3 boobs woman" that's it. So don't compare it to the 1992 version, otherwise you could be disappointed.
But here are 1 or 2 things... at the scanner (train-station) scene I couln't help but notice this red haired woman in the yellow jacket - which looked a lot like the Arnolds mask from the original. I believe it was not just a reference but they wanted to make you beleive it's him/her for a second :) and 1 minute later there is this advertising sign (glass) showing a man with sunglasses - this dude looks a lot like the Terminator, doesn't it!? Or mybe it's just me :)
Also they talked about Mars, so I'm pretty sure that if there's a sequel it will definitely play on Mars.
From the very beginning I noticed what a great combination the score (soundtrack) was, it really fitted great, also I love the way they used the light, very cool.
And the camera-work - OMG! The first shooting scene, after he was falling out of the chair.... CRAZY! Somebody please tell me how they did that!?
But what amazed me the most about this movie is the incredible design of the sets, the robots & the technology they displayed - it was beautifully done (this must have cost big-time).
The fall & jump stunts were awesome they really looked great, the fight-scenes were OK, maybe a bit to much flip around by Kate but still good. I have to say Kate Beckinsale was even more bad-ass then Bryan Cranston (alias: Heisenberg with hair). The acting overall was good, nothing to complain about but nothing special either.
I enjoyed the twists & especially the time not knowing if he's dreaming or not.
But if the movie would have stopped 3 minutes earlier... at the black scene with the voices - it would have been top-notch! The last 2 scenes were needless.
"You might want to give your little girlfriend a kiss goodbye. As long as she doesn't mind where those lips have been."
Len Wiseman stole the design from the robots from a good friend of mine while at a Comic Con. He took a look at his book, was rude about it, and 1 year later this movie had the same designs in them. Anyways, watch the original one instead (shame because I am a fan of the cast of this movie).
I prefer this one to the original! Made more sense than the original too.
i mean it's fun for the sci-fi angle but look there's only so much i can do to suspend disbelief and it's really difficult to suspend disbelief that there's a giant elevator going between two points on earth straight through its core and like. nothing happening except for a gravity shift.
7.5/10 - Quite enjoyable: Lots of action, neat CGI, and a story with interesting concepts.
I love their CGI design and everything still looks pretty even though this is almost 10 years old by now (which is obviously noticeable but for that it looks awesome). The action is certainly not lacking but might make it a bit difficult to follow along (we're thrown right into it, like the main character, without any/much explanation).
What I really enjoyed is that they have "flying" cars (they're obviously only hovering) due to magnetic levitation. That seems much more realistic than the classical flying cars. However, in a real setting those cars would obviously be autonomous train-like pods without any (manual) steering.
The concept of Rekall is also interesting (a bit of a different take on The Matrix) and I also like the concept of "The Fall" (not realistic but very cool).
Not so bad as people usually say. A bunch of new ideas if comparing with original movie and some nice fighting sequences. The fake wife is a killer (hot as hell)
The original Total Recall with Arnold is way better, however it's interesting to see how they changed different parts of the original film.
As a remake this was really lousy.
The only thing I really enjoyed when it comes to honouring the original was the scene where Quaid is using the mask to pass the guards and there's a lady that resembles the mask used in the original.
This wasn't worth the name Total Recall.
As a sci-fi action flick it was okey, a lot of spacey effects, robots, shooting, fighting and high speed transportation.
This is visually stunning but lacks the fun, intrigue or fascinating moments of the original. At the time the 1990 one felt like the most exciting movie ever.
The remake however isn't the most exciting movie ever and isn't as memorable. Oh and I miss the fantastic musicical score of the original.
good remake, enjoyed watching. great effects, actors did a good job. worth watching for a futuristic action film
I have watched the original total recall in theatres long time ago and i was surprised with this one, it is a nice action movie with different concept than the original without the big ending. The SFX were really good
Fun and entertaining flick. But nothing more and I cannot say that I would watch this flick again.
I don't like action movies, but i really enjoyed that one. But it is still only a action movie.
Worth seeing for the incredible production design alone (although there is a fine line between being "stylistic influenced" by the design of the films it imitates, and outright ripping them off).
A little overlong (and also long in the face), but solid performances from all lead characters mean the film is largely engaging for most of the two hour running length.
Wholly mediocre. Insane amount of lens flair. It's like Wiseman didn't think the scenes looked Sci-Fi enough so he put a lens flare in every minute. First scene has a ton of strobe lights? Looks like a haunted house. I will say that all of the interface stuff looks good. As do the weapons. It's really too bad this was PG-13 though. It lost the amazing prosthetics & camp of the first one. Some good references to the original though. Should have still been about Mars.
A remake on the classic 1990 original, that amazingly allows this version to be a completely different film.
Yes the majority of the characters are in this film, but it does lose its comedic one-liners that were so well placed in the first (eg. "see you at the party Richter"). Colin Farrell does an excellent job in playing the hero (Quaid/Howser), and the special effects in this version are more than satisfying. I did find the whole "only two livable countries left in the world" scenario a bit far fetched, but looking past that, I can see where they were going with the concept.
Being a huge fan of the original Schwarzeneger version, I watched this with some interest to see if the remake would be true to the original, and was surprised, but not disappointed by the remake being a completely different version.
A re-take not a remake. 7/10
Enjoyment of this remake ( this is a review of the director's cut ) ultimately depends on awareness of the original as, aside from some excellent production design and a more serious tone given the absence of Schwarzenegger, there is very little to differentiate this. Having said that, the world that is created here is interesting and it is a fairly entertaining, if ultimately forgettable, film, but it borrows heavily from other science fiction films as well as lifting whole scenes from the original without offering much new. Still, Farrell is likeable enough as the confused hero and the central theme of what is real and what isn't will engage those who haven't seen the original.
Physics worse than Gravity, but still very enjoyable indeed.
Just watched the ext cut. Actually if you take the movie itself without comparing it to the first it´s quite good. If you like action and CGI you won´t get dissapointed. Story is OK for the genre and if you do compare it to the first I think the story is even better in places.
It is not a must-see-movie but it´s good entertainment.
Nice scenes, good actors but so full of cliches. As a Sci-Fi fan it was okay to watch, but the action is too much and it gets boring. The plot is actually very thin and the dialogue would fit on one page.
Very disappointing movie, i wish there was more
Not as good as it could have been!
I'm watching it right now and it's a pain in the ass to keep watching. There are some parts from the original in it, with a little twist. Which makes it a bit surprising. But for a remake... Naah stick to the original
I enjoyed it, but a bit too many chase sequences for me.
If you treat this like a completely different story that has no connection whatsoever to the book or the original Total Recall, it's a decent movie. Not great but not bad either.
It only falls apart when you realize it's based on a book and/or it's a remake. Unfortunately, there are a few times that the film itself calls back to the original movie and reminds us that its a remake.
Loved every part of the movie. I didn't watch the original movie. So I don't know how it differ from the other one.
In one word, This is definitely going to be in my favorite movie list
Had a blast watching Total Recall. It's just over 2h so there's some meat on them bones. If you wanna call action = meat. A balls out action thriller with some cool moments. Only 2 places in the world seem to be left living, London and Sydney.
A massive transport system through the core of the earth joins them. England rich, au the low class colony, just like now. Great highlights, the relentless bitch wife who never stops like a terminator. The zero g sequences as you transit the earths core. The android army, etc. And it all looks beautiful melding visuals between Scott's Bladerunner & a video game. The sense of verticality in the cities is really convincing. A great turn-brain-off thrill ride popcorn flic 9/10.
I expected that the plot is on Mars .-/
A nice movie anyway, but not worth to watch it a 2nd time.
A very good sci-fi action movie, impressive scenographies and special effects. I haven't seen the 1992 homonymous, so my judging is prejudice-free.
Just think of this movie as a prequel.. Not a remak, problem solved
The new trailer No. 2 (2:43) looks freaking awesome!!!
And 'Bryan Cranston' in this - oh my gosh :O
It could be one of the few & great mind-bending movies.
Hope it will keep it's promise.
...or you can just click on the trailer button in trakt ;)
Jessica Biel & Kate Beckinsale is reason enough to watch this ;D
[PS: Trailer is out - check IMDb.]
I read that the story will be quite different, not even set on mars I believe. Cast and crew is good like you said, so you never know. Hollywood loves their reboots for sure, just look at Spiderman getting a reboot so soon after the last trilogy. The original Total Recall is sweet as is, hope this one is different enough.
This movie does not need a reboot. The old one was fine as he was. Hollywood must be running out of ideas if they think a movie that is only 21 years old needs a reboot.
On the other hand, it has quite a few highly rated actors: Colin Farrell, Bryan Cranston and director Len Wiseman from Die Hard 4 to name a few. Might be interesting....
Shout by DeletedBlockedParent2012-11-05T01:14:47Z
I liked it, but the 1990 version was much better, with amazing special effects for the time.
Ah! And Lori (Kate), you can be my fake wife any time B) lol