Tuesday 19 February 2013

Total Recall

Director: Paul Verhoeven
Writers: Ronald Shusett, Dan O'Bannon, Jon Povill, Gary Goldman
Starring: Arnold Scwarzenegger, Michael Ironside, Sharon Stone

Released: 1990


Arnie plays Douglas Quaid, whose job seems to be hitting rocks with a pick-axe. Having recurring dreams about being on Mars with some "sleazy" woman or other, he decides to visit a company called Rekall, who implant memories in lieu of fantastical holidays. The procedure goes wrong however, and Quaid is soon being chased by co-workers, his wife (who's not really his wife), and various baddies, all under orders from the corrupt governor.

After discovering a message from himself, saying that he is an agent who worked for the governor, but wiped his memories for self-protection, Quaid decides to go to Mars in person to investigate what is going on, where he gets involved with "mutants" and revolutionaries.

This film is a lot of fun, if not completely ridiculous. Featuring a lot of Paul Verhoeven's trademarks, including OTT violence and satirical TV adverts, the film never lets up its non-stop action and plot "twists". The film looks good, though some of the special effects haven't aged too well, and because it's so fast-paced, it doesn't leave you too long to worry about some of the logical flaws in the story and characters' motivations.

Rating: 3.5/5

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