At the Theater - Total Recall (2012) - Although I had a host of little issues with this remake, it's an acceptably entertaining, FX heavy Sci-Fi Actioner that should prove passable to fans of the genre. Essentially a slick, big-budgeted chase film, it's sorely devoid of any true tension or sense of humor (qualities that the original admittedly possessed, to varying degrees). It only bears a passing resemblance to the original- which is both a good and a bad thing...
I wasn't the biggest fan of 1990's Total Recall- The Paul Verhoeven Directed vehicle for Arnold Schwarzenegger was littered with logistical problems (a group of soldiers encircles and fires fully automatic weapons into what turns out to be Arnie's hologram, yet none of the soldiers hit one another) and goofiness galore (the eyeball popping reaction to Mars's atmosphere) that I just couldn't force myself to accept as quality entertainment. Verhoeven's brash Directorial style and satirical approach worked rather well in 1987's Robocop but seemed rather stale and corny for films like Total Recall and Starship Troopers- 2 guilty pleasures, at best.
Star Colin Farrell can't quite muster a dynamic presence (a problem I believe has hounded the star for most of his career, but was NEVER an issue with Arnold)- he's a capable everyman, but is merely passable as an action star. Perhaps it's just not in his DNA...
Kate Beckinsale is as tan and as sexy as ever throughout while Jessica Biel is cute but rather pale and haggard- I'm thinking Director Len Wiseman (the Director of the first two Underworld films and Beckinsale's real-life husband) manipulated the situation accordingly. A fight scene between the two lookers is serviceable but ultimately a missed opportunity- it was something that should have been treated as a highly memorable event but you'll probably end up forgetting it fairly quickly. That said, the two women are surprisingly spry and athletically game throughout. How Beckinsale's villainess is eventually dealt with feels a bit lackluster and tacked on.
Bryan Cranston (AMC's Breaking Bad) is the woefully underwritten main villain here- he's a good character actor that seems inherently out of place. Bill Nighy fans will be very disappointed to find that he has a mere few minutes of screen-time. Other faces you may recognize; Bokeem Woodbine as our protagonist's co-worker and confidant with John Cho (the Harold & Kumar films) making a brief appearance as the host of the memory-implanting Rekall service.
This PG-13 rated film is relatively bloodless (the original had several flat-out gory sequences) and there's only one scene with brief nudity (a three breasted hooker flashes the goods, like the original). This particular film has jettisoned the Mars setting (remaining entirely Earthbound) and dropped the mutant aspect to the "resistance" featured so prominently in the 1990 film- making the three-breasted hooker a bit of a head scratcher...
The cityscape designs and set pieces, while visually impressive, appear to have been patterned after those featured in BladeRunner and The Fifth Element. There's a host of very cool, futuristic gadgets, weaponry and vehicles throughout, including some kick-ass costume/suit designs of the film's human, as well as robotic, Police force. The action and chase sequences are competently staged and filmed. That said, and this might be perceived as nitpicking, this film features more lens flares than I've seen in any one film since 1988's Die Hard- it's just plain annoying and serves no purpose whatsoever here.
It's not what it could have been, but it's better than most of the remakes that Hollywood is dumping off of the assembly line these days. It's a slightly better than average popcorn muncher that would make a nice double-feature companion piece to Michael Bay's The Island.
7.0 out of 10
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