Review of Total Recall (1990) by Noname   — 22 Dec 2014

Woman with three breasts?! Where? Here. If you've ever seen that, it comes from Total Recall. Now that you're all here, it's time to begin my review. In figuring out my opinion on the film, it was a long battle between what I liked and what I didn't like. Loosely based on a Philip K. Dick story, Total Recall follows Doug Quaid (Schwarzenegger), an everyman of a dystopic future Earth who dreams of visiting Mars. He has a wife, played by Sharon Stone, though he dreams of a kinky Mars lady named Melina (Rachel Ticotin). In order to realize these dreams in a realistic sense, Quaid goes to a special clinic for a recall, which means he can visit any place of the world in a dream, along with a particular identity. Just as the treatment is given or about to be given (this is purposely ambiguous), he shows symptoms that he woke up without recovering from his identity change. It does not take long before Quaid's friends reveal themselves to be spies for the power-hungry Cohaagen (Ronny Cox), there to control Quaid in whatever way necessary. From there, we witness several scenes of wild, laughable, and bloody violence. Quaid has no problem in using a passerby as a human shield. Why? I don't know. Schwarzenegger's acting signifies little reason for how a construction worker shows no remorse for killing an unarmed man. His acting is the first prominent weakness of the film.

Once the Negger lands on Mars, we are treated to set design reminiscent of sci-fi flicks of the fifties and early sixties, and stop-motion effects that are like a blend of Ren & Stimpy and Evil Dead. It may sound cheesy, but I found it easy to take pleasure in both of these things. Violence ensues further, as people fight each other for either Quaid or Cohaagen. At some point in the film, Quaid discovers that he was not always Quaid, and instead was originally a soldier for Cohaagen who discovered a reactor in Mars that would turn the atmosphere of the planet into one habitable for humans. Never mind the lack of science. I don't often suggest looking past minor quibbles, but do it if you can. I understand why Total Recall is not for everyone. Most viewers may appreciate the ultimate twist and the ambiguous ending, which, I believe, is thanks to Philip K. Dick. An intellectually-designed dystopic future mixed with kick-ass action is not far from what The Matrix was, a decade later. As much as I want to sell Total Recall as such, I was disappointed by the details. Besides Arnold's performance, there is a generality to the film that left me disengaged at times. By the time Arnold is on Mars, I stopped caring for the story, especially the romance between him and Melina. It's a beauty that unfortunately bares some flaws.