The latest in reboots is “Total Recall.” How does the Colin Farrell starrier compared to the Arnold Schwarzenegger original? J.P. has your take.
“TOTAL RECALL”
Columbia Pictures
Opening Date: Friday, August 3, 2012
MPAA Rating: PG-13 by the MPAA for INTENSE SEQUENCES OF SCI-FI VIOLENCE
AND ACTION, SOME SEXUAL CONTENT, BRIEF NUDITY, AND LANGUAGE.
Run Time: 118 minutes
Directed by: Len Wiseman
Screenplay by: Kurt Wimmer and Mark Bomback
Screen Story by: Ronald Shusett & Dan O’Bannon and Jon Povill and Kurt Wimmer
Inspired by the short story: “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick
Produced by: Neal H. Moritz and Toby Jaffe
Executive Producers: Ric Kidney and Len Wiseman
Cast: Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, John Cho, and Bill Nighy
Studio Synopsis:
Total Recall is an action thriller about reality and memory, inspired anew by the famous short story “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick. Welcome to Rekall, the company that can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), even though he’s got a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale) whom he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life – real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man. Finding himself on the run from the police – controlled by Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston) – there is no one Quaid can trust, except possibly a rebel fighter (Jessica Biel) working for the head of
the underground resistance (Bill Nighy). The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of his world hangs in the balance as Quaid discovers his true identity, his true love, and his true fate. The film is directed by Len Wiseman. The screenplay is by Kurt Wimmer and Mark Bomback and the screen story is by Ronald Shusett & Dan O’Bannon and Jon Povill and Kurt Wimmer. The producers are Neal H. Moritz and Toby Jaffe.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GljhR5rk5eY[/youtube]
J.P.’s Take:
Primarily, both the 1990 and 2012 “Total Recall” films are loose adaptations of science fiction writer Philip K. Dick’s short story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale.” Being that they are adaptations, director Len Wiseman (“Underworld” anthology) and screenwriters Kurt Wimmer (“Equilibrium,” “Law Abiding Citizen”) and Mark Bomback (“Race to Witch Mountain,” “Unstoppable”) have taken creative liberties for the 2012 reboot in redesigning Dick’s original story — giving this dystopian world an ultra futuristic facelift.
The central story thread involving factory worker Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), whom uncovers a shocking revelation about his true identity, is still intact. Gone, however, is the subplot that takes place on Mars (as it was in the Arnold Schwarzenegger original), instead much of the action remains on Earth. A slight alteration is made to that plot point as we find out that much Earth had been rendered unlivable due to chemical warfare. I found that to be a frightening, if interestingly realistic change. We also find out only two territories are left habitable: The United Federation of Great Britain and Australia a.k.a The Colony.
My only qualm with this revision is that the story seemed unfinished. In my opinion the original film paid close attention to Dick’s main story. It conveyed his ideals about how we may perceive reality. Those of you who are Philip K. Dick’s fans, such as me, understand how important this is in his writings. Dick perceives reality as a construct of the mind, meaning what we know about the world around us may or may not be what we think it is. Further still, our reality is shaped by our experiences through the events that play out in our lives. What I loved about 1990’s “Total Recall” was how it played with this philosophy. Because the characters weren’t able to distinguish reality from fantasy, they were more enveloped by their confusion. Upon their discoveries they were still unsure of what they should believe through out the film. What lead to a satisfying ending in this case was how well designed these complex scenarios were in baffling both the audience and the films characters. Additionally this created an emotional impact on viewers as well. With the “Total Recall” 2012, the ending simply felt flat, leaving no doors open for new discoveries.
In the original, Arnold Schwarzenegger convincingly portrayed Douglas Quaid as he provided a certain vulnerability to the character. In the reboot, Farrell along with Jessica Biel (as Melina, a Resistance member), Kate Beckinsale (Lori Quaid, Quaid’s wife), Bryan Cranston (Chancellor Vilos Cohaagen, President of UFB), Bokeem Woodbine (Harry, Quaid’s best friend) and Bill Nighy (Matthias Lair,a rebel leader) all receive applause from me for their efforts. Yet, I couldn’t help feeling that they were just going through the motions in some scenes.
Although “TR” 2012 still boasts the same exhausting fast paced action and top notch special effects, it now carries a PG-13 rating; scaling back much of the bloody violence found in its predecessor. All in all, I did enjoy this film for what it was, a thrilling action flick with great eye candy in terms of scenery. But, I will give it a mild recommendation for its watered down handling of its core philosophy, which was well presented by the original film.