Total Recall : Movie Review


When seeing a remake, I try hard not to think of the original too much. Every movie, whether brand new or a redone version of something else, deserves to be judged on its own merits. Total Recall shows why this is easier said than done, though. I still remember the hot summer day in 1990 when I saw the Arnold Schwarzenegger/Paul Verhoeven version. The movie was a great ride – funny, exciting, and intriguing. I sat in the air conditioned theater having a blast, and left on a wave of euphoria. No one is likely to accuse that film of being brilliant art, but it was undeniably great summer entertainment. And here's the thing: there are two versions of this story, with the new one failing to measure up to the quality level of the original. When the Len Wiseman-directed remake so fundamentally loses everything that was special about Verhoeven's version, it's hard not to compare.

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Author : Mike McGranaghan